Drought-tolerant plants for public green spaces
Increasingly hot, dry summers and limited maintenance budgets make drought tolerance an essential criterion for public green spaces: roundabouts, squares, car parks, street plantings and slopes. Choosing the right species reduces water use, the number of interventions and plant losses.
Principles for drought-tolerant green spaces
- Choose species adapted to full sun and poor, well-drained soils.
- Group plants by water needs so irrigation is efficient.
- Use mulch (bark or gravel) to reduce evaporation and weeds.
- Plant in autumn so the roots develop before the first summer.
- Ensure watering in the first 1–2 years – even drought-tolerant plants need water until they are established.
Conifers
Black pine is one of the most drought-, wind- and lime-tolerant trees, suited to parks and shelterbelts. Creeping juniper covers slopes and roundabouts with a green carpet that needs almost no maintenance. Oriental thuja is the choice for hedges in hot regions. See all wholesale conifers.
Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses are the stars of modern low-maintenance schemes. Fountain grass (Pennisetum) forms decorative clumps from summer to winter and needs only one cut a year. Festuca glauca has blue leaves and prefers poor, dry soils.
Perennials
Drought-tolerant perennials bring flowers and colour with minimal water use:
Example planting for a roundabout
A simple, effective scheme: a carpet of creeping juniper or sedum as the base, groups of Pennisetum for volume and movement, accents of Gaura and Sedum spectabile for summer and autumn flowers, all on a layer of mulch. The result is decorative all year and only needs a spring clean-up and one cut of the grasses.
| Plant | Role | Plants / m² |
|---|
| Creeping juniper | Base cover | 1–3 |
| Sedum 'Angelina' | Sunny carpet | 9–12 |
| Pennisetum alopecuroides | Volume, structure | 3–5 |
| Gaura | Summer flowers | 5–7 |
| Sedum spectabile | Autumn flowers | 5–7 |
PlantDGD supplies plants for public green spaces and municipal projects, including bills of quantities with many species. We also accept partial offers. Send us your plant list via the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Which plants need no watering?
No plant is completely watering-free in its first year. Once established, creeping juniper, black pine, sedum, Festuca glauca and Gaura withstand long periods without watering.
Which plants suit roundabouts?
Creeping juniper, sedum, ornamental grasses such as Pennisetum, and tough perennials such as daylily and Gaura.
Plants from this guide, available wholesale