Plants for drought conditions and flood conditions

Some plants grow better in dry conditions and some grow better in wet conditions. We have just had the driest spring since records began and many plants have suffered. This page looks at some of the plants that could grow in yiour garden as our climate changes

Drought loving plants

Thift

This small plant is a coastal plant and therefore will survive in dry conditions but will also survive salty conditions. So if your house suffers salt invasion from the gritter it is for you. Its an ancient native species that attracts butterflies. 

Sea Poppy

This is also known as the yellow horned poppy and as with thrift it is a native species but it is on the endangered list therefore is protected. This plant is good and bad. good as it produces bright yellow flowers all summer but bad as it is toxic.

Sea Kale

This is an edible species that grows on poor soil. It was a delicacy in Victorian times. It is also known as scurvy grass as it used to be taken on ships to be eaten to prevent scurvy. It is 'halophytic', meaning it is tolerant to salt. It is an endangered species.

Sea Holly

This is a blue flowering skiy plant that grows on Fleetwood sand dunes. It flowers from April to Sept. ea holly is also known as Eryngo. In Elizabethan England, Colchester became famous for producing Eryngo sweets, made from the roots boiled and covered in sugar to cure colds. The plant was also thought to be an aphrodisiac. 17th century herbals contained recipes for people to make their own Eryngo treatments. 

Common Sea Lavender

This is a more beauiful plany than the lavender. Native to Great Britain and parts of South East and Northern Europe, common sea lavender is is a hardy perennial loved by pollinators including bees and butterflies. It has purple flowers, but despite its name, it is not related to lavender.