Grow with Harvester: Drought Tolerant Perennials

A buzzing, blooming garden that thrives on low water – that’s the dream for many Colorado homeowners. Good news: you can create a spectacular pollinator haven that doesn’t need constant watering. By choosing drought tolerant or water-wise perennials that pollinators love, you’ll save water, save money, and support bees, butterflies, and more. Let’s highlight some top perennial picks for a Colorado pollinator garden, plus tips to keep it flourishing.

What Makes a Perennial Drought Tolerant or “Water-Wise”?

In our context, it means a plant that, once established, can tolerate periods of drought or infrequent irrigation – perfect for Colorado’s semi-arid climate. Many are native to our region or similar climates (think high plains, Southwest, etc.), so they’re adapted to our soils and rainfall patterns. They typically have features like deep taproots, gray or small leaves (conserves water), or bloom in spring and fall when moisture is a bit more available.

And “perennial” means they come back every year, so you plant them once and enjoy for many seasons – another win for sustainable gardening.

Pollinator Paradise Picks

Here are some star water-wise perennials that pollinators (and gardeners) adore:

• Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus): A true Colorado native, with spires of purple-blue tubular flowers in late spring. Bees and hummingbirds will zoom right in. It’s very drought-tolerant and thrives in poor, well-drained soilsresourcecentral.org. Plus, it’s gorgeous.

• Coneflowers (Echinacea species): Purple coneflower (and its cultivars, including white coneflower) are not only hardy and drought-resistant, but they’re butterfly magnetsresourcecentral.org. Blooms summer into fall. Leave seed heads up for birds like finches to snack on, too.

• Sunset Hyssop (Agastache rupestris): Also called hummingbird mint, this Southwest native bears orange sunset-colored flowers that hummingbirds can’t resistresourcecentral.org. It blooms in late summer when not much else is blooming, offering crucial nectar. And it thrives in dry, gravelly soil with minimal water – perfect for xeriscapes.

• Native Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa): A Colorado-friendly bee balm that, unlike its thirstier cousins, can handle dry conditionsresourcecentral.org. It has shaggy pinkish-purple flowers midsummer that draw bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Lovely minty fragrance too. Give it some space and air (good spacing helps it resist mildew).

• Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia): Technically a subshrub, but it behaves like a perennial, sending up new shoots each year. Tall wands of lavender-blue flowers from mid-summer to fall. Super drought-tough. Bees swarm the blooms, and it provides great color contrast in the garden.

• Yarrow (Achillea species): Look for Colorado native yarrows like Achillea lanulosa or garden varieties (which come in yellow, red, pink). Flat-topped flower clusters are butterfly landing pads. Yarrow laughs at heat and dry soil – in fact, too much water makes it floppy. It also has a long bloom time and the dried flowers can be left for winter interest.

• Salvia (sage): Many salvias are drought-hardy and loved by pollinators. For example, Salvia nemorosa (and hybrids like ‘May Night’) bloom in early summer with purple flower spikes that bees and butterflies frequent. Also, culinary sage (yes, the herb!) produces beautiful purple flowers and is very water-wiseresourcecentral.org – plus you get seasoning for the kitchen. Double duty!

• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia): This native wildflower has red-and-yellow daisy-like blooms all summer. It thrives in dry, poor soil and full sun. Butterflies enjoy the nectar, and it self-seeds (in a friendly way) to naturalize in a xeric garden.

• Lavender (Lavandula spp.): An iconic drought-tolerant plant (think Mediterranean summers), lavender does well in Colorado if given well-drained soil. Bees absolutely love lavender blooms. Plant it near walkways to enjoy the scent. (Note: Some varieties may need a little extra winter care or replacement every few years, but worth it for the pollinators and beauty.)

• Sedums & Iceplants: For groundcover, consider creeping sedum or iceplant (Delosperma). These succulent perennials hug the ground, need almost no water, and their vibrant flowers are bee favorites. Great for edging a dry pollinator garden.

There are many more, but these ten are a fantastic start, providing a succession of blooms from spring to fall, all without heavy irrigation.

Designing Your Water-Wise Pollinator Garden

• Group by Needs: Even drought-tolerant plants need a little water to get established. Plan to water regularly the first season; after that, you can taper off. Group plants with similar water needs together so you’re not overwatering some to keep others happy. All the plants above can thrive on low water, so they play well together.

• Sun, Soil, and Spacing: Most water-wise pollinator plants love full sun (6+ hours). Ensure your spot gets ample sunshine. They also prefer well-drained soil – if you have heavy clay, amend with some compost and even grit (small gravel or sand) to improve drainage. Space plants according to their mature size, to allow good airflow and reduce disease.

• Provide Bloom Variety: Aim to have something flowering in each part of the growing season. For example, penstemon and salvia in spring, bee balm and coneflower in summer, hyssop and Russian sage late summer, and maybe asters (another drought-tolerant pollinator perennial) in fall. Pollinators need season-long support.

• Include a Water Source & Habitat: Even though the plants don’t need much water, pollinators appreciate a drink. A shallow dish with stones for butterflies to perch on, kept filled with water, is great. Also, leave some bits of bare ground or a small brush pile for native bee nesting and shelter. A truly pollinator-friendly garden caters to their whole life cycle.

• Mulch (but not too much): A gravel mulch can work well in a xeric pollinator bed, keeping weeds down and reflecting heat (many of these plants like it hot). If using organic mulch, keep it a couple inches away from crowns of perennials to prevent rot. Remember, these plants don’t want to stay soggy – mulch to conserve moisture, but ensure some air flow at soil level.

Once planted, these perennials will reward you year after year with minimal care. You’ll enjoy vibrant colors and delightful visits from bees humming, butterflies dancing, and even hummingbirds zipping among the flowers – all with far less watering than a traditional garden bed. It’s a beautiful example of working with our Colorado climate, not against it.

Harvester excels in designing pollinator-friendly, water-wise landscapes. We can recommend the best native and adapted plants for your specific location (from the plains to the foothills), layout the garden for continuous bloom, and install efficient drip irrigation to get them established. Interested in a buzzing, blooming yard that saves water? Give Harvester a call! We’re passionate about creating gardens that are good for you and good for Colorado’s environment.

Schedule a consult and let’s build your pollinator paradise together.