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Full sun and at the same time dry locations in the garden are difficult to plant. We introduce you to 24 plants that need a lot of sun and little water and are still beautiful to look at.

In a nutshell

  • Large selection of summer flowers and perennials
  • Cacti and succulents are also suitable
  • extremely resistant to sun and drought v. a. houseleek
  • many types of grass for the rock garden
  • Mediterranean herbs perfect for lots of sun and little water

flower

Lush blooming summer flowers should not be missing in any garden. These species need a lot of sun and get by with little water.

Golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

  • Growth: upright, bushy
  • Growth height: 30 to 40 centimeters
  • Flowers: yellow or orange cup flowers
  • Flowering period: June to October
  • Specialties: annual

Levkoye (Matthiola incana)

  • Growth: upright, bushy, dense
  • Growth height: 20 to 80 centimeters
  • Blossom: many grape blossoms in red, pink, violet, yellow or white
  • Flowering period: June to September
  • Specialties: annual

Notice: Levkojen are available in many varieties with double and single flowers. The varieties 'Dresdener Prachtmix' and 'Mammut Excelsior Mix' bloom particularly beautifully.

Purslane (Portulaca grandiflora)

  • Growth: forming a carpet, flat-growing
  • Growth height: 10 to 15 centimeters
  • Blossom: Bowl blossoms in many colors, also multicolored
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Specialties: annual

Notice: Native to South America, purslanes have colorful silk flowers that can be single or double. They are perfect as a flowering eye-catcher in the rock garden.

Gypsophila (Gypsophila elegans)

Giant Gypsophila (Gypsophila paniculata)

There are two different types of gypsophila, both of which need lots of sun and little water. The giant gypsophila (Gypsophila paniculata) grows up to one meter high and just as wide. It is studded with hundreds of small, airy panicle flowers between June and September. The carpet gypsophila (Gypsophila repens) also blooms very profusely, but only grows to about 25 centimeters high. There are different varieties of both species with white or pink, single or double flowers.

ground cover

Ground covers are ideal for planting on dry stone walls, rock gardens or even slopes.

Blue Cushions (Aubrieta Hybrids)

Bluecushion, Aubrieta
  • Growth: cushion-forming, dense
  • Growth height: 8 to 15 centimeters
  • Flowers: Cup flowers in red, pink, violet, blue or white
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Specialties: perennial

Notice: The blue cushion is a valuable pollen and nectar plant for numerous insects.

Woolly Ziest (Stachys byzantina)

  • Growth: cushion-forming, upright
  • Growth height: 15 to 60 centimeters
  • Flower: Whorl flowers in red or pink
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • Special features: felty, evergreen leaves

shrubs and shrubs

Shrubs are easy to care for and also fit into small gardens.

Bearded Beard (Caryopteris clandonensis)

  • Growth: upright semi-shrub
  • Growth height: 80 to 100 centimeters
  • Flowers: blue tufted flowers
  • Flowering period: July to September
  • Special features: valuable nectar or pollen plant

Tip: The popular variety 'Heavenly Blue' flowers particularly beautifully.

Blue rue (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

  • Growth: loose semi-shrub
  • Growth height: 100 to 200 centimeters
  • Flower: blue or violet panicle flowers
  • Flowering period: August to September
  • Special features: intensely fragrant leaves

Summer lilac (Buddleja alternifolia)

  • Growth: overhanging
  • Growth height: 200 to 400 centimeters
  • Flowers: large inflorescences in violet, pink or white
  • Flowering period: June to September
  • Special features: valuable pollen and nectar plant

Notice: The summer lilac is also known as the butterfly lilac and is not related to the common lilac (Syringa).

grasses

Many grasses are almost predestined for locations with a lot of sun and usually only need little water. They can be wonderfully combined with flowering perennials and create variety in the sun bed.

Blue oat (Helictotrichon sempervirens)

Source: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, Helictotrichon sempervirens (6123792379), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Growth: clump-forming, upright
  • Growth height: 30 to 120 centimeters
  • Flowers: green-yellow panicles
  • Flowering period: June to August
  • leaves: evergreen, silvery-grey to blue-grey
  • Special features: hardy

Blue fescue (Festuca glauca)

  • Clump-forming growth, cushion-forming
  • Growth height: 15 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: green-yellow panicles
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Leaves: narrow, pointed, blue-green
  • Special features: evergreen

Pennisetum alopecuroides (Pennisetum alopecuroides)

  • Growth: clump-forming, overhanging
  • Growth height: 30 to 150 centimeters
  • Flowers: white, brown or pink, spike flowers
  • Flowering period: August to October
  • Leaves: narrow
  • Special features: beautiful autumn colours

Notice: The lamp cleaner grass has a reason for its name: the attractive, feathery brush flowers were actually used to clean lamps. The plant is also known as feather bristle grass.

