Drought Tolerant Plants

In the Algarve, summer is dry and hot; winter is wet (some of the time) and warm. In this climate we are accustomed to seeing the usual varieties such as olive, carob, almond, fig, citrus. These are great choices and can be very productive, however many other trees can be drought tolerant, if treated to the right conditions for the first years of their lives.

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 doing their plant things—like growing and making seeds—even when water is scarce. But, if the drought goes on too long or gets too intense, these plants might struggle.

Drought Resistant Plants have more tricks up their sleeves. 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 for places where it's hard to predict when the next rain will come. Drought-resistant plants, with their variety of strategies, are more likely to not just survive but thrive — grow well, reproduce, and stay healthy — during droughts.

Here are a few tips when looking to develop a drought tolerant garden:

Don’t be too severe!

Many drought tolerant plants can only become so after being established well. You should water the plants regularly after planting. If not, many of these drought tolerant plants will not survive. Generally between 2 or 3 years, you can progressively decrease the amount and or the frequency of watering.

Drought tolerant does not mean that the plant does not like water

Think of pomegranate trees (Punica granatum), they are very drought tolerant but will bear little fruit if you do not water them regularly at the right moment.

Know your microclimates

Notice which areas are more protected from the wind or sun by other trees, near bodies of water, houses or other structures. This may be an opportunity to plant something that is a little less drought tolerant, or for a drought tolerant tree to be happier and more productive! If you do not have any visible microclimates you may be able to create some by building a multipurpose composting wind break or similar. 

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 require less frequent but deeper watering, once every week or two weeks depending on your soil type. Think about how deep the roots are and how deep you would like them to go, don’t only water directly at the base of the tree but also a slightly wider circle as the tree ages. This will help the tree develop a stronger, more resilient root system, sometimes spreading far outside the tree canopy.

Quite a long list!

When we listed all the drought tolerant fruit trees at Pomar Dos Sabores, we discovered a surprising amount which you can see below in the table. 

Among others: ACCA SELLOWIANA, ALOE VERA, ARBUTUS UNEDO, ARGANIA SPINOSA, BUTIA CAPITATA, CARISSA MACROCARPA, CASIMIROA EDULIS, CEIBA PENTANDRA, CHRYSOPOGON ZIZANIOIDES, ELAEAGNUS UMBELLATA, EUGENIA UNIFLORA, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES, INGA EDULIS, MORINGA OLEIFERA, MUSA "Lep Chang Kut", PERESKIA ACULEATA, POUTERIA LUCUMA, PRUNUS DULCIS, PSIDIUM CATTLEIANUM, PSIDIUM GUAJAVA, PUNICA GRANATUM, SCHINUS MOLLE, SCHINUS TEREBINTHIFOLIUS, SYZYGIUM AUSTRALE, SYZYGIUM CUMINI, SYZYGIUM PANICULATUM, UGNI MOLINAE, ZANTHOXYLUM BEECHEYANUM, ZIZIPHUS JUJUBA, ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA

Here you can find detailed information about all the drought tolerant species in our database.

This article was compiled by Miguel COTTON & Jackson KNIGHTS. If you have any questions, suggestions or if you would like professional consultancy for your own project, do not hesitate to contact us. miguel@orchardofflavours.com