Why Choose Drought Tolerant Plants for Utah Gardens:
Saving water doesn’t mean sacrificing color or texture. Drought tolerant plants are ideal for Utah’s dry climate and work well in both home gardens and xeriscape designs. Explore our top picks for drought tolerant plants and use our watering guide to adjust your plant watering schedule. If you’re designing from scratch, consider our tips on creating a waterwise landscape that balances beauty with sustainability.
Conifers
- Bristlecone Pine – Pinus aristata
- Lodgepole Pine – Pinus contorta ‘Latifolia’
- Pinion Pine – Pinus edulis
- Vanderwolf Pine – Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’
- Ponderosa Pine – Pinus ponderosa
- Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga menzieslii
Deciduous Trees
- Bur Oak – Quercus macrocarpa
- Honeylocust – Gleditsia
- Lacebark Elm – UImus parvifolia
- Rocky Mountain Maple – Acer glabrum
- Rocky Mountain Glow Maple – Acer grandidentatum
- Western Catalpa – Catalpa speciosa
- Hackberry – Celtis occidentalis
- Kentucky Coffeetree – Gymnoclaudus dioicus
- Purple Robe – Robinia pseudoacacia
- Zelkova
Shrubs
- Big Sagebrush – Artemisia tridentata
- Siberian Peashrub – Caragana arborescens
- Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany – Cercocarpus ledifolius
- Mountain Mahogany – Cercocarpus montanus
- Common Smoketree – Cotinus coggyria
- Rocky Mountain Juniper – Juniperus scopulorum
- Potentilla
- Rocky Mountain White Oak – Quercus gambelii
- Fragrant Sumac ‘Gro-low’ – Rhus aromatica
- Three-leaf Sumac – Rhus trilobata
- Silver Buffaloberry – Shepherdia argentina
- Datil Yucca – Yucca Baccata
- Adam’s Needle Yucca – Yucca filamentosa
Perennials
- Yarrow – Achillea
- Persian Stonecress – Aethionema
- Century Plant – Agave
- Mount Atlas Daisy – Anacyclus
- Kinnikinnick – Arctostaphylos
- Showy Sandwort – Arenaria macradenia
- Thrift – Armeria
- Wormwood – Artemisia
- Milkvetch – Astragalus
- Saltbrush – Atriplex
- Bamboo – Bambusa
- Winecup – Callirhoe
- Jupiter’s Beard – Centranthus
- Tickseed – Coreopsis
- Purple Prairie Clover – Dalea
- Ice Plant – Delosperma
- Twinspur – Diascia
- Joint Fir – Ephedra
- Fleabane – Erigeron
- Buckwheat – Eriogomum
- Orange Sneezeweed – Helenium hoopesii
- Maximillian Sunflower – Helianthus maximillian
- Red Yucca – Hesperaloe
- Utah Sweetvetch – Hedysarum boreale
- Sundancer Daisy – Hymenoxys acaulis
- Sweet Pea – Lathyrus
- Bitterroot – Lewisia
- Sea Lavender – Limonium
- Flax – Linum
- Money Plant – Lunaria
- Creeping Oregon Grape – Mahonia repens
- Horehound – Marrubium
- Desert Four O’Clock – Mirabilis
- Mountain Monardella – Monardella odoratissima
- Evening Primrose – Oenothera
- Prickly Pear – Opuntia
- Oregano – Origanum
- Beardtongue – Penstemon
- Russian Sage – Perovskia
- Cashmere Sage – Phlomis
- Rosemary – Rosmarinus
- Lavender Cotton – Santolina
- Stonecrop – Sedum
- Hens and Chicks – Sempervivum
- Globemallow – Sphaeralcea
- Prince’s Plume – Stanleya pinnata
- Showy Goldeneye – Viguriea
- Yucca
- Hardy Fuchsia – Zauschneria
Grass
- Indian Rice Grass – Achnatherum
- Big Blue Stem – Andropogon
- Blue Grama Grass – Bouteloua
- Feather Reed Grass – Calamagrostis
- Sedge – Carex
- Pampas – Cortaderia
- Blue Oat Grass – Helictotricon
- Blue Lyme Grass – Leymus
- Muhly Grass – Muhlenbergia
- Switch Grass – Panicum
- Little Blue Stem – Schizachyrium
- Feather Grass – Stipa