Rainbow fescue (Festuca amethystina)

Source: No machine-readable author provided. Sten assumed (based on copyright claims)., Festuca-amethystina, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Growth: clump-forming, overhanging
  • Growth height: 25 to 60 centimeters
  • Flower: red or violet flower panicles
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Leaves: Blue-green hair leaves
  • Special features: local species

Notice: The fine hairy leaves of the rainbow fescue turn a striking purple color after flowering. The plant propagates easily by self-seeding.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Source: Jebulon, Panicum virgatum JdP, edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Growth: clump-forming, upright
  • Growth height: 60 to 210 centimeters
  • Flowers: brown panicle flowers
  • Flowering period: July to September
  • Leaves: narrow, green
  • Special features: beautiful autumn colours

Notice: The easy-care and undemanding switchgrass is particularly popular because of its spectacular autumn colours. The color palette ranges from golden yellow to copper red.

Iridescent Grass (Koeleria glauca)

The native blue-green iridescent grass grows in nature on inland dunes, sandy grassland and can also be found in sandy pine forests. It needs lots of sun and little water.

  • Growth: clump-forming, dense
  • Growth height: 15 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: green-yellow to brownish panicles
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Leaves: green to blue-green
  • Special features: evergreen

cacti and succulents

Succulent plants store water in their leaves, shoots and branches - so it's no wonder that they only need a little water. They often come from regions where there is a lot of sun.

Houseleek (Sempervivum)

Large-flowered houseleek, Sempervivum grandiflorum

The houseleek, also known as the rock rose, is highly heat and drought resistant and grows wherever other plants can hardly stand it. The succulent plant needs a lot of sun and extremely little water. In addition, the variety of species and varieties is huge: There are around 60 different species with 5000 different varieties.

Spurge (Euphorbia)

Cypress Spurge, Euphorbia cyparissias

In particular, the hardy cruciferous spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) is well suited for the garden. The species grows to a height of about 80 centimeters and is very decorative thanks to its beautifully shaped, blue-green leaves. It also keeps voles away, so you should plant it in the vegetable patch or near endangered plants. But be careful: Like all spurge plants, this one is also poisonous.

perennials

There is a particularly large selection of sun-loving and drought-resistant plants among the perennials. This group of plants is perennial and sprout again every year.

Sweet nettle (Agastache rugosa)

  • Growth: upright, bushy, clump-forming
  • Growth height: 80 to 100 centimeters
  • Flower: violet false spikes
  • Flowering period: June to September
  • Special features: insect magnet, valuable nectar or pollen plant

Tip: The nettle attracts numerous insects, especially butterflies and bees. Therefore, it should not be missing in any garden.

Vervain (Verbena bonariensis)

  • Growth: upright
  • Growth height: 150 to 200 centimeters
  • Flowers: violet cymes
  • Flowering period: July to October
  • Special features: not sufficiently hardy

Tip: Although the vervain, which comes from South America, freezes back in winter, it reseeds itself every year and therefore reliably comes back.

Evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

  • Growth: dense, cushion-forming
  • Growth height: 15 to 40 centimeters
  • Flowers: white cymes
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Special features: very adaptable, tolerates stony to loamy soil

Catnip (Nepeta faassenii)

Catnip, cat balm, Nepeta faassenii
  • Growth: loose, bushy
  • Growth height: 20 to 30 centimeters
  • Flowers: violet to blue spike flowers
  • Flowering period: May to September
  • Special features: valuable bee pasture

Lesser man-litter (Eryngium planum)

  • Growth: clump-forming, upright
  • Growth height: 40 to 80 centimeters
  • Flowers: blue umbelliferous flowers
  • Flowering period: July to September
  • Special features: native wild plant

Tip: The species is sometimes also referred to as "noble thistle" because it is visually reminiscent of thistles.

Mock coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Coneflower "Tangerine Dream", Echinacea purpurea
  • Growth: upright, forming clumps
  • Growth height: 80 to 100 centimeters
  • Blossom: flower heads in many colors, v. a. red and violet
  • Flowering period: July to September
  • Specialties: Medicinal plant

Tip: The species is also commercially available as purple coneflowers.

Stone quenelle (Calamintha nepeta)

  • Growth: upright, forming clumps
  • Growth height: 30 to 50 centimeters
  • Flower: violet or white lipped flowers
  • Flowering period: July to October
  • Special features: continuous bloomers

frequently asked Questions

Which herbs need a lot of sun and little water?

Mediterranean herbs in particular need little water and therefore prefer a dry location. At the same time, a lot of sun is necessary for the development of the characteristic aroma. Lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano or marjoram are particularly suitable for such a location.

Which roses are suitable for a dry, sunny location?

Native wild roses such as the robust potato or apple rose (Rosa rugosa), the felt rose (Rosa tomentosa) and above all the burnet rose (Rosa spinosissima) are very suitable here. The latter is also known as rock or dune rose and grows in stony, dry locations.

Which plants for a hot south-facing balcony?

On a south-facing balcony it is very sunny, hot - and, unless you want to water it all the time, very dry. The plants mentioned are suitable here, but especially heat-loving plants such as geraniums, petunias, bougainvillea, oleanders, citrus plants and hibiscus.

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Garden plants