Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture

Drought Tolerant Plant List for Vancouver City Boulevards

Important: Because soil and water conditions vary, results cannot be guaranteed. This list is intended as a guide to those plants which have proven drought tolerant in average conditions.

List compiled by volunteer Master Gardeners from Van Dusen Botanical Garden for the Prince Edward Street Waterwise Blooming Boulevard Project.
June, 2003
Prince Edward St. Water Wise Blooming Boulevards

Perennials: Drought Tolerant Plant Selection Guide

Blossom Colour

Botanical Name

Common Name

Sun

Shade

W

P

R

O

Y

B

P

Bloom Season

Soil

Height

Spread

Comments

White

Pink

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow

X

A. 'Fire King'

X

X

Summer/fall

1m

Likes very hot dry. Spreads

A. 'Moonshine'

X

X

Summer/fall

60 cm

Aethionema A. 'Warley Rose'

Stonecress

X

Late Spring, Early Summer

Light

15cm

15cm

Everygreen, compact, short lived.

Ajuga

X

X

Good edger for curbside.

Alchemilla mollis

Lady’s Mantle

X

X

X

summer

30 cm

60 cm

Self seeds

A. alpina

X

Silver edges and silver underleaf.

Allium

Chives

X

X

30cm

30cm

Edible. Self seeds.

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Blue Star Flower

X

X

summer

45-60 cm

30 cm

Yellow leaves in autumn.

Anemone japonica

Japanese anemone

X

X

X

X

Late summer

1m

1m

Partial shade under deciduous trees.

Anthemis nobilis

Chamomile

X

X

Summer

60cm

30cm

Can make tea. Nice white daisies.

Aquilegia

Columbine

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Spring/summer

60 cm

30 cm

Attracts humming birds/self seeds in Fall

Artemisia

Wormwood

X

Grey foliage.

A. ludoviciana

X

X

1 M

60 cm

A. pontica

X

60 cm

20 cm

May spread.

A. 'Powis Castle'

X

1 M

1.2 M

Evergreen.

A. stellariana

X

Light soil

30-60 cm

60cm—1 m

Aster novi-belgii hybrids. A. x 'Frikartii Munch' A. 'Wonder of Staffa'

Michaelmas Daisies

X

X

X

X

X

X

Summer/Fall

1m

1m

Watch height. Pick low growing cultivars. Need dividing every 2-3 years. In June, growing tips can be pinched out to reduce height.

Bergenia cordifolia

Elephants Ears

X

X

X

X

20 cm

B. crassifolia

X

X

X

X

Feb-Mar

20 cm

Glossy bold leaves, green

Campanula

Bellflower

X

X

X

X

X

Summer

Height and spread depending on type. Watch invasive ones.

Carex C. buchanii C. comans 'frosty curls' C. morrowii

Sedge.(Grass-like)

X

X

Do not cut to ground. Evergreen or "everbrown.".

Perennials: Drought Tolerant Plant Selection Guide

Blossom Colour

Botanical Name

Common Name

Sun

Shade

W

P

R

O

Y

B

P

Bloom Season

Soil

Height

Spread

Comments

White

Pink

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Catanache caerula

Cupid’s dart

X

X

X

Light well drained

60 cm

30 cm

Gray green leaves. Reseeds.

Centaurea

C. ‘John Coutts’

X

X

summer

60 cm

45 cm

Bright pink, deadhead will rebloom.

C. montana

X

Early summer

50 cm

60 cm

Regular division.

C. pulcherimma

X

75 cm

60 cm

Regular division.

Centranthus

Valerian

X

X

X

summer

Poor

60 cm-1m.

< 45 cm

Good with day lilies. Scented.

C. 'Albus'

X

C. rubra

X

Ceratostigma

Plumbago

X

Late summer/fall

Brilliant blue flowers

C. plumbaginoides

Dwarf plumbago

X

45 cm.

20 cm

Rapidly spreading.

C. willmottianum

Chinese plumbago

X

75 cm

75 cm

Convallaria majalis

Lily of the Valley

X

3-23cm

All parts poisonous if ingested.

Coreopsis

Tickseed

X

X

X

summer

C. verticillata 'Zagreb' C. verticillata 'Moonbeam'

X

40-60 cm

30 cm

Thread leaf foliage.

