Drought-Tolerant Shrubs for the Midwest - FineGardening
Abstract
If you've found yourself outside holding the hose more often in recent years, it might be time to invest in more drought-tolerant plants. NaYumi™ Itoh peony Name: Paeonia 'Yellow Doodle Dandy' Zones: 4-8 Size: 30 to 36 inches tall and 36 to 48 inches wide Conditions: Full sun to light shade; well-drained soil Native Range: Interspecific hybrid Yumi™ carries large, fully double, lightly fragrant flowers on strong stems that don't require staking. Because the stems are generally cut back to 4 to 8 inches before spring growth starts, early flowers are often produced from last year's stems followed by later flowers on new stems that arise from the base. Well-drained soil is a must, and dry is just fine, thank you. 'Amethyst' witch hazel Name: Hamamelis 'Amethyst' Zones: 4-8 Size: 8 to 12 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil Native Range: Hybrid 'Amethyst' blooms in late winter, when not a darned thing is going on in any Upper Midwest garden. Hesse cotoneaster Name: Cotoneaster hessei Zones: 4-7 Size: 1 to 11/2 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil Native Range: Believed to be an interspecific hybrid Plants with small, lustrous leaves generally aren't water guzzlers, and that's the case with this beauty. Northern bayberry Name: Morella pensylvanica Zones: 3-7 Size: 5 to 8 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; wet to dry soil Native Range: Eastern United States Here's a cool native plant for massing in naturalistic gardens, water courses, or swales.
