5 Plants That Will Survive Your Summer Vacation

Yewtopia Southern Living Plant Collection — Credit:
Mark Sandlin

Whether you're hitting the road to escape the summer heat or headed for the coast, you don't want to arrive back home to a garden that looks less than pleased to see you. This common summertime dilemma doesn’t discriminate between the green thumbs and those who would describe their gardening pursuits as otherwise. What’s a home gardener to do? Linda Vater, garden expert on behalf of Southern Living® Plant Collection has a few ideas, and they come in the form of hardy, drought-tolerant plants that are meant to thrive even with a little summertime neglect. Here she shares the plants that will survive your summer vacation so you can say bon voyage without looking back.

Linda Vater is a garden expert with the Southern Living® Plant Collection.

How to Prepare Your Plants Before You Leave

Even with the hardiest plants lining your garden beds, there are certain precautions you should take before hitting the road—starting with ensuring your plants are well established.

“That means planting at the right time of year (typically early spring or fall for woody shrubs), watering deeply and consistently in the first year after planting, and providing them with the right soil conditions to thrive long-term,” Vater explains. “A strong start sets the stage for resilience and better tolerance of low-water conditions later on.”

Once your departure date gets a little closer, start to monitor the weather conditions. Vater recommends making a plan for supplemental watering—either with a neighbor or hiring a service to handle the work—if your area will be seeing unusually dry or hot conditions. “Even the most drought-tolerant and tough plants can struggle when facing extreme weather conditions that push them to the limit, so keep an eye on the forecast to ensure that if unusual temperatures are on the horizon, you’ve got a plan.”

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Abelia

For a plant that’s evergreen in most parts of the South, abelia can’t be beat. “With beautiful variegated evergreen foliage in yellow, green, and white, this tough but beautiful foundation planting shines in all four seasons, and from summer through fall produces petite blooms that attract pollinators,” says Vater. The plant expert recommends Miss Lemon™ Abelia for a pick that is up for the heat and drought conditions that are prevalent throughout our region for much of the summer. This specific variety is also pest-, disease-, and deer-resistant. Plant in full sun to partial shade in USDA Zones 6a to 9b.

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Barberry

While there are over 400 varieties of Berberis vulgaris, Vater says ‘Orange Rocket’ Barberry is prized for its resistance to disease, pests, and deer. “The ultimate easy-care plant, ‘Orange Rocket’ offers a veritable rainbow of hues painted across its bright foliage. Its narrow and upright habit makes it perfect for adding color to tight spaces and container plantings.” As with most plants on this list, it will need to be well-established in order to thrive without care while you’re on vacation. Plant in USDA Zones 5 to 9.

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Dianella

This textural ornamental grass can add texture to your garden and still thrive when you hit the road this summer? We’ll take it. Coolvista™ Dianella gets Vater’s vote for its impressive tolerance to both heat and drought in USDA Zones 8 to 11. “The silver-blue hues of this gorgeous ornamental grass keep their cool even when summer temperatures soar,” she says. It gets bonus points for its periwinkle-colored blooms in the spring.

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Nandina

Nandina might be one of the easiest to grow plants on this list—so much so that it can become invasive if not kept in check. To benefit from the easy care of nandina, but without fear of it spreading to unwanted areas, Vater recommends Obsession™ Nandina, a non-invasive variety that requires minimal water once established. “Obsession is an incredibly hardy, sterile nandina that makes a colorful pick for border or foundation plantings with its brilliant red and green hues,” she says. It’s best suited for partial sun to shade in USDA Zones 6 to 10.

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Yew

“For a lush, water-wise, and shade-friendly option, Yewtopia delivers,” Vater exclaims. “Thriving in partial to full shade and requiring very little pruning, this emerald evergreen can tolerate drought and heat conditions like a pro once established, making it one less plant to sweat over when you’re on vacation.” Yewtopia® Plum Yew is an option for locations in need of a compact planting within USDA Zones 6 to 10. It’s height and width will max out around 3 to 4 feet when mature.