I've got Purple Wave Petunias by my mailbox -- I don't water them. Also pink showy primrose, butterfly weed, Eastern Silvery aster, and Rosemary.

Lantana and wave petunias.

Well, I lied. I did water my purple wave petunias this evening -- otherwise I don't think they would have made it until the next rain, or perhaps until tomorrow.

For 3 summers I did have wave petunias and I almost never watered them, but the weather wasn't as dry as current conditions.

Thanks for the info guys. Alicia, I hear you about the drought. I can't remember the last time it rained here. Hopefully we'll get some type of rain this weekend.

I did a google image search on the wave petunias that both of you recommend and I really like those.

Thanks so much for your posts.

Ice plant - delosperma - can get by with little water. It flowers in several colors.

Most of the herbs - such as rosemary - and anything that likes hot dry, or is a native, since they will have evolved to deal with typical conditions, are other possibilities.

Look on High Country Gardens, out of Santa Fe, for their xeriscaping choices - there are dozens. Some may not take the humidity, but a lot will.

Why not grow a Hyacinth Bean Vine on your mailbox? I did that last year and it was beautiful!

Nothing grows out by my mailbox except fire ants. I wouldn't even attempt to grow anything out there....it's a no-man's land of scorched earth. But my mother has a beautiful grouping of plants around her mailbox that do well in dry, full sun conditions.
She rarely waters that little bed but the plants still look great year 'round, not just in Spring/Summer.

Here is what she has:
Rosemary - the upright variety (Miss Jessup?? can't remember the exact name)
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Dusty Miller, which has nearly taken over but it's gorgeous.

HTH~
Renee

I think it's called "Clematis"? My sister bought my father one and it seemed to thrive in the summer NC heat and humidity last year. I think it was Clematis "Comtesse de Bouchaud" (if I did my research right). Beautiful trailing and wandering vine with big, lovely pink blossoms. Could be easily trained to wind up and around the mailbox post and even around the mailbox, as you saw fit.

Mandevilla on a small trellis based by iceplant and dusty miller or artemesia (if the area is enclosed). Tuck in a few purslane for brilliant daytime color.

Thanks everyone. I actually already have a deep purple clematis blooming beautifully on the mailbox already. I was looking for flowers around the mailbox. I guess I didn't say that did I? :-) Sorry.

I went to the nursery today with intent to get the waving petunias, but ended up with deep purple Serena Angelonia (taller flower) and in front of those, I'm putting yellow MiniFamous Safran Calibrachoa.

The colors look really good. If these die, then I'm off for the petunias.

Calibrachoa is much hardier and tolerates dryness between waterings than does petunias. Trouble with deep purple is it isn't visible as a color from driveby traffic. Purslane loves the sun and has brilliant color flowers visible from quite a distance. Low water consumption too.

If you want purple and indestructible, "Old Homestead" verbena is easy and tolerates alot of abuse and dryness. It will spread and spread from a tiny clump, gives you color from March til frost. Here in Charlotte NC, it will even come back next year if you leave the dieback over the winter and cut back in early Feb. We gave a few clumps to our brown thumb neighbors last year to put at the end of their drive...it has spread and is THRIVING...if they can't kill it, next to nothing can.

I have 3 varieties of sedum at my mailbox, none taller than 14 inches. Bees like them, but they are low enough that they aren't in the mailman's way.
The ones I chose bloom pink and some are a very light mauve, almost white. Then I tucked in the deep purple plant, Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea'on the eastern side of the post to shade it from the afternoon sun. That one plant needs water to get established, but it's worth it IMO. :oD

Ask your mail carrier if they are allergic to bees or if they mind if you plant around the mailbox before you plant. Some people are allergic and maybe be too afraid to put mail in your box if they see bees hanging around your mailbox, just a thought...
:) Fran

Yeah, that's why those tall floriferous vines don't tempt me. Bees, spiders, yuck

Laurabs, speaking of sedum, I have some good old Hens and Chicks variety that thrives on abuse, and that is flowering this year! It is a stalk that comes out with odd flowers(some people call them "roosters" :-D ) I have never had mine do that before , maybe because mine spread so much each year I usually divide the clumps every spring...but this year I left a few old ones. Maybe that did it...

I don't have any hens and chicks yet because once I start buying I'll go into overdrive with the varieties. I need to obtain them at those plant swaps! Won't that be fun! I'll have my sedums to trade too.

Yes, plant swaps sound like a good idea. They charge you like $4 for a single Hens & Chicks rosette at a nursery..at that rate I give away like $75 worth every spring to who ever I can find who wants some :-D I will have to look into plant swaps next year.

Creeping Phlox! It's very colorful, comes in pink, purple, magenta, can take lots of neglect, full sun, and spreads rapidly. Bees are definately an issue to consider. I built a large rectangle around my mailbox garden using stacked stone. In that and around it, I grow: Yarrow, Queen Anne's Lace, Verbena bonariensis, Malva zebrina, Dafodils, Rose Campion, various Daisies, various Cosmos, Cleome, Ice Plant, Blackeyed Susans, Roman Camomile, Allysum, Forget-me-nots, Daylilies, Joe Pye weed... and many others.