35 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive With Little Maintenance

If you live in a relatively dry climate or want to develop an easy-to-maintain landscape, consider shrubs that are highly tolerant to drought.

There are many to choose from, like Indian hawthorn, tea tree, and blue beard—even some hydrangeas as well.

Warmer USDA zones are usually any zone 8 to 13, although we’ve included a few zone 7 plants, like rock cotoneaster, mountain spray, and shrubby cinquefoil, in this list since they are on the borderline. You will find several stunners, most have year-round seasonal interest, flower beautifully, or yield berries. 

Some of the hardiest shrubs are those that can take neglect and don’t need much water, such as lantana, Russian sage, and glossy abelia—these plants grow well in dry soil and can survive months without much rainfall.

Read on, and you will see you have many options for the most drought-tolerant shrubs.