Drought Tolerant Edible Plants

In the Algarve, summer is dry and hot; winter is wet (some of the time) and warm. In this climate we are used to seeing the usual species: olive, carob, almond, fig, citrus. These are great choices and can be very productive. But many other fruit trees and edible plants can also become drought tolerant, if they are given the right conditions during the first years of their lives.

This page explains what "drought tolerant" means, gives four practical rules we apply at the garden, and lists all the drought tolerant edible species grown at Orchard of Flavours – Pomar dos Sabores, a botanical garden in Luz de Tavira, Algarve (USDA zone 10b, about 500 mm of rain per year, heavy calcareous clay soil, irrigated with dam water of very low conductivity and no lime).

There is a difference between ‘drought resistant’ and ‘drought tolerant’

Drought tolerant plants can handle dry periods by making smart use of limited water. They keep growing and producing seed even when water is scarce. But if the drought goes on too long or becomes too intense, these plants may struggle.

Drought resistant plants have more tricks. They can avoid running out of water, use the little water they get very efficiently, and bounce back quickly after a drought. This makes them better suited to places where it is hard to predict when the next rain will come. Drought resistant plants are more likely not just to survive but to grow well, reproduce and stay healthy during droughts.

Most of the species on this page are drought tolerant. A smaller number (carob, argan, jujube, prickly pear, chañar, saltbush) can fairly be called drought resistant.

Acca sellowiana or Feijoa tree at the Orchard of Flavours in the Algarve, Portugal
Ziziphus jujuba or jujube tree at the Orchard of Flavours in the Algarve, Portugal

Four rules for a drought tolerant garden

1 — Don’t be too severe

Many drought tolerant plants only become so once they are well established. Water them regularly after planting. If you don't, many of them will not survive their first summers. After two or three years, you can progressively reduce the amount and the frequency of watering.

2 — ‘Drought tolerant’ does not mean the plant does not like water

Think of the pomegranate (Punica granatum). It is very drought tolerant, but it will bear little fruit if you do not water it regularly at the right moment. The same is true of loquat, guava and feijoa: they survive on very little, but they fruit well only with some summer water.

3 — Know your microclimates

Notice which areas are protected from wind or sun by other trees, walls, buildings or water. These spots are an opportunity to plant something a little less drought tolerant, or to let a drought tolerant tree be happier and more productive. If you have no visible microclimates, you can create them, for example with a multipurpose windbreak of fast-growing nurse trees.

4 — When to water

Water young trees deeply about once a week, or as often as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Older trees need less frequent but deeper watering, once every one or two weeks depending on your soil. Think about how deep the roots are and how deep you want them to go. Do not water only at the base of the tree; widen the circle as the tree ages. This helps the tree build a stronger, more resilient root system, which can spread far beyond the canopy.

For irrigation techniques and water saving, see Irrigation and Water Saving. For what to do when water runs out, see the Drought Emergency Plan.

Arbutus unedo or strawberry tree at the Orchard of Flavours in the Algarve, Portugal
Casimiroa edulis or white sapote tree at the Orchard of Flavours in the Algarve, Portugal

Quite a long list

When we listed all the drought tolerant fruit trees and edible plants at Pomar dos Sabores, we found more than we expected. The list below is built from our living collection database. The drought tolerance rating of each species comes from the literature; the planting date and the irrigation each plant receives at the garden are our own records.

    • Almond (Prunus dulcis)

    • Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)

    • Fig (Ficus carica)

    • Olive (Olea europaea)

    • Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

    • Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba)

    • Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana)

    • Strawberry tree, medronheiro (Arbutus unedo)

    • Argan (Argania spinosa)

    • Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

    • Caper (Capparis spinosa var. inermis)

    • Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

    • Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)

    • Feijoa, pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana)

    • Common guava (Psidium guajava)

    • Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum)

    • Pitanga, Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora)

    • White sapote (Casimiroa edulis)

    • Lucuma (Pouteria lucuma)

    • Jamun, Java plum (Syzygium cumini)

    • Brush cherry (Syzygium australe)

    • Magenta cherry (Syzygium paniculatum)

    • Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

    • Jelly palm (Butia odorata, often sold as Butia capitata)

    • Chilean guava (Ugni molinae)

    • Chañar (Geoffroea decorticans)

    • Che, Chinese mulberry (Maclura tricuspidata)

    • Moringa (Moringa oleifera)

    • Ice cream bean (Inga edulis)

    • Banana 'Lep Chang Kut' (Musa sp.) — in a sheltered, mulched spot only

    • Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle)

    • Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolia)

    • Japanese pepper (Zanthoxylum beecheyanum)

    • Barbados gooseberry (Pereskia aculeata)

    • Saltbush, sea orache (Atriplex halimus)

    • Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)

    • Aloe (Aloe vera)

    • Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides)

Botanical garden observation: Some fast-growing subtropical fruit trees need surprisingly little extra water once established. Two examples from the garden, both on heavy calcareous clay:

  • An ice cream bean (Inga edulis) planted in August 2021 is now 6 metres tall and has fruited every year since its third summer. It receives 8 litres a day by drip, from May to September only. We never irrigate in winter.

  • A jamun (Syzygium cumini) planted in August 2020 is now 8 metres tall. It receives 12 litres a day from May to September, and nothing the rest of the year.

By comparison, a mature orange tree in a commercial Algarve orchard typically receives 60 to 100 litres a day in July, and a mature avocado 100 to 200 litres.

The full database

The table below shows every drought tolerant species and cultivar in our living collection, with family, origin, hardiness zone, mature height, pollination, edible parts and planting date.

Where to read the evidence

  • The Dry Orchard Experiment is the controlled version of this question: a plot of selected species irrigated for one or two summers only, then left to rainfall alone.

  • The Plant Cemetery records the species that did not make it, including those lost to drought. Failures are data too.

  • Individual Plant Guides give the water needs of each species in detail.

  • Our Living Collection describes the whole collection and how it is documented.

  • Once established (two to three summers of watering), carob, olive, fig, almond, jujube, argan, strawberry tree and prickly pear will grow on rainfall alone in most Algarve sites. They give a better crop with some summer water, but they do not need it to survive.

  • To survive, very little once established. To fruit well, yes: water regularly from flowering until the fruit is full size, usually May to August.

  • Two to three summers, deeply and about once a week. Then reduce progressively.

  • Some can. White sapote, guava, feijoa, jamun and natal plum all tolerate dry summers once established, as long as they have been given shelter and mulch in their first years.

  • A drought tolerant plant survives a dry period; a drought resistant plant keeps growing and producing through it. See the definitions at the top of this page.

Frequently asked questions on drought tolerant plants

Article written by Miguel COTTON, founder of the botanical garden. First published 2021, revised August 2026. If you have questions or suggestions, or would like consultancy for your own project, contact us: miguel@orchardofflavours.com