Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — standing firm in the dry clay that defeats softer plants, reaching 25–50 ft tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Tennessee · Zones 6–8
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Tennessee
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. For Tennessee, the right natives are shaped by Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, cedar glades and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Crossvine and Foxglove Beardtongue to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Tennessee and the wider flora of the Southeast 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
38 native species for Tennessee
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 2–5 ft tall, and blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 5–8 ft tall and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 2–4 ft tall and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Built for heat and dry spells — 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
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 6–12 in tall, and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1.5–3 ft tall and blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Drought-tough once established — 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
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — 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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 2–4 ft tall and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 6–16 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Drought-tough once established — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 1.5–3 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 4–7 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 1.5–2 ft tall and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Built for heat and dry spells — tough enough for hard, dry clay that bakes in summer; it stands 5–9 ft tall and flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 30–50 ft tall and flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot, reaching 4–8 in tall and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 2–6 ft tall and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
14 more also qualify: Common Milkweed, Sideoats Grama, Purple Prairie Clover, Wild Lupine, New Jersey Tea, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Ninebark, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Tennessee
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.