Heat and Drought: Global Challenges for Plants
Heat and drought present significant problems for plants around the world. In fact, drought leads to agricultural decline and plant death globally. As a result, various types of vegetation become vulnerable to drought and heat-related illnesses, threatening food security. Fortunately, gardeners can find relief in drought-tolerant and heat-resistant plants. But what exactly are drought-tolerant plants? Moreover, why do these plants matter?
The Impact of Climate Change
One major concern associated with drought-susceptible plants stems from climate change. Unstable droughts and rising energy costs arise from climate change, prompting many to pursue resource conservation. For instance, choosing drought-tolerant plants serves as a resource-saving strategy. This approach proves especially relevant for landscapers and gardeners, as they can reduce water usage through the implementation of drought-resistant plants.
Benefits of Drought-Resistant Plants
Drought-resistant plants consume less water while maintaining aesthetic and functional qualities within landscapes. Consequently, homeowners can save hundreds of gallons of water annually by using drought-resistant plants in their landscaping.
Types of Drought-Resistant Plants
Many types of drought-resistant plants and vegetation exist, including flowers, bushes, beans, grains, and more. Furthermore, some plants require less water than others and show greater resistance to heat, making them less affected by drought-related occurrences.
Examples of drought-resistant plants include:
Trees:
- American Sweetgum
- Devil’s Walking Stick
- Hackberry
- Hedge Maple
- Italian Alder
- Japanese Tree Lilac
- Lacebark Pine
- Sassafras
- White Fir
- Yellowwood
Shrubs and Hedges:
- Forsythia
- Glossy Abelia
- Gray Dogwood
- Japanese Holly
- Juniper
- Lilac
- New Jersey Tea
- Seven-Son Flower
- Smokebush
- St. Johnswort
Annuals:
- Amaranthus
- Cosmos
- Four o’clock
- Globe Amaranth
- Lantana
- Mexican Sunflower
- Pot Marigold
- Rosemary
- Spider Flower
- Strawflower
Drought-Tolerant Perennials:
- Thyme
- Sage
- Sea Lavender
- Black-eyed Susan
- Sea Holly
- Daylily
- Butterfly Weed
- Basket-of-Gold
- False Indigo
- Snow-in-Summer
Grasses:
- Deergrass
- Giant Wild Rye
- Purple Needle Grass
- Sheep Fescue
Crops:
- Beans such as butter beans and lima beans
- Corn varieties such as pinky popcorn, silver queen hybrid sweet, and Tennessee red cob
- Grains including barley, quinoa, and red stripe leaf
- Peppers such as Jupiter red bell and ordoño
- Herbs such as basil, catnip, and oregano
Creating a Drought-Resistant Garden
A drought-resistant garden appeals to those wanting to conserve resources and lacking the time or energy for maintaining water-needy plants. If you are new to gardening and drought-resistant plants, you may wonder how to identify drought-resistant plants, choose the best ones for your garden, and care for them.
Characteristics of Drought-Tolerant Plants
Drought-tolerant plants withstand high heat where water may be scarce. Furthermore, these plants require little water to thrive, maintaining both aesthetic appeal and functional value in their environments.
Typically, these plants feature small or divided leaves. Additionally, their leaves may appear hairy or waxy. These leaf characteristics help plants retain moisture and manage water loss through transpiration.
Some species may exhibit spiny leaves or lack leaves altogether. Moreover, many drought-resistant plants possess longer-than-normal roots that help them access stored underground water. Additionally, some species, particularly trees, shrubs, and perennials, adjust their root depths to bind soil and rocks together for nutrients.
Silver or grey-green leaves often reflect sunlight, contributing to the plants’ drought tolerance.
Choosing Drought-Tolerant Plants
When creating a drought-tolerant garden or learning how to care for drought-tolerant plants, consider the following steps:
- Plan your garden. Group drought-resistant and non-drought-resistant plants together to stay organized and facilitate care.
- Evaluate planting locations. Drought-tolerant plants thrive poorly in rich soils, poorly drained soils, or well-fertilized soils. Therefore, ensure proper drainage for the health and vitality of drought-tolerant plants.
- Incorporate organic matter to retain moisture. Before planting, mix organic matter into the soil and add grit or pea gravel to improve drainage.
- Use ground cover plants as grass substitutes. Plant these in areas where grass and turf struggle, especially in narrow or shaded spaces.
- Maintain adequate spacing between plants to prevent competition for root space and nutrients.
- Consider your watering practices. Water your plants early in the morning, particularly before full sunlight exposure, to reduce evaporation. If rain is in the forecast, watering becomes unnecessary.
- Water deeply but infrequently to prioritize quality over quantity.
- Apply mulch to your garden. This method mitigates weeds and retains moisture, with mulch layered 2 to 3 inches deep. Popular options include shredded leaves, pine bark, and fine gravel.
- Weed your garden regularly during spring. Weeding several times a week, in intervals of 15 to 30 minutes, keeps your garden healthy.
- Most importantly, enjoy the process. With various shapes and sizes, drought-tolerant plants ensure a perfect fit for any garden.
Other Considerations
Choosing plants for your garden presents challenges. Additionally, caring for them can prove even more difficult. To gain insights, visit a garden and consult with expert gardeners and landscapers to determine which plants suit your landscape and lifestyle. Furthermore, read books on gardening and plants for more ideas about the benefits of drought-resistant plants in your garden.
Additional considerations include:
- Plant silver-leaved varieties that prefer full sun in April to encourage root growth before winter.
- Select small specimens to help them adjust to their environment as they grow.
- Most plants will need 1 to 2 years to develop a well-established root system, so water them carefully, especially during the first year.
