Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Indiana · Zones 5–7
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Indiana
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. For Indiana, the right natives are shaped by Eastern Corn Belt Plains & oak savanna and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Aromatic Aster and Anise Hyssop to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Indiana and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
34 native species for Indiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and 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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 1.5–2 ft tall and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 5–8 ft tall and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Drought-tough once established — standing firm in the dry clay that defeats softer plants — 2–3 ft tall, and blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 2–4 ft tall and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 6–16 in tall, and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Built for heat and dry spells — 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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 1.5–3 ft tall and it 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, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Drought-tough once established — 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
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 6–12 in tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 30–50 ft tall and flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 4–8 in tall, and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — standing firm in the dry clay that defeats softer plants — 5–9 ft tall, and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1–3 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1–2 ft tall, and blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Creeping Phlox
Phlox subulata
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 4–8 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 5–10 ft tall and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
10 more also qualify: Sideoats Grama, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Rattlesnake Master, Pennsylvania Sedge, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Indiana
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.