What is a garden plant/grass/flower that is drought resistant, has long roots, low maintenance, and spreads?

I'm looking for some type of plant, maybe a grass, which is drought resistant, so it really does not need to be watered. However, this plant or grass would have very long roots, so it would basically be a great plant for a rain garden. If it did get wet or rained on, the long roots would soak up the rain. In other words, this plant would not care if it rained or not (but it would like the rain.) And this plant also would not care one way or the other about sun or shade. This plant would be low maintenance (you plant it and it just does all the rest), perennial and would be fairly aggressive and spread on its own.

What is a garden plant/grass/flower that is drought resistant, has long roots, low maintenance, and spreads?
Go native. You just have to figure out which native plants love the area you want them in. Sow wildflowers.


Avoid ornamental grasses. Several are invasive.
Reply:Pampas Grass, you basically plant it and forget it, but you'll end up regretting you planted it if you ever decide to get rid of it.
Reply:Whew - that is quite an order! Much depends too on where you live. But Blue Dune Grass (scientific genus Elymus) would probably fill most of your order. Most grasses do not like shade too well, however. The non-poisonous sumacs like Rhus copallina and Rhus glabra are large shrubs that would fill most of your requirements. Many southeastern natives will fill 75-80% of your demands, but most will fall short on one or more of the qualifications you are requesting -for example Itea (a native shrub) will not tolerate long extended droughts, but does great in wet areas, and spreads by suckers. Yucca recurvifolia takes all the conditions you listed except it doesn't spread.
Reply:Buffalo grass is drought resistant. Wild flowers needs only the rain.
Reply:Kannickiniki, or manzenata but the do tend to get into places you don't want them to unless you keep them cut back
Reply:lirope, "monkey grass"
Reply:WEEDS DONT NEED ANY MAINTENACE


REMEMBER A WEED IS ONLY A FLOWER IN THE WRONG PLACE
Reply:Use a Florida grass seed mix. It grows deep roots and you dont have to water much.