Garden Tips Newsletter
Tough Plants for Tough Times
May 25, 2009
We all want our dollars to go as far as they will go in these tough economic times. Choosing perennials and reseeding annuals that don’t require coddling and will give us years of enjoyment is a sound investment. As you are trolling the garden centers this spring faced with all the choices, how do you know which ones are tough, drought tolerant, cold and heat hardy and require less maintenance? Based on my observations and interactions with gardeners throughout this state I can suggest a short list of tough plants that can even compete with grass on a steep slope if necessary. The list below is certainly not inclusive as I am sure you can add your favorites that have been successful for you. The list includes mostly native plants with the exception of Daucus carota or Queen Anne’s Lace which was introduced and has become naturalized throughout our region. All require full sun and well drained soil for optimum growth.
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterflyweed
Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eye-Susan
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
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Daucus carota - Queen Anne’s Lace
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum - Oxeye Daisy
Conoclinium coelestinum - Mistflower
Solidago sp. - Goldenrod
Gaillardia sp. - Blanketflower
The one you might have trouble finding in the garden centers is Queen Anne’s lace. Best way to start this one is to gather the seeds from the plants—they are blooming everywhere right now and sow where they are to grow either this fall for south Mississippi or next spring for north Mississippi. This one is a biennial, so let it reseed (or you can gather the seed) if you want a steady supply of these in your garden. Mistflower and oxeye daisy, if not found in the garden centers, can easily be ordered from any number of mail order sources—or get a friend who has some to share!
Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes Garden Tips weekly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.