Drought-tolerant plants

Date February 19, 2026
Conservation Actions Conserve Water, Plant Native Species
Resource Categories Water Wise Gardening
Green leaves and clusters of dark berries on a shrub.
Drought-tolerant species like this Tall Oregon Grape often have tough, waxy leaves that stay green through the winter.

An important part of building a resilient habitat is including some drought-resistant species. These plants are especially well adapted to our dry summers, making them better able to withstand heat waves and climate change. None of these species need irrigation after their first summer, except in very hot weather.

DROUGHT-TOLERANT TREES AND LARGE SHRUBS
  • Oregon White Oak (Quercus garryana)
  • Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)
  • Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) – look for the Willamette Valley variety!
  • Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) – various species ranging from large to small
  • Blueblossom (Ceanothus thrysiflorus)
  • Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)
  • Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
  • Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)
  • Black Hawthorn (Crateagus douglasii)
  • Red Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum)
  • Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii)
  • Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor)
  • Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana)
DROUGHT-TOLERANT SMALL SHRUBS
  • Oregon Grape (Tall) (Mahonia aquifolium)
  • Oregon Grape (Creeping) (Mahonia repens)
  • Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
  • Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
  • Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus) 
  • Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus)
  • Coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis)
  • Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
  • Wax Myrtle (Myrica california)
DROUGHT-TOLERANT PERENNIALS AND GROUNDCOVERS
  • Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)
  • Roemer’s Fescue (Festuca roemeri)
  • California Fescue (Festuca californica)
  • Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
  • Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  • Native lupines (Lupinus spp.)
  • Camas (Camassia quamash and Camassia leichtlinii)
  • Checker Lily (Fritillaria affinis)
  • Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora)
  • Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
  • Bearberry Manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana)
  • Coastal Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)
  • Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
  • Broadleaf Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)
  • Oregon Stonescrop (Sedum oreganum)
  • Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis emarginata)
  • Douglas Aster (Symphyrotrichum subspicatum)
  • Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
  • Oregon Iris (Iris tenax)