August 1996
With the increased awareness of how we use our water resources, people are searching for trees, shrubs, and groundcovers that will grow well without the need for irrigation. The following plants are some you may want to try that will tolerate dry, poor soil conditions; however, as with any new planting, they will need to be watered until they are established.
Trees include gray birch Betula populifolia, hackberry Celtis occidentalis, juniper Juniper sp., golden rain tree Koelreutaria paniculata, Virginia pine Pinus virginiana, chestnut oak Quercus prinus, locust Robinia pseudoaccacia, and sassafras Sassafras albidum.
Shrubs include amur maple Acer ginnala, Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii, quince Chaenomeles sp., smoketree Cotinus coggygria, Scotch broom Cytisus sp., Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia, witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana, privet Ligustrum sp., buckthorn Rhamnus sp., sumac Rhus sp., and yucca Yucca sp..
Groundcovers include yarrow Achillea sp., crown vetch Coronilla varia, sweet William Dianthus sp., daylilies Hemerocallis sp., cinquefoil Potentilla sp., lavender cotton Santolina chamaecyparissus, creeping phlox Phlox subulata, and St. Johnswort Hypericum sp..
Many of these plants come in a variety of flower and leaf colors, heights, thorniness, etc. depending on the species. Choose the species that will provide the features and ultimate size appropriate for the site you have chosen.
(Excerpted from "The Virginia Master Gardener Handbook," Diane Relf, Editor, and Extension Specialist, Consumer Horticulture, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0327.)