Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Virginia · Zones 6–8
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Virginia
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. Virginia sits in a landscape of Blue Ridge, Piedmont & Tidewater, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid, four-season character. The list below — led by Butterfly Weed and American Beautyberry — is filtered to species genuinely native to Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8. Drought-tough natives earn their reputation with deep roots, so the secret is patience: water them through the first season while those roots reach down, then taper off and let them fend for themselves. Plant in fall or early spring, give them sharp drainage and full sun, and resist the urge to coddle — overwatering kills more of these than any heat wave.
The plants
30 native species for Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot — 4–7 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Built for heat and dry spells — holding up in dry clay where other perennials wilt, reaching 25–50 ft tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–2 ft tall and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — standing firm in the dry clay that defeats softer plants, reaching 2–3 ft tall and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 2–5 ft tall and it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 3–5 ft tall and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–3 ft tall and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 1–2 ft tall, and blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 5–10 ft tall and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle — 3–5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 4–8 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 2–6 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 30–50 ft tall and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 3–5 ft tall and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 3–5 ft tall, and blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 2–3.5 ft tall and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
6 more also qualify: Pennsylvania Sedge, Switchgrass, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Virginia
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.