Drought tolerant tree selection is a long-term solution to low maintenance landscapes. Drought tolerance requires that tree leaves use water efficiently and continue to grow and make food at relatively low water potentials. Drought tolerance involves characteristics like extensive root systems, thick leaf waxes and bark, good stomata! control, and the capacity for leaf cells to function at low water contents.
Below is a list of drought resistant/tolerant tree species. No tree is truly drought tolerant, but once established many trees can survive droughts.
- American Elm
- Black Walnut
- Black Locust
- Blackgum
- Blackjack Oak
- Bur Oak
- Catalpa
- Cedar Cedar Elm
- Chinese Elm
- Cottonwood
- Green Ash
- Hawthorne
- Honey Locust
- Mexican Liveoak
- Mexican Plum
- Mockemut Hickory
- Mulberry
- Osage Orange, Boisd’ arc
- Pecan
- Persimmon
- Possum Haw
- Post Oak
- Red Maple
- Redbud
- River Birch
- Sassafras
- Shumard Oak
- Southern Red Oak
- Sugarberrry
- Sycamore
- Virginia Pine
- Water Oak
- Winged Elm
- Yaupon
Alan D. Dreesen
May 2000
