Valerie Finnis has broader, silvery leaves and looks like Silver King, but doesn t spread quite so aggressively. Tangerine southernwood has deep green, ferny leaves and a wonderful fruity fragrance to its foliage. It grows 2-4 feet tall. All the previous plants need a sunny spot to do their best. If your dry areas are in shade, as happens here frequently, don t despair, there are plants for those conditions, too.
Coral bells tolerate quite dry areas and still seem to bloom.
The old-fashioned varieties have mounds of green leaves topped by sprays of tiny, pink or red flowers. Newer coral bells are grown more for their foliage and have purple or silvery leaves, but less showy, white flowers. Hostas also tolerate a surprising amount of drought. These are also grown primarily for their large, showy leaves, but have remarkably beautiful, lily-like, white or lavender flowers in summer. Sweet woodruff and lamium are two ground covers that seem to thrive in dry, shady conditions.