Key Points
Some flowers, like hydrangeas and roses, need consistent watering to thrive and avoid stress in hot weather.
Forgetting to water certain plants can cause wilting, dormancy, or even prevent blooms from returning.
Regular watering is crucial during dry spells to maintain healthy, vibrant gardens all summer long.
Summer is a time for travel, less structured days, and shorter to-do lists. But there’s one responsibility that should never fall off your radar this time of year: watering your garden during a dry spell.
While some flowers can bounce back after you forget to water them once or twice, others are much more unforgiving. Here, two landscaping experts chime in on which flowers are some of the least drought-tolerant. If you’re prone to forgetting to water your plants or you often skip town, you might want to avoid these.
Meet the Experts
Ward Dilmore is the founder of Petrus Landscaping, a luxury estate landscaping company.
James Syrett is the managing director of Byrga Geniht Ltd., a British heritage consultancy business, where he oversees garden design. He is a former lecturer in horticulture and earned a Bachelor of Arts in horticulture from Cambridge.
Hostas
Credit: Catherine McQueen / Getty Images
Thanks to their large, eye-catching leaves and bell-shaped blooms, hostas (Hosta spp.) are a beloved landscaping plant. They can tolerate shade or sun, but according to British garden consultant James Syrett, the more sun you give them, the more water they will need.
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“Their fleshy rhizome stores enough water to give them a backup, but every drought is throw of the dice,” Syrett says. “Varieties with blue-gray leaves are more drought-tolerant.”
Water: Keep the soil moist with deep watering
Hydrangeas
Credit: The Spruce / Claire Cohen Bates
According to landscaping expert Ward Dilmore, hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) and their stunning displays of large flowers can thrive in most climates. But when it gets hot, they will tend to wilt from the stress of the heat.
“They will need plenty of water in the growing season to continue blooming throughout the summer and to protect them from heat stress,” Dilmore says.
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Water: Keep the soil moist, yet well-drained, with regular watering
Coleus
Credit: The Spruce / Cori Sears
Coleus (Urtica dioica) is a shrub with stunning foliage that puts on a show even when it’s not blooming. But this plant is not one that you can neglect while you’re on vacation.
“If you cannot ask a neighbor to water them while you are away, do your best to prevent the damage with a good quality potting soil that holds water,” Syrett says.
Type: Perennial (although it’s grown as an annual in some regions)
Light: Partial to full shade
Water: Moist soil with regular watering
Begonias
Credit: The Spruce / Jayme Burrows
Dilmore can name off several annuals that aren’t drought-tolerant in general, and begonias (Begonia spp.) definitely make the list.
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“Annuals are usually native to tropical environments, which have plenty of humidity and moisture year-round,” he says. “This growing condition needs to be replicated for annual flowers to really thrive with watering being done every day, or in some cases, daily.”
Light: Partial to full shade
Water: Moist soil, well-drained soil with regular watering at the base of the plant
Roses
Credit: The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Don’t let their popularity fool you. Dilmore says roses (Rosa spp.) are a pretty high-maintenance plant overall. While a rose bush likely won’t die completely if you forget to water it once, it may drop leaves, quit blooming, and go dormant.
“They require lots of nutrients and plenty of moisture throughout the growing season to bloom,” Dilmore says. “They will require daily watering in some warmer climates and will need plenty of organic matter and fertilizer in their soil.”
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Water: Water deeply, twice a week
Pansies
Credit: The Spruce / Kara Riley
Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) make for stunning annuals, but Dilmore says not to expect their blooms to fare well during a drought or when the temperatures rise in the summer. However, it’s worth it to keep watering them even after they go dormant, because they will put on a second show for you in the fall.
Water: Well-drained soil, with frequent watering during the blooming season
Japanese Anemone
Credit: The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Japanese anemone (Eriocapitella x hybrida) puts on a show in the garden towards the end of summer with showy, disc-like flowers at the top of wiry stems.
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“They are the first things in my border to wilt when the weather gets dry,” Syrett says. “I fight the drought by adding plenty of organic matter to the soil to hold water, as well as a mulch of wood chips to reduce evaporation.”
Light: Full sun, partial shade
Water: Moist, well-drained soil with extra water during drought
Impatiens
Credit: The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) add a bright pop of color to shady garden beds, but it’s important to remember to water them before the soil gets dry if you really want to keep enjoying these flowers all throughout the growing season. Otherwise, you’ll end up with both wilted flowers and foliage.
Water: Moist, well-drained soil with regular watering
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