15 Plants That Don’t Need Water

When you have a full schedule, are often away, or live a busy life, you may not have the time to take care of your outdoor plants.
Here are fifteen ones that don’t need a lot of watering, or any at all.

Milfoil

What is it: Achillea filipendulina (aka the milfoil or yarrow) is a robust perennial plant with gray-green foliage. In early summer, it produces stems with flowers in bright yellow umbels.
Where/When to plant it: Near the sun. The best time is usually fall (September to November) or during spring (March or April).
How to maintain it: Water it only when planting it. Besides that, you only need to cut out the unbloomed flowers above the leaves.

Orange Daylily

What is it: Hemerocallis fulva (aka orange or tiger daylily) is a robust herbaceous perennial plant with orange flowers.
Where/When to plant it: Sunny terrain. Try fall or spring for a summer flowering.
How to maintain it: Shortly after the flowers have bloomed, fold them towards the ground.

Blue Spire

What is it: Perovskia atriplicifolia, or the “Blue Spire,” is a shrub with gray leaves and whitish stems.
Where/When to plant it: Needs sun. Blue blooming will occur between July and October, so try to plant it before the summer.
How to maintain it: Prune near the ground around March.

Hypericum

What is it: A hypericum is a shrub with yellow flowers. It belongs to the family Hypericaceae.
Where/When to plant it: Partial or full shade is optimal. Blooming will happen in June, however you can plant it all year long (except during harsh winters).
How to maintain it: Prune in late winter or early spring.

Nepeta

What is it: The nepeta plant is a perennial with aromatic blue-gray foliage. They are also considered catnips (as in, it attracts cats).
Where/When to plant it: Sunny side up. During the fall, from September to November, or spring, from March to April.
How to maintain it: Cut the bad flowers out for a reflowering at the end of the summer.

Bloody Geranium

What is it: The geranium sanguineum (aka bloody cranesbill/geranium) is a robust perennial with rustic pink flowers.
Where/When to plant it: It needs partial shade. Try during the fall or spring, with blooming expected between May and June.
How to maintain it: After blooming, fold the foliage over gently.

Red Valerian

What is it: Centranthus Rube (aka red valerian) is a perennial herb, rustic and robust, with bluish-green foliage. The flowers are reddish, if not deep pink.
Where/When to plant it: Partial shade is preferred. Plant it in fall or spring. Blooming also occurs from May to June.
How to maintain it: The foilage also needs folding after the plant blooms.

Plumbago

What is it: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (aka plumbago) is a great perennial with green foliage. It also offers beautiful blue flowers.
Where/When to plant it: Opt for a sunny area, or one with partial shade. Plant it either in fall or spring.
How to maintain it: Water it regularly only during the initial growing period.

Feltleaf Ceanothus

What is it: Ceanothus arboreus (aka feltleaf ceanothus or trewithen blue) is a perennial shrub. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Where/When to plant it: Sun is best. The drier the soil, the happier the plant.
How to maintain it: Prune after flowering.

China Rose

What is it: Rosa chinensis is a native bush from central China. The rosa chinensis sanguinea will have red flowers, and the rosa chinensis mutabilis will have yellow ones.
Where/When to plant it: Go for sunny terrain or partial shade.
How to maintain it: Prune if necessary. Water thoroughly during hot weather. Usually, this rose is watered by the rain.

Viburnum

What is it: The viburnum is a species consisting of multiple shrubs. In this case, the viburnum x burkwoodii is a shrub with dark green foliage.
Where/When to plant it: Blooming occurs white or pink during spring, and dark green during fall. Try a sunny or partial shade location.
How to maintain it: Prune as needed. Water it every three weeks.

Mediterranean Spurge

What is it: The euphorbiua characias (aka mediterranean spurge) is a perennial plant that behaves like a shrub with its bluish foliage. Life of this plant is between three and seven years.
Where/When to plant it: Sun or partial shade. Green blooming happens from April to May, but can continue until July.
How to maintain it: Prune flowers gone bad.

Mexican Orange

What is it: The choisya (or Mexican/mock orange) is a robust shrub with fragrant foliage and white flowers.
Where/When to plant it: Partial to full shade is preferred. Try to go shelter it from the wind. The flowers will grow between May and September.
How to maintain it: Prune into a ball.

Artemisia

What is it: Artemisia is a large genus, mainly consisting of perennial plants. It is one of the most beautiful varieties around. It has a very persistent aromatic silver/grey foliage.
Where/When to plant it: Drained soil, under the sun.
How to maintain it: Prune every spring to compact it.

Holly-leaved Hellebore

What is it: The helleborus argutifolius is a perennial with apple-green flowering. It can develop large clumps of thick green leaves.
Where/When to plant it: Partial to full shade. Flowering occurs around the winter.
How to maintain it: Remove the dried leaves and flowers.