Drought-friendly plants becoming landscaping staple for homeowners

At Andy’s Landscape Service, lead estimator Sean Stewart has seen an uptick in clients looking to replace dead plants at their homes. Whether newly planted flowers or decade-old shrubs, this winter’s intense drought has left its mark.

Stewart, who has been in the landscaping business since 2000 and has worked at Andy’s at 3351 Morgan Drive for more than 10 years, said droughts don’t just cause plants to die due to lack of water. Droughts also make weakened plants more susceptible to disease and pest insects. 

With the early onset of warm temperatures, Stewart said it’s easy to tell which plants have survived enough to flourish again and which ones, even if they’re still alive, will likely need to be replaced.

“If they aren’t leafing out or flowering by now, they probably aren’t coming back,” Stewart said.

Yards are more likely to have fared well through the drought, as Stewart said grass can go dormant and come back. If a lawn has brown patches, he suggested mowing those areas close to the ground in late spring, to get rid of some of the old growth and make room for the new. In some cases, Stewart said other plants can be similarly trimmed back so the root system no longer has to support dead limbs or leaves.

“If you can take the old, damaged growth out of the equation, it allows the resources to work for the new growth,” Stewart said.

There are ways homeowners can make their landscaping more likely to survive a dry spell. Stewart said deep and proper watering techniques, including watering for a few long periods rather than several short intervals, can help a lawn or landscaping grow deeper, healthier roots. Adding a layer of mulch or pine straw will help soil trap moisture rather than evaporating, and Stewart suggested drip irrigation to reduce water being wasted.

Spring is also the right time to replant, as milder temperatures and more rainfall will help young plants grow proper root systems. Stewart suggested incorporating hardy, drought-resistant species into home landscaping to prevent similar plant loss in the future.

Drought-resistant species include ornamental grasses and trees such as crape myrtle, oak and maple. Some shrub options include loropetalum, yaupon holly, multi-season azaleas and knockout roses. Flowers that can withstand a drought include daylilies, black-eyed Susans, Shasta daisies and coneflowers.

However, drought’s side effects last long after rainfall returns. Stewart said when another major drought hit Birmingham in 2007, there was a higher-than-average number of plants continuing to die even a year later. Even if a plant survives the initial dry months, it can sometimes be left too weak to fully recover.

“You can see drought damage effects for months and years,” Stewart said. “If it isn’t fully vigorous, it’s probably worth replacing.”