Drought Tolerant

Family: Buxaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Height:  2'
Bloom Time:  January to March
Attracts:  Humans
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, Glossy green leaves.  Fragrant, white flowers.
Notes:  All Sacococca have an intoxicating sweet scent in winter.  Works well when planted near a pathway or front door.

Pot Size: Quart Pot

Family: Buxaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Height:  2'
Bloom Time:  January to March
Attracts:  Humans
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, Glossy green leaves.  Red buds, fragrant, white flowers.
Notes:  All Sacococca have an intoxicating sweet scent in winter.  Works well when planted near a pathway or front door.

Pot Size: 1 Gallon Pot

Family: Buxaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Height:  2'
Bloom Time:  January to March
Attracts:  Humans
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, Glossy green leaves.  Fragrant, white flowers.
Notes:  All Sacococca have an intoxicating sweet scent in winter.  Works well when planted near a pathway or front door.

Pot Size: 1 Gallon Pot

Great Plant Picks

Family: Buxaceae
Zone:  7 - 10
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Height:  2' - 4'
Bloom Time:  January to March
Attracts:  Humans
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, 3" long, rounded, glossy green leaves.  Fragrant, greenish white flowers.
Notes:  All Sacococca have an intoxicating sweet scent in winter.  Works well when planted near a pathway or front door.

Pot Size: Medium Band Pot

Family: Buxaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range: China
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Part shade, shade
Height:  2' - 4'
Bloom Time:  January to March
Attracts:  Humans
Pest Resistance:  Deer, Rabbit
Attributes:  Evergreen, Glossy green leaves.  Fragrant, white flowers.  Scarlet fruit.
Notes:  All Sacococca have an intoxicating sweet scent in winter.  Works well when planted near a pathway or front door.

Pot Size: 1 Gallon Pot, 4" Band Pot

Great Plant Picks

Family:  Elaeagnaceae
Zone:  3 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average to dry
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  4' - 8'
Bloom Time:  March
Attracts:  Birds
Pest Resistance:  Deer
Attributes:  Deciduous. Silvery foliage.  Small yellow flowers with red berries in fall.
Notes:  Great clove scented flowers.
 
Pot size:  Medium Band Pot 12" - 18"

Family:  Elaeagnaceae
Zone:  2 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average to dry
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  4' - 8'
Bloom Time:  May to July
Attracts:  Birds
Pest Resistance:  Deer
Attributes:  Deciduous. Gray green leaves brown scales on the undersides of the leaves.  Small yellow flowers with red berries in fall.
Notes:  Like other Elaeagnus the silvery foliage is the main attraction.
 
Pot size:  Medium Band Pot 12" - 18"

Family:  Malvaceae
Zone:  6 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich, drought tolerant
Light:  Sun, part shade
Height:  36"
Bloom Time:  May to July
Attracts:  Butterflies, Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Rosettes of small glossy palmate leaves.  Vibrant pink flowers on tall spikes.
Notes:  Great for pollinators.
 
Pot size:  4" Pot

Family: Fabaceae
Zone: 7 - 10
Natural Range: Chile
Soil:  Average, well drained
Light: Sun, part shade
Height: 10'
Bloom Time:  Spring to Summer
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Pinnate foliage with up to fifteen leaflets.  Large deep yellow pea-like flowers.  Pea-pod like seeds.
Notes:  The Sophora macrocarpa we selected had noticeably larger pods, and foliage in comparison to other plants around.

Pot Size:  Large Band Pot 6" - 12"

Family:  Fabaceae
Zone:  7(8) - 9
Natural Range:  New Zealand
Soil:  Average
Light:  Sun
Height:  2' -4'
Bloom Time: Summer
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Contorted, wiry stems with small evergreen pinnate leaves.  Yellow pea-like flowers.
Notes: Best when planted in a protected spot in cooler climates.

Pot size: Large Band Pot

Family:  Taxaceae
Zone:  5 - 9
Natural Range:  Pacific Northwest
Soil:  Average, humus rich, drought tolerant
Light:  Sun, part sun
Height:  25' - 50’
Bloom Time:  NA
Attracts:  NA
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Shrub or small tree.  Flattened needles with red fruit in fall.  Peeling red and brown bark. 
Notes:  Slow growing with drooping, horizontal branching.  West of the Cascades Taxus brevifolia is often found as an understory tree.

Pot size: Medium Band Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 5 - 9
Natural Range: PNW; Oregon, California
Soil:  Moist, humus rich, well drained
Light: Part shade
Height: 14"
Bloom Time:  March to May
Attributes:  Deciduous.  Large mottled foliage.  Early spring blooming.  Sessile blooms that are white in color, or some times pink at the base.
Notes: Great foliage.  One or two more years to bloom.

Pot Size:  4" Band Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun, Shade
Height:  4'
Bloom Time:  March to April
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Orange-red new growth turning dark green.  Pale pink flowers.  Purple-black berries in summer.
Notes:  Good small and relatively slow-growing evergreen shrub.
 
Pot size:  Quart Size Pot

Family:  Ericaceae
Zone:  7 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average, humus rich
Light:  Sun, part sun, Shade
Height:  4'
Bloom Time:  March to April
Attracts:  Bees
Pest Resistance:  NA
Attributes:  Evergreen.  Coral pink new growth turning creamy white and green.  Red and green winter foliage.  Pale pink flowers.  Purple-black berries in summer.
Notes:  Great new foliage selection.
 
Pot size:  1 Gallon Pot

Family:  Berberidaceae
Zone: 6 - 9
Natural Range:  PNW
Soil:  Average to must humus rich, drought tolerant
Light:  Shade, part shade
Height:  12" - 18"
Attributes:  Deciduous, three lobed leaves with up to thirty white flowers with petals that stick back.
Notes:  This is an Epimedium relative that looks very similar.  In a moist garden they will form large colonies over time.  Best given room from smaller perennials or divided regularly.

Pot Size:  4" Pot

Family:  Melanthiaceae
Zone: 3 - 9
Natural Range: PNW
Soil:  Average to dry, humus rich, well drained
Light: Sun, shade
Height: Foliage is 12" - 18", flower spikes 5'
Attributes:  Evergreen, narrow silvery leaves in arching tufts.  White flowers in conical raceme.  Late spring, summer.
Notes:  Will grow in full shade but flowers better in full sun.  This is a great foliage plant but is supper slow to propagate from seed!

Pot Size: Deep round 2" Pot