Tough plants for hot dry climates

< Previous

1 of 10

Next >

Frangipani (Pulmeria rubra) dwarf evergreen tree with light pink flowers

Hardy succulents : ‘mother –in-laws tongue’ and ‘Crown of Thorns ‘ potted

Strelitzia nocolai is a giant species that has white flowers

Young fan palms potted

Citronella Geranium (Perlargonium citronella)

Below are some of the drought tolerant, hardly typical plants, in case you are not in a position where you can water regularly. Add some of these tough-as-nails perennials to your garden. No green thumb required.

Hardy Gingers and Helicionia’s
Upright Shell Ginger (Alpina Zerumbet) is a beautiful Ginger with large white and pink flowers and lush tropical foliage. Plant in full sun to part shade. Fairly drought hardy. heat hardy with enough water.

Lobster Claw (Heliconia rostata) is a postrate heliconia.
Spiral Ginger (Costus pictus). This is a great ginger to grow. It always looks amazing with lush green foliage, gorgeous little flowers which are edible. Very drought hardy, heat tolerant, and suitable for full sun to part shade. It’s a good tropical plant to establish some shade for other tropical plants.

Heliconia Strawberries and Cream
This is a beautiful small Heliconia for tropical gardens. It is suitable for full sun to part shade, heat tolerant (although it looks best with regular watering). Flowering are stunning and brightening any garden heavy on foliage.

Hardy Ornamentals, foliage and Flowering Plants
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)- is a stunning exotic plant with amazing orange flowers and big lush green foliage. Thrives in full sun to part shade. A very drought hardy tropical plant. Copes with heat beautifully.

Giant Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Nicolai)- is very fast growing tropical foliage plant with big, beautiful, bird attracting flowers. Full sun, very drought hardy.
Alpina mutica (Small shell/false cardamom ginger) is a foliage plant.

Canua Indica
Anu Canua is work of art and a fantastic addition to your garden, absolutely stunning. Canua indica is one of the toughest canua around and is suitable for full sun to part shade position. Very heat tolerant. Looks best with regular watering, but is very drought tolerant also.
Perennial Basic (Ocimun sp) is a beauty for the bees and a hardy edible plant. Perennial basil is an ultimate bee-attracting plant; it is covered with bees, throughout the day, everyday. The “buzz” around this plant is well warranted. It smells divine.

Petunia Bush (Iponoea carnea)
Petuna bush is a beautiful plant, which can be kept at any height required. Flowers are stunning, a pale pink, or white. Leaves are large and lush looking. A great plant for hot, tropical gardens. Drought tolerant, full sun, heat tolerant.

Hardy Tropical Ground Covers
Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum tricolor)
Amazing colourful ground cover! Very drought hardy. Plant in full sun to part shade. Suitable for hot positions.
Blue Sapphire (Evolvulus Pilosus) A favourite ground cover. This plant covers good ground in a tropical garden in a short amount of time. It is very tough, drought hardy and heat tolerant. Full sun to part shade. Also looks great in hanging baskets and pots.
Stripey mondo Grass- (Ophiopogon intermedians) – a great ground cover with very unusual white and green variegated, strap-like foliage.

Moses in a Cradle (Rhoeo spathacea)
A fantastic ground cover for adding some year-round colour to your garden, with purple and green foliage. Suitable for full sun. heat and drought hardy.

Trees
Hardy Palm Trees
Palms are the staple of the hot, dry gardens. Given below are examples of some palms, which are very, very sun, drought and heat hardy. They are easy as it gets. These palms don’t ask for much. They are suitable for full sun to part shade. They are drought hardy and heat tolerant. Grow well in containers as well as tropical style gardens:

Alexander Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae); Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsico), Chinese Fanpal, (Livistona Chinensis); The Lipstick Palm (Crtostachys venda) or Red Sealing Wax Palm; Pink Crown Palm (Dypsis gracilis/Pink Crown), Weeping Cottage Palm (Livistona decipiens); Bugalow Palms, Fan Palm (Licuala ramsayi) Frangipani ( Plumeria rubra) dwarf evergreen Frangipanis.

Hardy Succulents and Cacti
If you’re into succulents and Cacti, (especially if you live in hot and dry climate), you’re in luck! Succulent and Cacti are well suited to hot, dry climate and require very little water. Here are a few:

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia Millii)
A beautiful, very tough succulent with gorgeous little flower in red, pink and creamy yellow and dark green foliage. Very easy to grow and very drought hard. heat tolerant and grow in full sun. Suitable for gardens (including tropical gardens) and pots.
Lady Slipper (Euphorbia tithynis loides)- a very lovely little shrub-like succulent which looks great in rockeries, Cacti gardens, but also tropical gardens, and they look great growing amongst tropical plants such as gingers. It flowers nearly all year and never looks scruffy. Full sun, drought hardy, heat hardy. Grow in garden or pots. Succulents like Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, Aloe vera, mother-in-law’s tongue and cacti; African Milk Plant ( Euphorbia Trigona).