Plants that survived London’s 2026 summer drough

On 28 June 2026, records began to tumble across London as the city entered an extraordinary dry spell. No rain fell from then until 5pm on 4 August — a total of 49 days — and even then, the rain was only brief.

At Capital Gardens, we have been observing established plants growing in gardens across London to see which ones not only survived this prolonged period of drought but continued to look presentable throughout the summer heat.

For us, established plants are particularly interesting. They have already experienced the changing conditions of a London garden, having withstood the vagaries of cool, wet winters before facing increasingly warm and dry summers.

We are building a list of plants that have demonstrated resilience through these contrasting seasons, with a particular focus on shrubs and other plants that can continue to provide interest later in the year. The list will continue to grow as we observe more plants and gather further information.

As our observations develop, we also want to explore why some plant genera appear to be more resilient than others. What characteristics help certain plants cope with prolonged dry conditions? Which plants continue to look good when water is scarce? And are there particular traits we should look for when choosing plants for increasingly challenging London gardens?

This is very much an evolving project, and we will be adding to the list as our own observations — and yours — continue.

We would be delighted to hear which plants have flourished in your garden, or caught your eye in other gardens and parks, during this hot summer. By pooling our experiences from across the capital, we hope to create a practical, tried-and-tested list for London gardeners: plants that can still look good in late summer after withstanding a prolonged spell of hot, dry weather.

It is also worth keeping an eye on the Royal Parks, where two exceptionally knowledgeable plantspeople, Matthew Pottage and Jack Aldridge, are putting their horticultural expertise to excellent effect. With a particular interest in widening the range of plants used and creating more sustainable, resilient landscapes, their work should be especially interesting to watch as London’s summers become hotter and drier.

The plants that have stood up to the heat

Here are some of the plants that particularly caught our attention this summer.

Summer-flowering shrubs

Lavender (Lavandula)

First on the list is lavender — although there are a few caveats.

Established plants, more than two years old, performed well without additional watering. They did, however, benefit from a summer trim to keep the foliage looking presentable. Cut them back to just above the current year’s growth, taking care not to cut hard into old wood.

Younger plants were a different story. They needed some watering simply to survive. This needs to be done carefully, however, as experienced Mediterranean gardeners warn that regular watering of lavender can contribute to fungal problems and may ultimately weaken plants that are better adapted to dry conditions.

Rather perversely, the plants left to fend for themselves may ultimately prove to be the strongest.

So where does that leave us? This summer, our younger plants had to be watered to keep them alive. We did so as sparingly as possible and hope it was a risk worth taking. Now we will have to watch and wait to see how they fare over the next two or three years.

Euphorbias

The euphorbias have generally survived remarkably well, although not all of them looked their best during the height of the summer heat.

The greyish foliage of Euphorbia characias and its cultivars stood up particularly well, while Euphorbia mellifera provided welcome greenery among a small desert of wilting neighbours.

Once the rain returned, the recovery of those euphorbias that had looked almost dead was remarkable. This was especially noticeable with Euphorbia robbiae, which flowers in early spring.

One of its great advantages in the garden is that it can be tucked behind other plants during summer, when its foliage is less important visually. It will also grow happily in deep shade in London, making it an exceptionally useful plant for difficult areas.

Roses

Roses earn their place on the list too.

By the end of June, before the heatwave really gathered pace, most had already done their thing and flowered beautifully. Later in the summer, their foliage held up surprisingly well.

Roses often look a little scruffier by late summer, but after such a generous display of flowers, we are inclined to forgive them. We will have to wait and see how they perform next summer, but for now, roses are most definitely in.

One rose we can particularly recommend is Rosa × odorata ‘Mutabilis’.

I can personally vouch for its toughness. This summer, a plant growing in a pot was accidentally missed during the watering routine and was left to dry out almost completely. It looked nearly finished, with shrivelled brown leaves, but once it was watered it quickly sent out fresh green growth.

