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Looking for an evergreen, drought tolerant perennial

FireFire Posts: 19,096
edited March 2021 in Problem solving
I'm looking for a small-ish perennial, maybe 16 inches or less. I'd like a drought tolerant evergreen with a long flowering season. I have a few ideas, but would like a few more. Not wanting small shrubs or quick flowering. Thanks.
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Posts

  • Papi JoPapi Jo Posts: 4,254
    Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’ spotted deadnettle
    Erigeron karvinskianus Mexican fleabane
    Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Rosyjane’ gaura 'Rosyjane'



  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Aranaria montana or lamb's ear plant or if you have less exposed conditions maybe Ajuga.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited March 2021
    Armeria - Sea Pinks
    Sisyrinchium striatum - jagged evergreen bluish foliage, succession of early summer primrose yellow flowers.
    Euphorbia seguieriana subsp. niciciana - hummock of fine glaucous foliage, typical euphorbia flowers in abundance all summer and autumn, fading over winter. Hoverfly magnet.
    Euphorbia myrsinites - interesting but can look a bit bare in the centre, octopus-like twisted stems. 
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    Dianthus (all the perennial types)

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Erigeron was the plan. They were doing well through the winter untill the snows came. Then they all died back and things in the bed have been bare since. It takes time for the greenery to regrow.

    Can anyone recommend a creeping/mat forming white dianthus? Would the greenery survive weeks of snow?
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    edited March 2021
    Like dianthus deltoides 'alba'? I have a shocking pink one of those. Love it. Grows nice and fast too. A 9cm pot quadrupled in size within a year and survived a more northern winter than London.
    Convulvus cneoreum/silvery bindweed is a drought tolerant evergreen I was thinking of. Mine has come through winter fine.
    Similarly my sciabiosa 'butterfly blue' is flowering now! Evergreen and will still be flowering later than other perrenials.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    delski said:
    Like dianthus deltoides 'alba'? I have a shocking pink one of those. Love it. Grows nice and fast too. A 9cm pot quadrupled in size within a year and survived a more northern winter than London.
    Convulvus cneoreum/silvery bindweed is a drought tolerant evergreen I was thinking of. Mine has come through winter fine.
    Similarly my sciabiosa 'butterfly blue' is flowering now! Evergreen and will still be flowering later than other perrenials.

    Thanks @Delski, I might give the dianthus a go. Is it pretty drought tolerant? Where it's going, it won't get a lot of watering. 

    I've never had any luck at all with scabiosa.

    Does anyone have an idea what this might be below? Some kind of alpine?



  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    It’s in my sunny border and I don’t remember it specifically for wilting due to lack of water. Worth a shot for a few quid. Shame about your scabiousa!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I might well give it a shot and see what happens.
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    @Fire  We are also in London, and find that Delosperma is evergreen and hardy.  We have 3 varieties.  Lavender Ice, Nubigenum and Cooperii.  They need little to no watering once established.  They grow well in gravel if you add some soil to the planting hole.  They look especially nice when trailing over the edge of a bed or pot.  They are dead easy to take cuttings from.  You just pull a bit off and shove it in the ground.  
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