C. lanceolata

X

45 cm

30 cm

Excellent cut flowers

Crocosmia

X

Good naturaliser, watch height

C. 'Lucerfi'

X

1 m

20-25 cm

C. 'Bressingham Blaze'

X

X

X

75 cm

Cynoglossum grande

Western Hound's Tongue (biennial)

X

X

X

X

X

Spring

60cm

Dies back in summer.

Deschampsia

Tufted Hair grass

X

X

30cm

30cm

Nice in wind.

Diascia D. integerrima vigilis D. vigilis

Twinspur

X

X

Summer/Fall

Lean soil

45cm

1m

Survives in poor soil. Well drained soil.

Doronicum

Leopard's Bane

X

X

Spring

75cm

60cm

Dryopteris

Wood Fern

X

Rich soil.

Not easy to grow. Needs organic matter. Mulch required.

D. arguta

Coastal Wood Fern

X

75 cm

D. erythrosora

X

30—60 cm

D. expansa

X

30 cm-1 m

D filex mas

X

30cm-1m

Echinacea purpurea

Coneflower

X

X

X

X

Summer

1m

1m

Erica

Winter flowering Heather

X

X

X

X

Winter/Spring

30cm

30cm -1m

Acid peaty soil. Add peat to soil before planting. Water well to get established--two years. Light haircut after flowering.

Perennials: Drought Tolerant Plant Selection Guide

Blossom Colour

Botanical Name

Common Name

Sun

Shade

W

P

R

O

Y

B

P

Bloom Season

Soil

Height

Spread

Comments

White

Pink

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Erigeron E. glaucus E. speciosus

Fleabane Beach Aster

X

X

X

X

X

Summer

Sandy

Flowers all summer. Free blooming.

Eryngium E. alpinum E. planum

Sea Holly

X

X

X

Summer

Silver, check height, tap root. Difficult to divide.

Erysimum

Wallflower

X

E. ‘Bowles Mauve’

X

X

1 m

2 m

Almost continuous bloom.

E. linifolium

X

X

30 cm

20 cm

Short lived, will self sow.

E. helveticum

X

X

10 cm

15 cm

Euphorbia

E. amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’

X

X

X

Spring

1 m

1 m

Tolerates root competition from tree.

E. amygdaloides robbiae

X

Spring

Poor

45-60 cm

60 cm

Lime green flowers. Spreads by rhizomes.

E. griffithii ‘Fireglow’

X

X

X

Early Summer

1 m

50 cm

E. myrsinites

Myrtle Euphorbia

X

X

X

Spring

10 cm

20 cm

Evergreen. Lime green flower

E. polychroma

Cushion Spurge

X

E. rigida

X

X

Early Spring.

45 cm

45 cm

Evergreen lime green flower

Fragaria chiloensis

Wild Strawberry

X

X

X

30 cm

>1 m

Spreads by stolons

Geranium

Cranes bill. Hardy geranium.

Excellent choice. Easy Care. Free blooming.

G. macrorrhizum

X

X

X

X

Tough, disease free.

G. x oxanonium

X

X

X

G. phaeum

Mourning Widow

X

X

X

Excellent for dry shade.

Globularia

Globe Daisy

X

X

Summer

8cm

20cm

Only moderately frost hardy.

Goniolimon tataricum Or Limonium

German Statice

X

X

X

Summer

30cm

Good dried flowers.

G. bellidifolium

X

X

X

20 cm

20 cm

G. latifolium ‘Blue Cloud’

X

X

X

Late summer

30 cm

45 cm

Can dry flowers

Helenium autumnale H. Hybrids

Sneezeweed

X

Need regular division, hot spot, watch height of cultivars

H. 'Bressinghan Gold'

X

X

Late summer/fall

1 m

60 cm

H. 'Moerheim Beauty'

X

X

Late summer/fall

1 m

60 cm

Rich, reddish colour.

H. 'Wyndley'

X

X

Late summer/fall

75 cm

60 cm

Orange yellow.

Helianthemum nummularium

Sun rose. Rock rose.

X

X

X

X

X

X

Early summer

Excellent drainage

15-20 cm

15-30 cm

Dry spot needed, evergreen.

Helictotrichon

Blue Oat Grass

X

60cm

60cm

Stately blue green grass with florets. Do not cut back.

