We know this year’s unprecedented heat wave has put pressure on the plants in your yard. Many have opted for drought-tolerant plants, thinking this is the easy solution to keep their curbs lush and green. Soon, many discover with surprise that their drought-tolerant plants are starting to die.

Key Takeaway

The descriptor “drought-tolerant” often gives the misconception that these plants won’t ever die in extreme heat and drought conditions. In reality, many drought-tolerant plants become accidental casualties of poor landscaping design and drown to death because of thirstier neighbors. That’s why hydrozoning, a practice where plants with similar moisture demand are grouped together, can help prevent drought-tolerant plants from dying.

• Drought-tolerant plants can die if planted near plants needing more irrigation
• Hydrozoning is a landscaping design technique that groups plants with similar watering demands next to each other
• Hydrozoning can prevent plants from dying of drought or overwatering
• Hydrozoning also helps conserve water

Why Drought-Tolerant Plants Still Die

You added drought-tolerant plants. You water your yard regularly as you did before. Next thing you know, these low-water-demand plants aren’t looking too good.

What happened?

More often than not, your drought-tolerant plants die because of overwatering, not the heatwave.

Drought-tolerant plants are often highly vulnerable to overwatering. When you plant drought-tolerant plants next to anything that requires regular irrigation, the excessive water can damage the drought-tolerant plants and eventually kill them.

How Hydrozoning Keeps All Plants Happy and Alive

This is where hydrozoning comes into play. Hydrozoning is a landscape design technique that groups plants with similar water needs together, segmenting your yard into different “zones” by irrigation needs.

Hydrozoning comes with many benefits, including

• Prevents plants from dying from overwatering caused by neighboring plants.
• Reduces maintenance and water consumption since you can selectively water each zone instead of the entire yard
• Works well with pre-programmed irrigation systems

Hydrozoning for Drought-Tolerant Plants

Look around your yard. You may already have natural areas perfect for drought-tolerant plants. Some of the best areas in your yard to turn into a low-watering zone are:

• Slopes: Since water naturally runs off the slope, they can be perfect for plants that need less watering.
• Southern & western-facing areas: With higher temperatures and lower water retention, southern- and western-facing areas can suit plants that do well in dry, hot conditions.
• Awkward areas around your lawn: Think of that tiny strip between your sidewalk and the public street. They can be ideal for drought-tolerant perennials and shrubs.

What are Drought-Tolerant Plants

Drought-tolerant plants can handle heat and dry conditions with ease. They still need watering, just not as much as your “regular” plants would. Sometimes drought-tolerant plants are also called hardy plants, although they’re not completely the same – not all drought-tolerant plants can do well in the winter

Below, we’ve selected drought-tolerant plants for typical plant beds in your home. These plants do well with little water once they’re fully established.

Best Drought-Tolerant Perennials for Your Home

Kansas City has many beautiful perennials that are hardy and lovely to look at. Here are some of our favorite drought-tolerant perennials to add to your garden beds:

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
• Baptisia / False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.)
• Russian Sage (Salvia yangii)
• Sedum / Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spp.)
• Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
• Salvia (Salvia nemorosa)
• Bearded Iris (Iris germanica)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
• Variegated Lilyturf (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’)

Best Drought-Tolerant Shrubs for Your Home

Kansas City has a climate suitable for a variety of hardy bushes and shrubs, many of which are also drought-tolerant. Here is an extensive list of drought-tolerant shrubs to add to your landscape:

• Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
• Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
• Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
• Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
• Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)
• Spirea (Spiraea spp.)
• Viburnum (drought-tolerant varieties)
• Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
• Landscape Roses
• Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)

Best Drought-Tolerant Ornamental Grasses for Your Home

Ornamental grasses are pleasant to the eye and hardy enough to survive Kansas City’s many different weather conditions. Below are some of our favorite drought-tolerant grasses: 

• Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
• Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
• Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
• Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca)
• Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)
• Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)
• Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis, non-invasive cultivars)

Best Drought-Tolerant Trees for Your Home

If you are hydrozoning an existing landscape, you may want to keep trees and some shrubs in a separate watering zone. If you’re planting new trees, simply fit them into the proper zoning area.

Below are some drought-tolerant trees to add to your landscape in your Kansas City home:

• Kentucky Coffeetree
• Hackberry
• Thornless Honeylocust
• Ginkgo
• Japanese Tree Lilac
• Hedge Maple

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I hydrozone an existing landscape?

Yes, although we recommend working with a garden care specialist to hydrozone an existing landscape for the best efficiency. You will want to begin by assessing what’s already there, categorizing it into different zones, and making adjustments accordingly. The process demands specific knowledge and can be labor-intensive if things need to be moved around, which is why it’s best to work with a professional.

2. How to get started with hydrozoning?

Start with what’s already there: where your downspouts are, where water runs off to the sidewalk, where snow gets piled up over winter, and parts of your lawn that tend to dry, or get burnt by the sun. They will help guide you in placing the plants by their irrigation needs.