What plants like dry sandy soil and full sun?

Lavender, Salvia, Stipa grasses, Sedum and Cistus thrive; their silver or waxy leaves are adapted to hold moisture and bask in heat.

Should I water plants in a dry sunny border?

Water to establish in the first season, then sparingly. Drought-adapted plants root deeper and grow sturdier when not watered often, so frequent watering does more harm than good.

Border Builder

Plants for dry, sunny borders

Drought-tolerant plants for free-draining soil in full sun.

A free-draining sandy border in full sun is the classic gravel-garden situation: water runs straight through, nutrients leach away with it, and the soil stays lean and quick to dry. The instinct to feed and water heavily is the wrong one. Rich feeding pushes soft, floppy growth that flops and burns, and frequent watering keeps roots shallow and dependent. Instead, add a little organic matter for structure, then mulch with gravel to keep the crowns dry and the soil cool below. Plant in spring, water to establish, then ease off. The plants below are true drought-lovers, many of them silver-leaved or aromatic Mediterranean types whose narrow, waxy or hairy foliage is built to hold water and bask in heat rather than wilt in it.

Border Builder is a garden border planner for iPhone and iPad. Pick from the 546 plants below and it works them into a full plan: how many of each, where they go, and how the bed reads through the seasons.

546 plants for this

Common questions

What plants like dry sandy soil and full sun?: Lavender, Salvia, Stipa grasses, Sedum and Cistus thrive; their silver or waxy leaves are adapted to hold moisture and bask in heat.
Should I water plants in a dry sunny border?: Water to establish in the first season, then sparingly. Drought-adapted plants root deeper and grow sturdier when not watered often, so frequent watering does more harm than good.

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Plants for full sun Plants for shade Plants for partial shade Plants for clay soil Plants for sandy soil Plants for chalk soil