List of drought resistant food crops

Here is a list compiled by the University of California. "The list is not exhaustive.... For additional possibilities, consult seed companies or nurseries that specialize in plants suitable for desert or dry climate areas."

Beans

Bush Beans

White Half Runner Snap

Butter Beans

Jackson Wonder Bush

Garbanzo Beans

Ceci

Lima Beans

Alabama Black-Eyed Butter
Carolina Sieva
Christmas
Fordhook 242 Bush
Henderson Bush
Jackson Wonder
Pima Orange
Willow Le

Pole Beans

Blue Coco
Garden of Eden Romano
Louisiana Purple Pod
McCaslan Snap
Rattlesnake
Selma Zesta
Selma Zebra

Tepary Beans

– need warm nights

Big Fields White
Black
Blue Speckled
Brown Speckled
Cocopah Brown
Colonia Morelos Speckled
Mitla Black
Pinacate
Sacaton Brown
Tohono O’odham White

Broccoli

Waltham 29 (when fall-planted)

Chard

– Almost all varieties listed in desert or dry climate catalogs

Corn

Anasazi Sweet
Daymon Morgan’s Kentucky
Butcher
Hopi Blue Flour
Hopi Pink
Painted Mountain Flour
Pinky Popcorn
Silver Queen Hybrid Sweet
Tennessee Red Cob

Cowpeas

(need warm nights)

Pink-Eye Purple-Hull

Cucumber

Armenian
Lemon

Eggplant

Listada de Gandia

Grains

Amaranth

Mayo
Red Stripe Leaf
Tampala

Barley

Ethiopian Hulless
Jet
Milan

Quinoa

– all varieties

Wheat

Hard Red Spring
Kamut
Vaughan Turkey
White Sonoran

Herbs

Basil – Mrs. Burns’ Lemon
Borage
Catnip
Chamomile, German
Chives
Hyssop
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mullein
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage (once it’s established)
Sweet Marjoram
Thyme

Melon

Iroquois
Navajo Yellow

Mustard

– uses less water than many other cultivated vegetables

Southern Giant Curled

Okra

– needs warm nights

Gold Coast
Hill Country Heirloom Red
Jing Orange

Pepper

Jupiter Red Bell
Ordoño

Squash

Cocozelle Zucchini
Costata Romanesco
Cushaw Green-Striped
Dark Star Zucchini
Iran
Jumbo Pink Banana
Lebanese Light Green

Sunflower

Skyscraper — edible seed

Tomato

Caro Rich Pearson Pineapple Stone Yellow Pear Cherry

Watermelon

Black Diamond

Onion

Walking Onion

Garlic

Creole (good for southern USA)
Asiatic
Turban
Chesnok Red
Siberian
Spanish Roja
California Early
Long Italian