 

Perennials: Drought Tolerant Plant Selection Guide

Blossom Colour

Botanical Name

Common Name

Sun

Shade

W

P

R

O

Y

B

P

Bloom Season

Soil

Height

Spread

Comments

White

Pink

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Helleborus

Christmas Rose

X

X

X

Winter, Early Spring

Watch for black spot. DO NOT CHOOSE CHRISTMAS ROSE (NIGER).

H. argutifolius

X

X

Pale green flowers.

H. foetidus

X

X

X

Easiest to grow. Pale green flowers.

H. orientalis

Hemerocallis

Daylily

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Summer

Easy care. Choose long blooming ones.

H. 'Stella d’Oro'

X

X

X

Blooms summer to frost.

H. 'Happy Returns'

X

X

X

Hypericum

St. John’s Wort

H. calycinum

X

X

X

Poor

20-30 cm

> 2 m

Ground cover, can compete with tree roots, invasive.

Hyssopus

H. officinalis

X

X

X

X

Summer/Fall

60 cm

60 cm

Aromatic leaves.

Iris

Do not cover rhizomes.

Bearded

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Summer

60cm-1m

All kinds of colour from near black to white, and blends too.

I.tenax

Pacific Coast

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Light shade.

I. foetidissima

Gladwin Iris

X

X

Attractive seed heads.

I. pallida

X

X

Summer

50cm

Variegated leaves.

I. Siberica

Siberian Iris

X

X

X

X

Late Spring

50cm

Robust and clump can get very big.

Kniphofia uvaria

Red Hot Poker

X

X

X

Look for small cultivars.

Lavandula

Lavender

X

X

X

X

Summer

L. augustifolia 'Hidcote'

X

X

Summer

75 cm

75 cm

Gray foliage, evergreen.

L. augustifolia 'Munstead'

X

X

Summer

60 cm

60 cm

L. x intermedia

X

X

Summer

75cm-1m

75cm

L. stoechas

Spanish Lavender

X

X

Late Spr/summ

60 cm

60 cm

Rose purple bracts.

Liatris

Gayfeather

X

X

X

Late summer

60 cm

30 cm

Look for short cultivars.

L. spicata ‘Kobold’

X

Linum

Flax

L. arboreum

X

X

30 cm

30 cm

Evergreen.

L. narbonense ‘Six hills’

X

30 —60 cm

30 cm

Short lived.

L. perenne

Perennial flax

X

30 cm

15 cm

Self sows.

Lupinus

Lupine

75 cm

75 cm

Self seeds.

L. argenteus

X

X

X

Lychnis

L. coronaria

X

X

X

X

Summer

75 cm

45 cm

Gray foliage, self sows.

Maianthemum dilatatum

False Lily of theValley

X

Acid. Well drained.

10cm

>1m

Dies back in winter.

 

Perennials: Drought Tolerant Plant Selection Guide

Blossom Colour

Botanical Name

Common Name

Sun

Shade

W

P

R

O

Y

B

P

Bloom Season

Soil

Height

Spread

Comments

White

Pink

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Purple

Nepeta

N. cataria

Catnip

X

X

N. x faassenii

Catmint

X

X

45 cm

45 cm

N. 'Dropmore Blue'

X

X

30 cm

60 cm

Oenothera

Evening Primrose

X

O. missouriensis

X

10 cm

15 cm

Flowers open at night.

O. tetragona

Sundrops

X

mid/late summer

45-60 cm

45 cm

Flowers open in daytime.

Papaver

Poppy

P. orientale

Oriental poppy

X

X

X

X

X

1 m

1 m

Dies back midsummer

Pennisetum

P. alopecuroides

Fountain grass

X

1 m

1m

Good winter display. White florets.

P. orientale

Chinese grass

X

45cm

60cm

White florets.

Penstemon

Beard Tongue

X

Loose gravel & soil

3-4 yrs life span, fast drainage.

Penstemon gloxinioides 'Sour Grapes'

Border or garden penstemon

Height & spread variable.

P. hartwegii

P. cobaea

Perovskia

Russian Sage

X

X

1 m

45 cm

Silver leaves.

P. ‘Blue Spire’

Polygonum

Knotweed

Creeping roots.

P. affine

X

X

X

Fall

15-30 cm

>30 cm

Evergreen.

Polystichum minutum

Sword fern

X

90cm

90cm

Established plants need little water. Stately.

Rudbeckia

Blackeyed Susan

X

X

Good cut flowers.

R. fulgida ‘Goldsturm’

X

1 m

60 cm

Ruta graveolens

Rue

X

X