A guide on what to grow – and what to avoid – in these times of uncertain rainfall
Our lack of reliable rainfall has prompted me to rethink what sort of plants I grow, which led to this list of drought-tolerant annuals.
These bright stars of beds, borders and containers that live for just one year can be very water-intensive and greedy. Out of several sweet pea varieties this year, only heritage Manucatu has flowered well, and they all got powdery mildew.
So… do I give up on annuals altogether? Rudbeckia gloriosa (actually a half-hardy perennial treated as an annual) and sunflower Ms Mars have flowered well until the extreme heat. I decided to research drought-tolerant annuals for the UK – turns out there are quite a lot. We may still get to sow seeds after all in spring!
Some of the listed plants are half-hardy perennials (like pelargoniums), but we’re used to either overwintering them or treating them as annuals. Some of these perennials may make it through the winter in sheltered areas. All of these plants need full sun unless stated.
Daisies come up trumps
Alonsoa: A shrubby Peruvian plant has normally red flowers, but A. albiflora’s ivory blooms have prominent yellow anthers. HHA, 30-60cm, www.plant-world-seeds.com.
Amaranthus (love-lies bleeding, callaloo): Exotic flower tassels in mainly reds and yellows. Edible and needs staking. Direct sow for the best drought tolerance. Flowers July-first frosts. HHA, 1.2m, www.sarahraven.com.
Arctotis (African daisy): Cream, yellow, orange, red, crimson and purple daisy flowers with silvery/green finely cut foliage. Flowers June-first frosts. HHP, 45cm, www.thompson-morgan.com.
Argyranthemum (marguerite): White, yellow or pink daisies, some evergreen, flowering from spring to first frosts. Overwinter under cover or propagate from cuttings. HHP, 1m, www.bethchatto.co.uk.
Drought-tolerant annuals – Hanging basket saviours
Bidens ferulifolia (fern-leaved beggar tick, Spanish needles): Mexican plant with small yellow daisy flowers. Most varieties are upright, but Golden Goddess is a trailer for baskets. Flowers June-August. HHP, 30-60cm, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.
Brachyscome: This Australian rock daisy is a spreader in dry, rocky or shallow soils. It produces mauve, pale pink or white flowers from late summer well into autumn with deeply-divided mid-green foliage. HHP, 40cm, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.
Calendula officinalis (pot marigold): The edible orange flowers are surprisingly tolerant of drought and cold, although do fall victim to powdery mildew. Can be HA, HB or HP, 50-100cm, widely available and self-seeds.
Cerinthe major purpurascens (honeywort): Rich blue bracts and purple flowers from May to October. HA, 50cm, www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk, self-seeds.
Rebirth of the blues
Convolvulus sabatius (blue rock bindweed): A trailing, woody-based plant, with small, oval leaves and widely funnel-shaped, purplish-blue flowers 2cm in width. Flowers July-October. HHP, 20cm, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.
Cosmos bipinnatus (Mexican aster): Very finely divided, mid-green leaves, topped by large flowers to 8cm across, usually white or pink, including doubles, varieties with tubular rays, and picotees. Flowers July-October, HHA, 60cm-2m, widely available.
Eschscholzia californica (Californian poppy): Vigorous bushy plants with finely divided blue-green leaves and orange, yellow or red flowers to 7cm across. Flowers June-October, HA, 30cm, widely available, self-seeds.
Felicia amelloides (kingfisher daisy): Ovate, rough, hairy leaves and small, sky blue daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centres. Flowers June-September. HA, 30cm, www.suttons.co.uk.
Drought-tolerant annuals – Look to the sun
Gazania (African daisy, treasure flower): The huge flowers love sunshine and if they don’t get enough of it, they will close up. Blooms come in shades of rose, red, pink, bronze, gold and orange. Pot-grown plants can be overwintered indoors. HHA or HHP, 30cm, www.thompson-morgan.com.
Gomphrena globosa (globe amaranth): Spherical heads of papery petals in pink or white. They can last up to two weeks in a vase and can be dried for later use. Flowers June-September. HHA, 60cm, www.chilternseeds.co.uk.
Helianthus annuus (sunflower): Fast-growing plants with huge flowers up to 30cm across, with bright yellow petals and dark brownish or purplish centres. The flowers attract bees, and the seeds that follow provide food for finches. HA, 60cm-4m, widely available.
Helichrysum petiolare (straw flower, everlasting flower): Straw-like flowers in red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, and white. The daisy-like papery heads will last indefinitely if dried. Flowers July-first frosts. HA, 50-100cm, www.plant-world-seeds.com.
