16 plants suitable for dry and barren soil

We all want to beautify the exterior of our home by planting shrubs and flowers, creating a pleasant environment to live in. But what happens when our soil is dry and barren? In these conditions, most plants find it difficult to survive, develop problematic, or wither. There is an option to improve the soil of our garden and enrich it with the necessary ingredients, however in many cases, this is difficult to achieve, as depending on the size of the problem requires a considerable amount of time and the corresponding investment in money. As long as we decide not to make major changes and accept the particularities of our soil, we can choose suitable plants with a robust root system that has the ability to grow in barren and stony soil without the need for special care. These are plants that we can use for holiday homes as they have little need for watering and fertilizing.

Top flowers that bloom in winter for an eyecatching look in your garden, yard, and balcony

Depending on the tastes and design we have for our garden, we can choose from a fairly large list of aromatic plants, ornamental shrubs, and trees that are highly resistant to arid and arid soils. Some of these plants stand out for their rich glossy foliage, others for their impressive flowers and prolonged flowering. Let’s see in detail what are the most beautiful plants for dry and barren soils that can bring vibrancy and color to the entrance of our home, yard, and garden.

Artemisia
We start with the absinthe, herbaceous perennial aromatic plant that thrives in barren and rocky places. Absinthe develops in a variety of constituent soils, even on dry ground, as long as they satisfactorily strain. At a height of up to one meter, the absinthe has an upright shoot with slightly aromatic, leaves, green-silver, and small yellow-green flowers that appear from June to September. Absinthe Prefers sunny places, is resistant to high temperatures, but is relatively sensitive to winter frost and to the north. After all, in its foliage, the absinthe features characteristic glandular hair that is used to reduce breathing, especially to cope with the hot summer season.

Laurel
Laurel is another evergreen aromatic shrub that thrives in all soils, even limestone. Laurel is a drought, pollution, and salinity resistant plant, so it is suitable for coastal planting. In addition, laurel adapts to both sunny and shady places and withstands low temperatures as it freezes to -10 ° C. However, planting it in fertile, well-watered and well-drained soil will have greater growth. The laurel has deep-green, leathery fragrant leaves and white or yellow-green flowers that appear from April to May and bear fruit and give black fruits, oval in shape and small olive size. The laurel leaves, ready for harvest from August to September, have an aromatic odor and a slightly bitter taste.

Rosemary
Rosemary grows easily and is cultivated in areas with a Mediterranean climate and sunny dry climate, reaching up to two meters high. Rosemary is a woody, perennial, aromatic shrub, multicolored and deciduous, with needle leaves and blue aromatic flowers appearing in spring and summer. It is resistant to freezing and low temperatures and is native to it, even in rocky areas at an altitude of 600 meters. There are several varieties of rosemary, both wild and cultivated. Rosemary has many uses from cooking and pharmaceuticals to gardening, where it is widely used for rock gardening but also for planting in pots, and the ornamental rosemary that grows upside down is of significant ornamental value.

Lavender
The list of plants that withstand dry and barren soil cannot be included in the list of lavender with the characteristic gray-green long or petiolate leaves and aromatic purple flowers. Lavender is an ideal plant for rock gardens, for low hedges, as it is one of the tallest aromatic plants reaching one meter. Lavender in nature grows in poor, rocky and dry soils, with most species resistant to calcareous soils. It does not grow well in wet and heavy soils as it has root rot. Therefore, its soil should be enriched with sand and gravel to ensure good ventilation and drainage. Lavender is looking for sunny places, although it can also grow in semi-arid places. It should be noted that lavender is not only resistant to the hot dry summer environment but it can withstand winter frost.

Levantine
Levantine is a very durable plant that has no particular soil requirements, as long as it has very good drainage. Perennial, evergreen, aromatic shrub, lavender is a slow-growing, compact, 40-60 cm tall plant with many offspring whose older shoots get thicker over the years. The leaves of lavender are small, dense, complex and winged, either silver-green or pale green depending on the species. Lavender blooms in May-June and dry flowers remain on the plant throughout the summer. It can grow even on dry and arid soil without any problems. Lavender prefers sunny places, and can even be planted in coastal areas, as it is resistant to soil salinity. Lavender has excellent resistance to both low temperatures and north winds. Even in the snow with many degrees below zero, its foliage does not freeze. Lavender is widely used in gardening because of its foliage, in rock gardens, for ground cover or to form low free borders.

Ladania
Ladania is a native, low, toasted shrub of the Mediterranean flora that grows in many parts of Greece and is extremely resistant to arid and dry soils. The oil has fluffy leaves and has very delicate pink or white flowers that exhibit a characteristic “wrinkle”. In the summer months, the leaves and shoots of lavender excrete a resinous substance, also known as aladan, labdanum, or lavender, also known as the “Myrrh of the Bible.” Oil can be used as an ornamental plant in rock gardens as well as in arid gardens since it has very limited watering requirements.

Pelargonium
Classic pelargoniums with striking flowers thrive on any soil type, even in the most barren, provided the soil is well-drained. Of course, infertile soils, rich in nutrients, it has better growth and richer flowering. Pelargonium can be planted in both sunny and semi-arid places and is resistant to high summer temperatures, drought, and heat. It can even be planted and bloomed in coastal areas, as it withstands the high salinity of the soil. However, it is sensitive to the severe cold and winter frost, as well as to the strong north winds.

