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.
Some annuals and perennials are well adapted to growing in part shade. Part shade is also sometimes described as filtered shade, dappled shade, and intermittent shade. Plants that grow and thrive in part shade are typically understory plants, that is plants found under open-branched trees. These plants are also a good choice for planting in…
Growing trees and shrubs in shade can be a challenge if you choose plants that prefer sunny conditions. If you choose plants that are adapted to shady conditions, shade gardening is quite enjoyable and barely any work at all. There are many shrubs and trees that prefer shade. They are understory plants that like the…
Flowering trees are among the most popular ornamental plants. Spring flowering trees are especially valued for the bold way they signal the start of the warm time of the year. Flowering crab apples, dogwoods, hawthorns, redbuds, and cherries are harbingers of spring. Flowering trees make a tremendous impact in bloom even if many bloom only…
Howea–commonly called Kentia palm or sentry palm–is a dark green, feather-leaved palm with deeply cleft, arching fronds that grow from a single stem. It is often grown as a houseplant; indoors it usually grows to not more than 8 feet (2.4m) tall. Howea is a slow grower and easy to maintain indoors. It has a tolerance…
Prunus is a genus of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs including ornamental flowering cherries and plums. Ornamental cherries and plums bloom in spring. They bear pink or white flowers 1 to 2 inches in diameter; the flowers are borne in clusters that mass along the stems or droop beneath them. The flowers can be…
Begonia is a large and diverse group. There are more than 1,000 species of begonias. Begonias are prized for their texture, multicolored foliage, and colorful flowers. Most houseplant begonias are fibrous-rooted or rhizomatous, but there are some tuberous varieties. There are begonias that flower year-round; there are shrubby begonias that bloom seasonally, and there are…
Gardening Tips in your Inbox!
Subscribe today to get our weekly recipe newsletter! You don’t want to miss out!
