Eddie Seagle is a Sustainability Verifier, Golf Environment Organization (Scotland), Agronomist and Horticulturalist, CSI: Seagle (Consulting Services International) LLC, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Alumnus (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning (University System of Georgia) and Short Term Missionary (Heritage Church, Moultrie). Direct inquiries to csi_seagle@yahoo.com.

The days and weeks of April are passing rather quickly and May is on the horizon. The coolness of spring has been a comforting setting, but the heat of summer will surely to arrive. In the continuation of your landscaping efforts, make choices and decisions that further promote sustainability and environmental stewardship, as well as curb appeal. With sustainability comes drought tolerance. A plant is drought tolerant if it can survive a dry period of two to three months without supplemental irrigation.

Many of our native plants in regions experiencing such conditions are drought tolerant. To reduce the need for supplemental irrigation in your landscape, drought tolerant plants should be used. If you want to minimize long-term watering, be sure to use native or sustainable plants. Develop your landscape with drought tolerant plants!

Let’s take a look at the following drought tolerant plants by common and botanical names that can prove very useful in your landscape planning process. The botanical name eliminates any confusion that might be created by variations in common names between geographic regions or zones.

Annual plants and flowers exhibiting drought tolerance include orange cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora), zinnia (Zinnia elegans), and Mexican zinnia (Zinnia haageana).

Perennial plants with drought tolerance include iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), oxeye sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), daffodils (Narcissus spp.), pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa), asparagus fern (Protosparagus densiflorus), Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana), common goldenrod (Solidago odora), mountain marigold (Tagetes lemmonii), and Adam’s needle yucca (Yucca filamentosa).

Grasses and grass-like plants offering drought tolerance include pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica), Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), and sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri).

Vines having drought tolerance include Mexican creeper (Antigonon leptopus), cross vine (Bignonia capreolata), violet trumpet vine (Clytostoma callistegioides), dodder (Cuscuta spp.), creeping fig (Ficus pumila), Carolina yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea), Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), and muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia).

Shrubs which are drought tolerant include Japanese aucuba (Aucuba japonica), butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua), Japanese quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), thorny elaeagnus (Elaeagnus pungens), blue huckleberry (Gavlussacia frondosa), confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis), Aaron’s beard (Hypericum calycinum), gallberry (Ilex glabra), Burford’s holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’), yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), Nellie Stevens holly (Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’), shore juniper (Juniperus conferta), Parson’s juniper (Juniperus davurica ‘Parsonii’), creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), lantana (Lantana spp.), golden vicary privet (Ligustrum x vicaryi), southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), Oleander (Nerium oleander), Japanese mockorange (Pittosporum tobira), India hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica), veddo hawthorne (Rhaphiolepis umbellata), Knockout rose (Rosa x ‘Knockout’), Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata), rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis), Reeves’ spirea (Spiraea cantoniensis), yellow elder (Tecoma stans), mayberry (Vaccinium elliottii), shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites), deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), rusty black-haw (Viburnum rufidulum), Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia), spineless yucca (Yucca elephantipes), and Spanish dagger (Yucca gloriosa).

Trees which are drought tolerant include red maple (Acer rubrum), silk tree (Albizia julibrissin), Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima), southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides), deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), woody goldenrod (Chrysoma pauciflosculosa), camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), smoketree (Cotinus coggygria), Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis Leylandii), smooth cypress (Cupressus glabra), American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), gingko (Gingko biloba), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus), American holly (Ilex opaca), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Chinaberry (Melia azedarach), white mulberry (Morus alba), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), slash pine (Pinus elliottii), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), black pine (Pinus thunberall), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), southern red oak (Quercus falcata), sand live oak (Quercusgeminata), Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), African tuliptree (Spathodea campanulata), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), and chastetree Vitex negundo).

As you research plants that get your attention, keep such factors as seasonal color, texture, size at maturity (height and width), speed of growth, exposure to sun or shade, potential pests problems, deciduous or evergreen, cultural practices, and potential invasiveness in mind. Some of these plants may have invasive characteristics, but were listed because they were found in the area. Continue to think in terms of native and sustainable plants in the landscape rather than those with invasive characteristics. Continue enjoying this spring weather and have a blessed week! Prayers uplifted for good health, wise decisions, safe journeys, traveling mercies, and neighborly love!

“I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:1-2. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2. “Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 146:1-2. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6.