By September, it looked none the worse for having been abandoned by me.

Salvia yangii — the former Perovskia atriplicifolia

One of the stars of this summer has been Russian sage — a Himalayan native rather charmingly disguised by its common name.

Now known botanically as Salvia yangii, although still widely referred to by its former name, Perovskia atriplicifolia, it was described by Beth Chatto Gardens’ great plantswoman Malin Andersson as one of the “wonders of the heatwave”.

It is easy to see why. The silvery foliage remained fresh and attractive, while the lavender-blue flower spikes continued to provide colour when many other herbaceous plants were beginning to flag.

It is precisely this combination of drought tolerance, long flowering and attractive foliage that makes Salvia yangii such an interesting plant for the changing London climate.

Agapanthus

Most herbaceous plants really suffered during the prolonged dry spell, but some managed to look surprisingly good.

Agapanthus stood up well, although there is a question mark over how well they will flower next year. They need to build up their strength during the growing season, and the lack of rain may have reduced the resources they were able to store.

The later summer rain will hopefully have given them enough of a boost to perform well next year.

Matthew Pottage particularly recommends Agapanthus ‘Ever Sapphire’ and ‘Ever White’, both of which are worth watching as we continue to assess their performance in London gardens.

Ginger lilies (Hedychium)

Another group becoming increasingly prominent in London gardens is the ginger lilies, or Hedychium.

Two of the hardier species are Hedychium densiflorum and Hedychium coccineum. Their exotic appearance makes them particularly attractive additions to late-summer planting, and they can bring a welcome sense of lushness to the garden.

They are also night-scented, although exactly how strongly scented they are is still something of a matter for debate!

They do need a sheltered position and benefit from plenty of mulch in autumn. In particularly cold weather, some additional protection with fleece — or even a simple blanket — can help protect them.

They may not be the first plants that spring to mind when thinking about drought-tolerant London planting, so it will be interesting to see how they perform over successive years.

Trees that have stood up to the drought

A quick mention, too, for some of the trees that have performed particularly well.

Olives have flourished, as might be expected given their Mediterranean origins, but two rather surprising ancient groups have also caught our attention: magnolias and ginkgos.

There is a particularly lovely line of ginkgos on the Great West Road, just north of Earl’s Court, and they appeared to take the prolonged dry weather in their stride.

Meanwhile, Magnolia grandiflora has remained almost completely unperturbed. Its dark green, glossy foliage has continued to shine whenever it catches the sun.

For such a large-leaved tree, its performance during an exceptionally dry summer is particularly striking.

What makes a plant drought resilient?

This is the question we would like to explore further as the project develops.

Drought tolerance is not simply a matter of choosing plants from hot countries. Some plants with Mediterranean origins perform exceptionally well, while others can struggle in London’s particular combination of summer drought and winter wet.

The plants that have caught our attention this year share a number of interesting characteristics: silvery or grey foliage, tough or leathery leaves, deep or extensive root systems, and an ability to slow down growth during periods of drought and recover quickly when rain returns.

But there are clearly exceptions, and that is what makes this such an interesting area to investigate.

We are particularly interested in plants that combine resilience with good garden performance. Surviving drought is one thing; continuing to look attractive through August and September is another.

An evolving list for London gardeners

Our observations are still very much a work in progress.

The extraordinary conditions of 2026 have given us an opportunity to see how established plants respond when a London summer begins to resemble the conditions traditionally associated with much warmer climates.

Some plants have surprised us. Others have behaved exactly as expected. And there are undoubtedly many more that we have yet to discover.

We would love to hear from you.

Which plants have flourished in your garden this summer? Which ones have surprised you? And which plants have you noticed looking particularly good in London’s parks, streets and gardens despite the lack of rain?

By pooling observations from across London, we hope to build a practical, tried-and-tested list of plants that can cope with the increasingly challenging conditions faced by London gardeners — plants that don’t simply survive a hot, dry summer, but still look good at the end of it.

This is only the beginning.