A few months ago I wrote a blog about gardening, or more correctly about my wife's adventures (and many challenges) with gardening. This year has proven to be no different than other years in regards to her level of frustration, this time largely due to a lack of rain. We returned home late last week after a week away to find some very, very sad plants. On some of her 'babies' the leaves were not only drooping but completely missing. Other 'children' had seemingly disappeared only to be found on closer inspection to be dried out twigs!
Fortunately we have had some rain and some of her victims have bounced back…others will remain forever lost. It was her desire to replace these lost souls that has resulted in the list below as after the dust settled she went to task and found a list of drought resistant perennial plants suited for Toronto. Her source is the Toronto Botanical Garden and although it makes no sense to me, she assures me that it is the solution we've been looking for (I still have my doubts!). Thought I'd post it in case you can find it useful.
Drought Tolerant Perennials for Full Sun:
- Achillea (Yarrow)
- Alyssum (Madwort, Perennial Alyssum)
- Anacyclus (Mount Atlas Daisy)
- Anaphalis (Pearly Everlasting)
- Antennaria (Cat's-paw, Pussytoes)
- Anthemis (Perennial Marguerite Daisy)
- Arabis (Wall Cress, Rock Cress)
- Arenaria (Sandwort)
- Armeria (Thrift, Sea Pink)
- Asclepias (Milkweed)
- Aster (Aster, Michaelmas Daisy)
- Aurinia (Perennial Alyssum)
- Baptisia (False Indigo, Wild Indigo)
- Catananche (Cupid's Dart)
- Centaurea (Perennial Cornflower)
- Centranthus (Red Valerian)
- Cerastium (Snow-In-Summer)
- Coreopsis (Tickseed)
- Coronilla (Crown Vetch)
- Crambe (Seakale)
- Delosperma (Hardy Ice Plant)
- Dianthus (Pinks, Carnations)
- Echinacea (Coneflower)
- Erigeron (Fleabane Daisy)
- Erodium (Heronsbill)
- Eryngium (Sea Holly)
- Erysimum [Cheiranthus] (Wallflower)
- Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)
- Gazania (Hardy Gazania)
- Goniolimon (German Statice)
- Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)
- Helianthemum (Rock Rose, Sun Rose)
- Knautia (Scabious)
- Lathyrus (Sweet Pea)
- Lavandula (Lavender)
- Leontopodium (Edelweiss)
- Lewisia (Lewisia)
- Liatris (Blazing Star)
- Linum (Flax)
- Lotus (Bird's Foot)
- Lychnis (Campion)
- Nepeta (Catmint)
- Oenothera (Evening Primrose, Sundrops)
- Origanum (Oregano)
- Paeonia (Peony)
- Papaver (Poppy)
- Penstemon (Beard-tongue)
- Perovskia (Russian Sage)
- Phlomis (Phlomis)
- Potentilla (Cinquefoil)
- Raoulia (Vegetable Sheep)
- Ratibida (Prairie Coneflower, Mexican Hat)
- Rudbeckia (Cone-flower, Black-eyed Susan)
- Salvia (Hardy Salvia, Perennial Sage)
- Saponaria (Soapwort)
- Santolina (Lavender Cotton)
- Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower, Scabious)
- Silene (Campion, Catchfly)
- Tanacetum (Tansy)
- Thymus (Thyme)
- Verbascum (Mullein)
- Verbena (Verbena)
Drought Tolerant Perennials for Full Sun or Part Shade:
- Acaena (Sheepburr, New Zealand Burr)
- Agastache (Anise-hyssop, Licorice Mint)
- Aquilegia (Columbine)
- Artemesia (Wormwood, Artemesia)
- Calamintha (Calamint)
- Campanula carpatica (Carpathian Bellflower)
- Chamaemelum (Chamomile, Camomile)
- Draba (Draba, Whitlow Grass)
- Eupatorium (Boneset)
- Euphorbia (Spurge)
- Fragaria (Strawberry)
- Gaura (Gaura)
- Geranium (Cranesbill)
- Geum (Avens)
- Glechoma (Ground Ivy, Creeping Charlie)
- Hemerocallis (Daylily)
- Heuchera (Coral Bells, Alumroot)
- Hypericum (St. John's-Wort)
- Iberis (Candytuft)
- Iris (Iris, Flag)
- Lupinus (Lupine, Lupin)
- Oxalis (Wood Sorrel)
- Phlox douglasii (Moss Phlox, Douglas' Phlox)
- Phlox subulata (Moss Phlox, Creeping Phlox)
- Pulsatilla (Pasque-flower, Prairie Crocus)
- Sedum (Stonecrop)
- Stachys (Lamb's-ears)
- Teucrium (Germander)
- Veronica (Speedwell)
Drought Tolerant Perennials for Part Shade:
- Mertensia (Bluebells)
Drought Tolerant Perennials for Part Shade or Full Shade
- Convallaria (Lily-of-the-Valley)
- Epimedium (Bishop's Hat, Barrenwort)
- Lamiastrum (False Lamium, Yellow Archangel)
- Lamium (Creeping Lamium, False Salvia)
- Pachysandra (Spurge, Pachysandra)
- Symphytum (Comfrey)
- Vinca (Periwinkle, Vinca)