5 Drought Tolerant Trees

Written by Sarah Smith
on Jul 16, 2020

To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.

Reviewed by
H.R. Helm
on Oct 17, 2022

Short on water? Bad at sprinkling schedules? Just conserving carefully? Pick some plants that fit your landscape and require minimal resources. These five species of beautiful, drought tolerant trees might be the perfect match for your dry climate.

1. Needle Juniper

This species of tree does well as an ornamental or bonsai tree because it requires minimal water and minimal care. Needle Juniper trees are not demanding—quite the opposite. Even as young saplings, many needle junipers will grow just fine without supplemental water or nutrients.

2. Oregon Maple

The Oregon Maple is one of the larger species of maple tree, often reaching over 70 feet. Its brilliant dark hardwood is harvested widely for use as furniture and lumber.

3. American Elder

American Elder, more commonly known as Elderberry is a beautiful, drought tolerant tree which produces berries on an annual basis. Birds love it for its thick, sprawling foliage and bountiful food production. Be careful about the type of Elder you plant, especially if you have kids around—some varieties produce berries that can be poisonous to humans.

4. Water Oak

Water oak is a slender tree which grows extremely tall if it is allowed to complete its natural lifespan. It's characterized by its rounded crown which is symmetrical in shape—a true arbor beauty.

5. Siberian Spruce

This tree is native to Siberia and it is a mid-sized evergreen tree reaching heights up to sixty feet. It's commonly harvested commercially for lumber.