Q: Will you give me a couple of suggestions of drought tolerant plants, especially shrubs? I lost quite a few shrubs this winter and I am thinking about replacing them with plants requiring less water. I am trying to be more conservative with the amount of water I use.

A: We commend you for your efforts to reduce the amount o water used on your landscape. All of us need to do our part in reducing the demand for water on lawns and ornamental plants. The University of Florida produced a publication by Gary Knox titled, “Drought Tolerant Plants for North and Central Florida.” Here are a few of the shrubs recommended for this area: Aloe, Butterfly bush, fig, Firethorn, Glossy abelia, Indian hawthorn, Pineapple guava, or Pomegranate. Butterfly bush, Buddleia spp., comes in a wide range of colors and heights so you have a plethora of choices. However, be careful to give it plenty of room as it can become “weedy.” Pineapple guava, Feijoa sellowiana, is very versatile evergreen shrub which is salt and drought tolerant. Therefore it would be the perfect choice for those of you along the coastal areas. The flowers are very showy and smell wonderful. Pomegranate has become so popular it should be fairly easy to find in most any of the local nurseries. The publication below will also provide a list of drought tolerant trees, vines, palms and ground cover. Take the list with you when shopping at local nurseries to ensure you purchase the correct plant. Use the scientific name on the list as some common names can be very confusing and mistakes have been made when purchasing plants using common names. Remember to also consider how large the plant will become at maturity and allow enough room to grown. One other hint, always use less fertilizer and water for those plants in shady areas. http://polkhort.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/publications/Drought%20Tolerant%20Plants.pdf

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