These drought-tolerant shrubs will help you create a lush garden without running up your water bill.
Several are natives that are adapted to growing conditions across much of the country.
Plant several of these tough shrubs together to create a screen or informal hedge.
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Male and female plants are needed to produce the grayish blue berries, which attract birds.
is one of just a handful of shrubs that bloom in late summer and fall.
It is covered with light blue flowers that make it look like its enveloped in a blue mist.
Credit:Denny Schrock
The flowers attract many pollinators, especially butterflies.
The foliage usually takes on a purplish hue in winter.
Plantcreeping juniperon a slope to prevent erosion and along retaining wall edges.
Credit:Carson Downing
It also makes an excellent living mulch in a mixed shrub border.
It has leathery, holly-like, blue-green leaves that turn an attractive shade of purple in winter.
Its fragrant yellow spring flowers are followed by bluish fruit in late summer.
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It spreads slowly to form a dense thicket.
Use it to stabilize a slope or as a low-maintenance mass planting.
It also produces very little fruit, so is not weedy like other types of buckthorn.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Plant several of these tall, narrow shrubs 24 inches apart to create a dense, deciduous screen.
It has a moderate growth rate and rarely needs pruning.
Use it in a mixed garden border or plant several glossy abelias together to create an informal hedge.
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Berries form in fall and are popular food for wildlife.
It also boasts yellowish to reddish fall foliage.
is a versatiledrought-tolerant shrubwith year-round interest.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Spring flowers are followed by color-rich foliagesome cultivars have deep purple or chartreuse leavesin summer and fall.
Peeling bark on the shrubs stems is an asset in winter.
Use it as a groundcover plant in a mixed garden border or a low-maintenance foundation planting.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The red fruit develops in summer and often remains into winter.
Most are also very disease-resistant, hardy, and low-maintenance.
Its large, thorny stems creep out from the base of the plant to form a thicket.
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is a large, multi-stem shrub or small tree.
It has fragrant white spring flowers followed by a crop of edible fruit that attracts songbirds.
In fall, its foliage turns striking shades of red, orange, and yellow.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Plant it near a patio or entryway so you’re able to enjoy it up close year-round.
Prune it as needed in spring to maintain a pleasing mounded shape.
This drought-tolerant shrub is popular with butterflies.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Siberian cypress, unlike many shrubs, grows well in part shade.
Growing Conditions:Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil.
Grows best in regions with cool summers.
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The sap of smoke tree is toxic to humans.
The berries often stay on the deciduous, spreading plant all winter because birds dont find them appetizing.
This easy-to-grow North American native shrub works well in a loose hedge and for controlling erosion on slopes.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
The berries of snowberry are toxic to humans and petswhen ingested.
St. Johns Wort
Sunny yellow flowers cover this summer-blooming shrub for weeks.St.
Johns Wort(Hypericumspp.)
Credit: Stephen Cridland
is deciduous, but colorful berries decorate the plant in fall and persist into winter.
Plant it near an entryway or in a mixed border where it will add instant interest.
St. Johns wort is toxic to humans,dogs, cats, and horses.
Credit:Doug Hetherington
Weigela blooms in early summer.
Both male and female plants are needed to produce the attractive red berries.
This holly tolerates a wide range of soils and can withstand both drought and flooding.
Credit:William N. Hopkins
The berries of yaupon holly are food for wildlife but are toxic when ingested by humansand pets.
might be a good fit.
Its thin, needle-like leaves are dark green and keep their color year-round.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The plants have a pleasing, loose habit when not pruned regularly.
Be careful planting yew shrubs around childrenand animalsbecause most parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
NC State Extension
St. Johns Wort.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
Yaupon Holly.
American Botanical Council
Are the Berries of Yaupon Holly Poisonous?Texas Master Gardeners
Taxas x media.
NC State University
Yew.
Credit: Lynn Karlin
Credit: Dency Kane
Credit: Scott Little
