Drought tolerant plants

The persistent drought and higher summer temperatures across Victoria have killed many normally reliable garden plants and focussed attention on selecting replacements suited to these new, harsher conditions.

Many Australian native plants thrive in hot, arid conditions

Much of Australia is naturally arid and many native plants are indigenous to areas with lower rainfall and higher summer temperatures than those Victoria is currently experiencing. Many arid area plants have very colourful flowers, foliage and a habit of growth which makes them well suited for garden use. Most thrive in our current Victorian weather conditions without supplementary watering.

How to spot a drought tolerant plant

When confronted with the large selection of plants on offer in a typical nursery, how do you know which are likely to have low water requirements and be drought tolerant?

Advice from your local APS District group or an experienced nurseryman with knowledge of local conditions is always invaluable, but in addition there are easily recognised plant features which can be used to identify those which are most likely to be drought tolerant. These features have evolved through natural selection over a long time to maximise the plant's chances of survival. They protect the plant from the effects of hot sun, store water for use by the plant in times of drought, and reduce water loss from the plant to the atmosphere.

Careful - There are exceptions

While most plants exhibiting the features listed are drought resistant, there are exceptions.
For example:

• Acacia verticillata has small leaves but is not drought tolerant.
• Hymenosporum flavum is a rainforest plant with large green leaves and none of the above features, but is drought resistant.

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Maximising plant survival

Even the most drought hardy plant can fail if it is planted in an unplanned, haphazard way and forgotten. By planning ahead and taking these steps you will give your drought tolerant plants the best chance of surviving hot, dry summers:

• Follow Jan Hall's principles of low water usage garden layout and her plant cultivation practices.
  >> Jan Hall's experiences with gardening with little water at Wangaratta
• Except in very cold alpine areas of Victoria, plant in autumn or early winter so the plant has the benefit of winter rainfall and a chance to establish deep roots before the following summer.
  >> Recommended planting times by locality
• New plantings require artificial watering during dry periods for the first two years while they are building their root system and establishing themselves.
  To encourage deep rooting do not apply artificial water until the surface soil is dry, then water thoroughly so the water penetrates deep into the soil. Deep rooting ensures the plant's roots remain cool and are best placed to tap sub soil moisture.
• Plant in well mulched beds to reduce soil temperature and maintain as much moisture as possible.
• Use stone or gravel mulch to ensure maximum water penetration through the mulch to the soil beneath.
  Other mulches may form a barrier when they dry out causing water to run off them instead of allowing it to penetrate through to the soil

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Recommended drought tolerant plants

This is a selection of plants, suited to areas with a climate similar to Melbourne, which once established (Ie after two years) are drought tolerant. The list is not exhaustive.

Before making a selection always take into account your local climate and soils as some plants may require alkaline soil or be unsuitable for coastal, humid, wet or alpine conditions. It is recommended you seek advice from your local APS District group or an experienced local nurseryman.