6 drought-tolerant plants

In hot and arid climates, watering plants constantly is an expensive proposition. So make it easy on yourself — and your wallet — by selecting drought-tolerant plants that don't wilt under the heat.

Cosmos bipinnatus

Light needs: Full sun to light shade

Hardiness: Zone 11 (annual or tender perennial)

Bloom time: Summer to frost

Size: .5 to 2 m (1 to 6 ft) tall: 20-60 cm (8 to 24 in) wide

Flower colour: White, purple and pink

Growing advice: Sow seeds outdoors after frost, or start indoors five to seven weeks before last frost. Reseeds readily.

Helianthus

Light needs: Full sun

Hardiness: Zones 4 to 9 (perennials)

Bloom time: Summer to frost

Size: .5 to 4.5 m (2 to 15 ft) tall; .5 to 1 m (1 to 3 ft) wide

Flower colour: Yellow, white, red, rust and gold with brown centre

Growing advice: Sow seeds directly outdoors after the last frost. Flowers attract wildlife and birds.

Giallardia

Light needs: Full sun

Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9 (can be annual, biennial and perennial)

Bloom time: Summer through fall

Size: .5 to 1 m (1 to 3 ft) tall; 15 to 60 cm (6 to 24 in) wide

Flower colour: Red or yellow with yellow or purple centres

Growing advice: Sow perennial types in spring or early summer. Start annual types indoors four to six weeks before planting outdoors. Wait for frost danger to pass before planting outside.

Rudbeckia species

Light needs: Full sun to light shade

Hardiness: Zones 3 to 9 (can be annual, biennial and perennial)

Bloom time: Summer to fall

Size: .5 to 1.5 m (1 to 5 ft) tall; .5 to 1 m (1 to 3 ft) wide

Flower colour: Yellow with brown centre

Growing advice: Sow annual seeds indoors in mid-spring. Sow biennials and perennials outdoors in fall or spring. Most species reseed readily, which allows these plants to dominate the garden.

Cotinus coggygria and Cotinus obovatus

Light needs: Full sun to partial shade

Hardiness: Zones 4 to 8

Bloom time: Insignificant flowers appear in June and July, then produce showy panicles through September.

Size: 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 ft) tall; 3 to 4.5 m (10 to 15 ft) wide for most varieties

Flower colour: Pink, white

Growing advice: Plant container-grown trees anytime during the growing season. Trees are pollution-tolerant.

Tithonia diversifolia

Light needs: Full sun

Hardiness: Annual

Bloom time: Summer to frost

Size: .5 to 2 m (2 to 6 ft) tall; about .5 m (1 ft) wide

Flower colour: Orange

Growing advice: Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before last frost. Sow directly outdoors after danger of frost passes; do not cover seeds.

This list is just a handful of plants that can live in dry areas or survive droughts. If you live in a dry area, be sure to do your research and find other plants that can survive in that climate. Just because it's dry doesn't meant you can't have a beautiful garden!