An absolute champion of drought and heat resistance is Hippophae rhamnoides, better known as sea buckthorn. This remarkable plant is renowned for its exceptional qualities. No surprise, given its natural distribution along coastal areas, where it evolved to tolerate both drought and heat. Another useful trait from its salty native habitat is salt tolerance—meaning it has no problem with road salt in urban areas. With climate change bringing ever hotter and drier summers, this is definitely a species worth exploring.
Discover more about this extraordinary tree in the video below.
The Right Plant in the Right Place
The essence of good garden design is matching plant choice to site conditions. For dry locations, this is especially important—choosing the wrong species can simply mean plant loss. These sites also often require a different maintenance approach. Adding organic material or using ground-covering mulch, for example, helps retain moisture for longer.
Plants Built for Dry Conditions
It is crucial to select species adapted to surviving and thriving in dry environments. Such plants often have special adaptations like deep root systems, hairy leaves, or waxy leaf coatings to reduce water loss.
Want to learn more about drought-tolerant species or how to combine them with sea buckthorn? Create a mood board in our TreeEbb.