Angelic
Angelica is another popular ornamental shrub that stands out for its glossy leaves and can be planted in dry and barren soils. The angelic grows better in a semicircular environment and acquires a relatively solid spherical shape. It is very resistant to dry heat and seaside conditions, to air pollution and too low temperatures. It grows relatively slowly in all types of soils but has better growth in lightly drained fertile soils. Although relatively slow in development, the angelic can reach up to four meters in height and form a small tree. It blooms in May-June, forming small, white flowers that bear a distinctive orange scent.

Oleander
If we are looking for a durable shrub in dry and barren soils that give us many flowers from spring to autumn, then we choose the oyster. Evergreen, ornamental shrub with large flowers, the oyster is a characteristic plant of the Mediterranean flora. Due to its high durability and adaptability, oleander is widely used in gardening to form flower beds and fences, as well as for individual plantings in the garden as well as in pots on the balcony. The oleander is a hardy plant that grows in all soils, even in the most barren, sandy and calcareous. The oleander grows in both sunny and semi-arid places and gives us rich flowering. It is resistant to both high summer temperatures, winter frosts, and strong winds. Piccadilly can also be planted at the seaside, as it is tolerant to the salinity of marine hydrogens, and due to its high resistance and resistance to pollutants, it is found on most national roads in the country.

Elaiagnos
Elaiagnos is an evergreen ornamental shrub usually chosen for its ornamental foliage, but also for its aromatic white small flowers. Elaiagnos is widely used in gardening to form fences or for individual plantings in the garden. There are varieties of olive oil with shades of green foliage, as well as fennel varieties of foliage, such as green with yellow. The olive tree blooms a little late in the autumn, followed by its small red fruits in winter. Olive oil thrives in well-drained soil and has rapid growth while being extremely resistant to air pollution, low temperatures, wind, and heat. Ideal for sunny and seaside locations, as it withstands high soil salinity and drought.

Yellow Jasmine
Winter jasmine with beautiful yellow flowers can be planted in all soils as long as they have good drainage. Yellow jasmine is much more resistant to low temperatures, frost, and breeze than other types of jasmine, such as Chian jasmine, blue jasmine and Arabic jasmine (foli). It grows best and blooms in sunny or semicircular spots. It does not climb as much as most types of jasmine, so it is also called semi-climber, it has more creamy growth. Originally from China, yellow jasmine grows more laterally and reaches 3 meters wide and two meters high. It blooms from December to March in the warmer regions of the country and later in the north.

Ornamental plum
The prune or ornamental plum, the deciduous tree, with the characteristic dark reddish color of the leaves is quite resistant to dry and barren soil. The ancestor grows well in all soil types, although it prefers rich, fertile and well-drained soils for better growth. The yard is resistant to drought, air pollution, and low winter temperatures. Although it has a moderate growth rate, the yard exhibits fairly dense vegetation reaching a height of 5-7 meters. The yard has small, fragrant pink flowers that appear for about a month in early spring. The fruit of the mustard is small, round, orange in color and can be eaten.

Acacia Constantinople
Acacia Constantinople, the impressive deciduous tree we often find on roads, parks, and squares to give us shade, is very resistant to barren, dry soil. It has no special soil requirements and can be planted in all soil types, even in high pH calcareous soils. In addition, Acacia Constantinople is resistant to soil salinity and can thrive in coastal areas. Acacia Constantinople prefers sunny spots, but can also grow well in semi-arid places. We avoid planting it in shady spots, as it has reduced growth and limited flowering. Acacia Constantinople grows best in mild climates, though it is resistant to high summer temperatures, winter frost, and strong winds.

Locust tree
The carob, the evergreen fruit tree with its dense glossy foliage is an excellent choice for dry and barren soils. The requirements of the locust are quite limited and we will meet it in all types of soils even on dry barren stony limestone soils. It has great ornamental value and therefore is selected by the gardeners and planted in streets, gardens, and parks. The locust is considered a tree of dry and warm climates, it grows in coastal areas and is therefore cultivated in Southern Greece and Crete while being considered a relatively frost-resistant plant.

Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is another very adaptive tree and can grow and thrive in all soil types as it has a very strong root system. Eucalyptus is used by landscape architects for city and highway tree trunks as it is resistant to both very wet and dry soils and is resistant to high winds and high salinity coastal soils. In contrast, eucalyptus is relatively susceptible to winter frost. Evergreen tree with a very fast growth rate, the eucalyptus quickly reaches a height of over 50 meters and displays its flowering from early summer to September.

Prickly pear
Last in our list of plants that withstand dry and barren soil, but no less important, is the prickly pear, the well-known fruit-bearing cactus with its delicious and sweet fruits. Cultivation of prickly pear requires sandy, poor, dry and arid soils, as it can survive water scarcity and thrive in dry climates. Prickly pear is very resistant to drought for a long time, as it can store large amounts of water and nutrients due to reduced respiration. It is also resistant to fire, because of the water it contains prevents the spread of fire, an ideal plant for firefighting.