Dry or xeric habitats are found all over the world. They occur from the sandhills and shale barrens of the Carolinas and Virginia to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America, across the oceans to Mediterranean Europe and North Africa, the Middle East into the dry mountains of the Caucasus and down to South Africa and Australia. Despite our rainfall and high humidity, many dry-land plants will thrive in the southeastern United States if grown in a well drained soil on raised berms.
Plant adaptations to xeric conditions may include silver or blue coloration to reflect light, thick waxy covering or pubescent leaves to reduce transpiration (water loss), high water storage capacity (succulent leaves and stems), and different photosynthetic pathways with high water use efficiencies. See how many continents and adaptation strategies you can find represented in this garden.