11 Drought-Tolerant Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden This Summer

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Lettuce , brassicas , and many other cold atmospheric condition crops are athirst industrial plant that need even watering to develop well . But if you want to cut down on water thriftlessness and make your garden easier to keep during raging , dry summers , try spring up heat- and drouth - tolerant veggie instead . In the list below , you ’ll see 11 stout veggie that thrive in dry soil , plus water - saving backsheesh to make your garden more piddle springy .

1. Beans and Most Legumes

Black - eyed peas are famouslyheat - tolerant plantsthat thrive in warm southern gardens . Yet many agriculturist do n’t see that most warm - time of year legume , let in snap beans and perch beans , can get by with minimal piss — especially if you layer mulch beneath your plants and aggroup them around a shared trellis . Just keep in mind that nerveless - season legume , like fava edible bean andsnap peas , ordinarily do better with more moisture .

Best For : erect grow , sunny gardensOur good word : Rattlesnake Beans at Amazon for $ 4.94.Tolerant of red-hot conditions and drought , Rattlesnake pole beans grow fast - growing vines that elongate up 10 infantry foresightful , plus they produce more pods than most for frequent harvesting .

2. Zucchini, Squash, and Some Melons

Althoughzucchini , mash , and melons hold a lot of water , many of these cucurbits are actuallydrought - tolerant plantsthat bound back quickly after trance of teetotal weather . This resilience is due to cucurbit plants ’ recollective roots , which can get at water deep in the territory , as well as their large leaves that cast shade on the earth and slow down territory evaporation rate . For best results , choose drouth - tolerant varieties like Green - Striped Cushaw squash , Dark Star zucchini , or Iroquois cantaloupe and be sure to amend your soil with plenty of organic matter before planting .

Best For : gay gardens , full-bodied soilOur passport : Green Striped Cushaw Squash at Amazon for $ 6.29Sweet and meaty cushaw squash is perfect for pies and roasting , and the plant is surprisingly drouth - resistant .

3. Globe Artichokes

Perennial vegetablesare severely to come in by for gardeners in most growing zones . But earth artichoke plant can live wintertime in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and up and their drought tolerance and attractive , edible flush buds make them exceptionalplants for xeriscapingand edible landscape designs . What ’s more , these briery plants arenaturally cervid - insubordinate , yet highly attractive to pollinators .

Best For : Pollinator garden , edible landscapingOur Recommendation : Green Globe Artichoke at Amazon for $ 4.79Green Globe artichokes produce eatable buds for up to 5 years and they grow best in full sun and comparatively ironical stain .

4. Okra

Another staple works in southerly gardens , okracan handle intense sun and periods of modest drouth . However , as with the other plants on this list , new establish Abelmoschus esculentus needs to be water regularly ; only established plants can tolerate teetotal dirt . And do n’t forget : thebest clock time to water plants , disregardless of their water system pauperization , is in the cockcrow when drying up rates are slower and plants can engross more water .

Best For : Pollinator gardens , comestible landscapingOur Recommendation : Burgundy Okra at Amazon for $ 4.84Drought - kind and pollinator - friendly , Burgundy Hibiscus esculentus produces self-aggrandising , xanthous flowers before its edible pods soma .

5. Peppers

Most type of peppers can produce in hot weather and mostly dry ground , so they are among favoritedrought - tolerant crop . Plus , heating plant and water tension really bring out the smack of fiery hot chilies likejalapenos . On top of that , pepper plants are compact enough forcontainer grow , raised beds , or motley veggie garden , and surplusage peppers are ideal for freezing , canning , or desiccate .

Best For : Container gardens , food preservationOur Recommendation : Heirloom Jalapeno Peppers at Amazon for $ 4.85This diverseness matures in about 73 days . You screw cayenne pepper peppers have been water - stressed and are super - hot when they display striations or “ cork up ” on their pelt .

6. Armenian Cucumbers

One of the biggestdrawbacks of growing vegetablesis that hungry plant like cucumbers turn yellow and become blistering if they do n’t have enough weewee . But Armenian cucumbers can handle dry dirt than most other cucumber varieties , and they ’re a good solution if your garden is on the dry side . For another drought - kind selection , try the ever - popular Citrus limon cucumbers .

Best For : Vertical growing , rich soilOur passport : Armenian Pale Green Cucumber at Amazon for $ 5.99Unlike most cucumbers , burpless Armenian cucumbers do n’t turn acerb when they ’re water - stressed .

7. Swiss Chard

Most leafy greens bolt in hot weather . But Swiss chard can handle heating plant and teetotal ground like a champ . For a large harvest , trysuccession plantingSwiss chard seeds every few weeks and meld compost into your soil before planting .

well For : Container growing , succession plantingOur Recommendation : Rainbow Swiss Chard at Amazon for $ 4.94Drought - patient of and colorful , Rainbow Swiss chard produces plant life with a mix of yellow , Battle of Magenta , and green stalks .

8. Eggplants

Eggplants love hot weather and lots of Sunday and they can survive periods of dry soil . However , these plant are more productive when they ’re water well and plant in alimentary - rich seam . If you desire to increase harvest time yield while conserving piddle , look at installing a dribble irrigation arrangement beneath your plant life and add mint of mulch .

Best For : Sunny gardens , container growingOur Recommendation : Eggplant Seed Collection at Amazon for $ 9.99All eggplants can care some drought , so why not get this mix of pallid purple , dark purple , and white-hot eggplants .

9. Rhubarb

grow for their comestible stalks , rhubarb plant plant life are harvested in the first place than most other veggies , but the plants continue to tot up gloss to garden through farseeing , blistering summers . These perennial are naturally resistive to most pests , and established rhubarb plant plants store water in their root so they can tolerate long periods of drouth .

well For : eatable landscape gardening , early harvestsOur Recommendation : Victoria Rhubarb at Amazon for $ 5.99Heat- and dusty - tolerant , Victoria rhubarb is easy to develop and winter - hardy down to Zone 4 .

10. Heirloom Corn

angelical cornneeds regular tearing to produce well , but some types of corn can tolerate long periods of drought . If you require to toss H2O usage , try out heirloom varieties like Hopi Pink or Painted Mountain corn , and conceive fencing off your industrial plant or fellow traveller planting corn with prickly squash to keep blighter at true laurel .

well For : Larger gardens , germ savingOur Recommendation : Painted Mountain Corn at Amazon for $ 3.99Drought - insubordinate Painted Mountain corn whiskey can be grow for laurel wreath , ground into flour , or used for seed deliverance .

11. Jerusalem Artichokes

With their promising scandalmongering flower and long , slender stem , it ’s no marvel why Jerusalem artichokes are often used indrought - tolerant landscape gardening . These native flora are n’t just a treat for the eye , though . They produce edible and tasty tubers that can be eaten like white potato , and pollinator adore them .

Best For : Pollinator garden , native plant life gardensOur Recommendation : Jerusalem Artichoke Tubers at Amazon for $ 14.45Tolerant of sun or part specter , these resilient plants spring up perennially in Zones 2 and up , and they ’re tasty , too .

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

A gardener harvesting chili peppers, a drought-tolerant vegetable for home gardens.

Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/VigitalVision via Getty Images

We ’ll help you congeal up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a nurture layer , or an in - ground plot out back — and choose the correct plants for your soil and region .

Rattlesnake pole beans growing on a trellis in a home garden.