Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 6–12 in tall and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Arkansas · Zones 6–8
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Arkansas
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. For Arkansas, the right natives are shaped by Ozark Highlands & Mississippi Alluvial Plain and a humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Pasque Flower and Showy Goldenrod to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arkansas 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
41 native species for Arkansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Drought-tough once established — 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
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 1.5–2.5 ft tall and blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 2–5 ft tall and blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
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 — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants; it stands 2–3 ft tall and flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Drought-tough once established — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–2 ft tall, and blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot, reaching 4–7 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 1–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
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 May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
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
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 3–5 ft tall and 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 — 2–3 ft tall, and blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand and rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells; it stands 6–16 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
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 Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, and blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — 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
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Built for heat and dry spells — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants, reaching 2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle, reaching 3–5 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1–3 ft tall and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained sand soil and shrugging off dry spells — 2–4 ft tall, and flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
17 more also qualify: New Jersey Tea, Compass Plant, Wild Lupine, Ninebark, Fragrant Sumac, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Blue Grama, Sideoats Grama, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Big Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed, Switchgrass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Arkansas
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.