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Garden - Drought Tolerant Plants

Water is an increasingly precious resource in most Australian communities.  However, this doesn’t mean that the garden has to suffer.  By using drought-tolerant plants and good watering practices (green plumbing), you can have a garden that looks great and is extremely water-wise.

Drought-tolerant plants have developed mechanisms that allow them to conserve as much water as possible.  These include thick, fleshy leaves that store water; hairy or reflective foliage; and small leaves that reduce the surface area through which water can be lost.  When planning your own garden, it is a good idea to group plants with similar watering needs together so that every plant in your garden will get the amount of water they actually need, minimizing water wastage.

Many of the plants (the right plants …) that do so well in our climate come from the drier regions of Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Americas.  Some, such as the common agapanthus, do so well that they have the potential to become weeds.  For this reason, it is a good idea to check with a nursery or the local council to ensure that there are no problems with your chosen plants in your area.

To see which plants thrive in your neighbourhood, you cannot go past taking a simple walk and seeing which plants are growing the best in the drier weather.  Once you have chosen your plants, try to implement good watering practices.  This includes watering the garden well once a week rather than watering it for a short amount of time each day.  Keep the water close to the roots and avoid wetting the foliage.  This will encourage the plant’s roots to grow deeper into the soil and thus improve their drought tolerance.  Also, remember to mulch the garden well to minimize water evaporation.

Suggestions for Planting

Many plants are drought-tolerant – more than we could possibly list here.  Always check with your local nursery to ensure that the plant is suitable for your area, or even just to get some more suggestions!  Here are some of our choices:

• Yucca
  
• Bougainvillea
  
• Grevilleas
  
• Star jasmine
  
• Myrtle wattle
  
• Silver cassia
  
• Plumbago
  
• Indian hawthorn
  
• Coast rosemary
  
• Golden wattle
  
• Black mallee
  
• River red gum
  
• Claret ash
  
• Peppercorn tree
  
• Flowering cypress

While wattles can be a great native, drought tolerant plant, be sure to check that the species that you choose is not classified as a weed or has the potential to cause problems as one.

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