Drought-tolerant trees can withstand dry conditions once established. No native or commonly used landscape plant is drought-resistant until it becomes established in the site. All plants require a steady supply of moisture when first planted.
Trees can tolerate drought if they are deep-rooted. Deep roots can harvest soil moisture from past rainfalls. Trees planted in the landscape should be deeply watered for the first two or three years before they can become full drought resistant.
Roots follow moisture in the soil; deep watering will result in deep roots. Surface watering–the water you might give a lawn or perennial plants–will be insufficient to sustain mature trees. Avoid shallow-rooted trees and increase drought tolerance by watering trees deeply until they are well established.
Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide. His Vegetable Garden Grower’s Masterclass is available online. Harvesttotable.com has more than 10 million visitors each year.
Cactus and succulents make excellent house plants. They adapt naturally to dry, warm temperatures (common indoors) and withstand poor care for days, even weeks at a time. They almost always arouse interest with their sculptural form and the variety of leaf sizes, shapes, and arrangements often combined with striking color patterns. Grown in attractive pots,…
Drought-tolerant shrubs are shrubs that can withstand dry weather once established. No landscape plant is drought-resistant until it becomes established in the site. Once a drought-tolerant shrub is established and has a deep root system, it requires less water. All plants require a steady supply of moisture when first planted. Most shrubs require a year…
Shrubs that can tolerate clay soil are one solution to growing plants in heavy, less than perfect soil. Clay soils commonly have plenty of nutrients but problems from poor aeration and slow drainage. Clays soil particles are flat and dense, not ideal for plant growth. Such soils are described as heavy. Limited aeration and slow…
Albizia–commonly called silk tree–is a deciduous tree with numerous fluffy pink flowers in midsummer. Albizia has doubly, compound leaves that give it a feathery, ferny, tropical look. Albizia bears clusters of tassel-like flowers followed by strap-shaped dry pods. Albizia is a group of small deciduous trees or shrubs belonging to the Pea family; they are…
Songbirds are attracted to the garden by plants that provide food–seeds, fruit, and nectar. Fruit-bearing shrubs attract songbirds. Seed and nectar-bearing flowers attract songbirds. Drifts of flowers are attractive to almost all birds because they are home to insects and spiders as well as nectar and seed. Shrubs, hedgerows, and trees are attractive to birds…
Ginkgo is an Asiatic genus of hardy deciduous trees represented notably by one species, Ginkgo biloba, often called Maidenhair tree because of its attractive foliage that resembles in form that of the popular Maidenhair fern (Adiantum). Ginkgo biloba tree grows to 35 feet (10.6m) tall with a characteristic diagonally upright form and flowers in loose…
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