Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — rooting into sharp-drained rocky soil and shrugging off dry spells — 2–4 ft tall, and blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Vermont · Zones 3–5
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants in Vermont
Deep-rooted native plants that shrug off heat and dry spells and rarely need watering once they are established. For Vermont, the right natives are shaped by Green Mountains & Champlain Valley and a cold, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Purple Coneflower and Butterfly Weed to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Vermont and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–5. 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
24 native species for Vermont
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Built for heat and dry spells — 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
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — holding up in dry clay where other perennials wilt, reaching 2–3 ft tall and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — 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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — 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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot, reaching 1.5–3 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and 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
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Built for heat and dry spells — 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
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — 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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Unfazed by drought once its roots are down — 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
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Drought-tough once established — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot; it stands 4–8 in tall and flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
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
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 1–2 ft tall and blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — thriving in the lean, fast-draining rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 5–10 ft tall, and flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — 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
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
A water-wise pick for xeriscapes — thriving in the lean, fast-draining sand and rocky soil that defeats thirstier plants — 2–3.5 ft tall, and blooms May through Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — right at home in dry sand ground where most perennials struggle, 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
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle; it stands 2–6 ft tall and flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Built for heat and dry spells — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot; 3–6 ft tall, hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand and rocky soil where richer plants rot — 2–3 ft tall and hardy in zones 3–8.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Built for heat and dry spells — right at home in dry sand and rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 2–4 ft tall and hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot; 4–7 ft tall, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Drought-tough once established — right at home in dry rocky ground where most perennials struggle — 6–12 in tall and hardy in zones 3–8.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 6–12 in
- Foliage
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Deep-rooted and dry-adapted — happiest in poor, gritty sand soil where richer plants rot — 4–7 ft tall and hardy in zones 4–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Vermont
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.