7 Plants That Actually Thrive on Neglect in a Heatwave – And Look Beautiful Even When You Forget to Water Then

Relying on the intrinsic nature of your backyard plants to make life easier is something we can all do. It makes perfect sense, and when you're looking for plants that thrive on neglect in a heatwave there are plenty to choose from, wherever you garden.

To guide you, I've selected a few of my favorite flowering and foliage plants suitable for both borders and planters on the patio. I've prioritised drought tolerance of course, along with brilliant ornamental value and minimal watering needs. The resulting edit will give you colorful low-effort plants when the weather's at its driest and most inhospitable.

Among my favorite pot plants that thrive on neglect I've included the likes of agapanthus, lavender and rosemary, while for borders, achillea, hollyhocks and ornamental grasses are some of my go-tos. You can find beautiful drought-tolerant plants at Nature Hills Nursery. From plants that will give you structure all year round to bursts of seasonal color that will make your heart sing, these picks are built to perform when others are struggling in the heat.

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1. Agapanthus

The clue’s in the name: the African lily, or lily of the Nile is built to cope with extreme temperatures and drought, its fleshy roots being brilliant water reservoirs.

They’re just at home in borders or planters, although I tend to grow most of mine in pots, as they love a constricted root run and I can move them about as I please.

In shades of cool blue, purple and white, with huge firework bursts of flowers topping tall stems (from 40cm to around 1m), they freshen up the late-summer backyard beautifully, needing very little in terms of care, just the occasional splash of water when the weather’s particularly dry.

If you're looking for some of the best agapanthus varieties to grow, bear in mind that most are hardy although the foliage dies back over winter. Some are evergreen, but these are usually the more tender ones, which need to be brought into a greenhouse over winter.

USDA Zones 7-11, depending on the variety

Shop the agapanthus range at Burpee

2. Wormwood

A top choice for heatwave tolerance, once established, wormwood, or artemisia, needs almost zero water to thrive. These woody perennials and small shrubs adore poor, rocky soil and hot sun, being perfectly adapted to these punishing conditions.

It’s one of the best silver foliage plants for drought tolerance, those silvered leaves reflecting the sunlight to conserve moisture. When they’re young you’ll need to water them, like most plants, but once their roots have become established they are super low maintenance.

I have a soft spot for ‘Powis Castle’, which like all artemisias is primarily a foliage plant, but this one has the most delicate and aromatic fern-like foliage – it makes a handsome foil for all kinds of flowering shrubs, perennials and late-spring bulbs such as lavender, hardy geraniums and alliums, reaching around 60cm in height.

It’s perfect for pots too – one of my favourite pairings is artemisia with palest strawberry-ice pink – so a marguerite such as ‘Reflection Pink’ or Petunia ‘Sweet Pink’. It’s a classy combination.

USDA Zones 3-10, depending on the variety

Browse more drought-tolerant shrubs at Perfect Plants

Buy artemisia at Perfect Plants

3. Hollyhocks

A friend recently asked me why she couldn't get her beloved hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) to grow. She had them in a sunny border of fertile soil in her Scotland yard, but they just weren't thriving. Well, in my experience they just don't like rich soil, or space, or anything in the way of pampering.

Some of the healthiest looking hollyhocks I've seen are plants growing almost wild, in unattended front gardens, sprouting heroically from cracks between paving slabs.

If you want to know how to care for and grow hollyhocks, bear in mind that young seedlings do need watering, but once they've grown (which is likely to be the case by the time the hottest weather arrives) they will have developed massive taproots, which reach around 18in (45cm), making them one of the best perennials that don't seem to notice a heatwave.

Like foxgloves, hollyhocks are biennials, so they'll put on initial growth in their first year, then shoot up and flower in the second. They're some of the most reliable and wonderful self-seeders too, so let the spent flowerheads mature and develop seeds and you'll have them for years to come. They come in a huge range of colors, from rich jewel tones to pretty pastels, so there's something for every garden.

A layer of pea gravel, like this buff coloured mix from Home Depot, will help to lock in moisture around your hollyhocks.

USDA Zones 3-10

Browse the hollyhock range at Burpee

4. Rosemary

I grow rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) in pots, in a sunny border and (a trailing variety – you can buy 'Blue Cascade' rosemary at Nature Hills) in an extremely dry area of shallow soil above a brick wall where it tumbles down elegantly and never gets any kind of attention, water or otherwise.

This is one of the best heat-resistant groundcover plants you can buy. These are tough Mediterranean plants built to withstand hot summers and low rainfall, so they'll breeze through a heatwave without complaint as long as they have free-draining soil, their slim, silvered, resinous needles reflecting the heat and conserving moisture with aplomb.

Rosemary needs a bit more in terms of watering as a newly planted specimen – all plants do – but after that you'll be away. It makes a lovely low semi-formal hedge too, for a potager perhaps. If you're giving this a go, choose a cultivar like 'Miss Jessop's Upright' for the best look.

USDA Zones 8-10

5. Yarrow

I'm a new convert to yarrow, or Achillea millefolium. I'd always thought my London clay too heavy for it, and while that may be true, I planted it in a hot, dry raised bed this spring and it's been brilliant, sending up heaps of beautifully feathered foliage, followed by handsome flat-topped heads of long-lasting sulphur yellow flowers that the pollinators adore.

I have watered it a little as it's new and I want to get it established, but I can see it's going to do really well for years to come without my help.

I've planted lavender, lamb's ear, Mexican daisy and verbascum alongside my yarrow (also reliably drought-tolerant and easy-going) to complete the bed.

You can grow yarrow in pots too, as long as you provide sharply draining soil (mix in some horticultural grit) and a super-sunny spot.

USDA Zones 3-9

Shop the yarrow range at Nature Hills Nursery

6. Feather Reed Grass

A resilient choice for modern gardens, this beautifully structural grass brings a strong sense of design and definition to a backyard. With very little intervention too. The upright buff plumes of Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' have great presence from early summer right through winter, also providing texture, as well as habitat and foraging for all kinds of insects and birds.

This is a big grass, growing to around 6ft (1.8m), so it needs space, at the back of a sunny or partly shaded border. A west-facing spot is ideal, as those rich cinnamon-colored seedheads positively glow in the low evening light. Do dig in some well-rotted garden compost when planting as it appreciates the added nutrients. It's a magnificent grounding plant too – I've seen it planted close to buildings where it really anchors a home or garden room in its surroundings.

It's also one of the best grasses for containers, although you'll need something roomy for it to thrive.

USDA Zones 5-9

A drip irrigation system like this one from Home Depot can be useful, especially when starting off new plants.

Buy 'Karl Foerster' reed grass at Nature Hills Nursery

7. Lavender

A stalwart pick for dry gardens, lavender brings structure, scent and biodiversity to your backyard, being one of the best plants for pollinators. As well as a gorgeous Mediterranean feel. Lavender thrives in a hot, sunny spot in sharply drained soil – whether that's at the front of a border, lining a path or in a container on the patio.

One must-do for lavender is pruning. Do it annually immediately after flowering, as the flowers fade, but never back into old wood or it won't resprout. A good rule of thumb is to remove about a third of growth. You'll get new shoots by autumn if you prune this way, then a nice compact flowering shrub the following summer.

USDA Zones 5-9

Browse lavender varieties at Burpee

By choosing carefully you can create a backyard that will thrive with minimal effort on your part through the hottest, driest weeks of the year. The result is a space with color, texture and structure that pollinators and wildlife will enjoy too.

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