Look after the pollinators
Heliotropium arborescens (heliotrope, cherry pie): Dwarf Marine has clusters of intensely coloured, nectar-rich, highly scented purple flowers. Great for pollinators. Flowers July-October. HHP, 45cm, www.mr-fothergills.co.uk.
Helipterum roseum (Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea, strawflower): Papery flowers in white or pink with bright yellow centres. Everlasting flowers are excellent for cutting, fresh or dried. Flowers June-October. HA, 50cm, www.chilternseeds.co.uk.
Ipomoea purpurea (morning glory): Twining climber with heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves. Funnel-shaped flowers, 3-6cm in diameter in deep purple, blue or reddish-purple with white throats. Flowers June-October. HHP, 4-8m, widely available.
Limnanthes douglasii (poached egg plant): Spreading plant with finely divided leaves and bowl-shaped yellow flowers with white-tipped petals. Flowers June-September. HA, 15cm, widely available.
Drought-tolerant annuals – Go for multiple colours
Limonium sinuatum (statice, sea lavender): Neat rosettes of oval leaves, turning bronze-red in the sun. Frothy masses of flowers in purple, white, yellow, blue, pink and peach on wiry stems dry out on the plants and, though faded, last until autumn. Flowers June-September. HHA, 60cm, widely available.
Mesembryanthemum criniflorum (Livingstone daisy): South African plant with grey-green succulent leaves and brilliant daisy-like flowers 2.5cm across in shades of pink, purple, cream, orange and yellow. Flowers only open fully in full sun. Flowers July-September. HHA, 10cm, widely available.
Mirabilis jalapa (Marvel of Peru, four o’clock flower): Bushy perennial, with petunia-like, fragrant flowers opening in the afternoon, in a wide range of colours, and sometimes bicoloured, splashed and spotted. Flowers July-September. HHP, 50-100cm, www.suttons.co.uk.
Nicotiana (tobacco plant): Narrow, lance-shaped or oval leaves, often sticky. Long, tubular flowers open into a broad star in white, pink, purple, red, yellow and green. Many only open after dusk, releasing a strong fragrance. Flowering July-October. HHA, 10cm-1.5m, widely available.
Familiar favourites
Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist): Upright plant with attractive feathery foliage. Pale blue or white flowers 4cm across are followed by decorative, inflated seed capsules. Flowers June-September. HHA, 50cm, widely available.
Osteospermum jucundum (African or Cape daisy): Narrow, aromatic grey-green leaves and daisy-like, dark-eyed flowers 5-6cm wide in many colours. Flowers June-October. HHP, 20-70cm, widely available.
Papaver somniferum (opium poppy): The wide-open flowers have large petals surrounding an urn-shaped seed pod, which enlarges after flowering. Single or double flowers are in many shades of white, mauve, red, pink, purple and near black. Flowers June-September. HA, 40cm-1.5m, widely available. Self-seeds.
Portulaca grandiflora (rose moss): South American native producing a stunning carpet of bright succulent leaves studded with double flowers in orange, pink, purple, yellow, red and white. Thrives in hot, dry areas in poor, sandy or gravelly soil – perennial if conditions are right. Flowers July-September. HHA, 10cm, www.plant-world-seeds.com. Self-seeds.
Drought-tolerant annuals – fragrance and foliage
Senecio maritima (silver ragwort, dusty miller): Showy bedding plant is grown for its finely divided silvery-white foliage. Much loved for carpet bedding accents, but better used informally. HHP, 25cm, widely available.
Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower): Plants carry lots of 7.5cm daisy flowers in shades of gold, orange and yellow. Flowers from July until the first frosts. HHA, 1.2m-2m, www.thompson-morgan.com.
Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium, Indian cress): Well-known climber and ground-cover plant. Edible, circular leaves with a central stalk set off long-spurred flowers. Shades range from red, yellow and orange, including bicolours and varieties that change colour and pattern. Flowers July-first frosts. HA, 30cm-3m, widely available, self-seeds.
Zaluzianskya ovata (night-scented phlox): Pretty, phlox-like 13mm perfumed white and maroon flowers that open in the late evening. Will survive some winters. HHP, 25cm, www.thompson-morgan.com.
Don’t forget, these plants still require water! Try to water once a week thoroughly to encourage deep rooting. Don’t just give a sprinkle 3-4 times a week. This encourages shallow rooting, and plants will fall victim to drought.
Drought-tolerant annuals for UK gardens updated 2025
