Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun'; photo by Ivo Vermeulen
Perennials for Sunny Dry Conditions
Botanical Name
Common Name
Anthemis
golden marguerite
Geranium sanguineum
hardy geranium
Helictotrichon
blue oat grass
Schizachyrium
little blue stem
Stipa
Mexican feather grass
Hypericum
St. John's wort
Platycodon
balloon flower
Santolina
cotton lavender
Sempervivum
hens and chicks
Thermopsis
southern lupine
Perennials for Dry Shade
Botanical Name
Common Name
Aster divaricatus
wood aster
Brunnera
Siberian bugloss
Gallium odoratum
sweet woodruff
Geranium macrorrhizum
geranium
Polygonatum
Solomon's seal
Alchemilla mollis
lady's mantle
Bergenia cordifolia
bergenia
Trees and Shrubs for Dry Conditions
Botanical Name
Common Name
Caryopteris
blue mist shrub
Cornus mas
cornelian cherry
Ilex opaca
American holly
Viburnum carlesii
Korean spice viburnum
Annuals for Sunny Dry Conditions
Botanical Name
Common Name
Osteospermum
African daisy
Rudbeckia
black-eyed Susan
Nicotiana
flowering tobacco
Creating the Prairie Xeriscape by 
Gardening Without Water by 
Plants for Dry Climates by 
The Conscientious Gardener by 
Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens by 
