The 8 Flowers Most Likely to Die if You Forget to Water Them Once, Garden Pros Warn

Summer is a time for travel, less structured days, and shorter to-do lists. But there’s one responsibility that should never fall off your radar this time of year: watering your garden during a dry spell.

While some flowers can bounce back after you forget to water them once or twice, others are much more unforgiving. Here, two landscaping experts chime in on which flowers are some of the least drought-tolerant. If you’re prone to forgetting to water your plants or you often skip town, you might want to avoid these.

Hostas

Thanks to their large, eye-catching leaves and bell-shaped blooms, hostas (Hosta spp.) are a beloved landscaping plant. They can tolerate shade or sun, the more sun you give them, the more water they will need.

“Their fleshy rhizome stores enough water to give them a backup, but every drought is throw of the dice,”. “Varieties with blue-gray leaves are more drought-tolerant.”

• Type: Perennial
• Light: Partial, shade
• Water: Keep the soil moist with deep watering

Hydrangeas

According to landscaping expert Ward Dilmore, hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) and their stunning displays of large flowers can thrive in most climates. But when it gets hot, they will tend to wilt from the stress of the heat.

“They will need plenty of water in the growing season to continue blooming throughout the summer and to protect them from heat stress,”.

• Type: Perennial
• Light: Full, partial
• Water: Keep the soil moist, yet well-drained, with regular watering

Coleus

Coleus (Urtica dioica) is a shrub with stunning foliage that puts on a show even when it’s not blooming. But this plant is not one that you can neglect while you’re on vacation.

“If you cannot ask a neighbor to water them while you are away, do your best to prevent the damage with a good quality potting soil that holds water,”.

• Type: Perennial (although it’s grown as an annual in some regions)
• Light: Partial to full shade
• Water: Moist soil with regular watering

Begonias

Dilmore can name off several annuals that aren’t drought-tolerant in general, and begonias (Begonia spp.) definitely make the list.

“Annuals are usually native to tropical environments, which have plenty of humidity and moisture year-round,”. “This growing condition needs to be replicated for annual flowers to really thrive with watering being done every day, or in some cases, daily.”

• Type: Annual
• Light: Partial to full shade
• Water: Moist soil, well-drained soil with regular watering at the base of the plant

Roses

Don’t let their popularity fool you. Dilmore says roses (Rosa spp.) are a pretty high-maintenance plant overall. While a rose bush likely won’t die completely if you forget to water it once, it may drop leaves, quit blooming, and go dormant.

“They require lots of nutrients and plenty of moisture throughout the growing season to bloom,” . “They will require daily watering in some warmer climates and will need plenty of organic matter and fertilizer in their soil.”

• Type: Perennial
• Light: Full sun
• Water: Water deeply, twice a week

Pansies

Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) make for stunning annuals, but Dilmore says not to expect their blooms to fare well during a drought or when the temperatures rise in the summer. However, it’s worth it to keep watering them even after they go dormant, because they will put on a second show for you in the fall.

• Type: Annual
• Light: Full sun, partial
• Water: Well-drained soil, with frequent watering during the blooming season

Japanese Anemone

Japanese anemone (Eriocapitella x hybrida) puts on a show in the garden towards the end of summer with showy, disc-like flowers at the top of wiry stems.

“They are the first things in my border to wilt when the weather gets dry,”. “I fight the drought by adding plenty of organic matter to the soil to hold water, as well as a mulch of wood chips to reduce evaporation.”

• Type: Perennial
• Light: Full sun, partial shade
• Water: Moist, well-drained soil with extra water during drought

Impatiens

Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) add a bright pop of color to shady garden beds, but it’s important to remember to water them before the soil gets dry if you really want to keep enjoying these flowers all throughout the growing season. Otherwise, you’ll end up with both wilted flowers and foliage.

• Type: Perennial
• Light: Partial, shade
• Water: Moist, well-drained soil with regular watering