Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Louisiana · Zones 8–9
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Louisiana
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. For Louisiana, the right natives are shaped by Mississippi Delta & Gulf Coast Prairie and a hot, humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Butterfly Weed and Black-Eyed Susan to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Louisiana and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–9. 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
35 native species for Louisiana
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–9 · see this collection in other states.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 1.5–3 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 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
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — 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
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — 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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 1.5–3 ft tall, and blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 2–3 ft tall, and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 1–2 ft tall and it blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — tough enough for hard, dry clay that bakes in summer — 2–3 ft tall, and blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — happiest in poor, gritty rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 2–4 ft tall and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Built for heat and dry spells — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 3–5 ft tall, and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 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
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — 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
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — 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
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — 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
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 30–50 ft tall, and flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–6 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 3–5 ft tall and blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
11 more also qualify: Purple Prairie Clover, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, New Jersey Tea, Blue Grama, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Louisiana
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.