With summer's scorching temperatures peaking, it can be difficult to keep your garden lush and green with colorful blossoms. A hot summer can decimate a well-tended garden and dry conditions in summer heat is a difficult problem to conquer. However, that is probably just because you haven't planned ahead and planted florals that can stand the high heat of summer. But you can easily change that. Drought tolerant and heat-resistant plants are indispensable, especially to those living in the South across the country, from Georgia to California. Here are 12 plants that will look gorgeous in your garden even when rain fall is scarce and the heat is relentless.
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1. Black Eyed Susan
Add life to your back porch by potting some cheerful Black-Eyed Susans. Their unique shape that looks almost like a wilted sunflower is beautiful in its own right, and it can add character to any porch pot or flower arrangement. Not to mention, they thrive in the sunshine and hot weather.
Black-Eyed Susans prove that you don't have to sacrifice green leaves when picking late summer plants for your flower beds. Their yellow flowers add happiness to any garden all summer long.
2. Gerber Daisy
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Gerber daisies are a classic, drought-resistant plant that we love for their friendly appearance! Therefore, if you plant a few, you can introduce some summertime happiness into your garden with these heat-loving flowers.
Even Kathleen Kelly loves them!
In all seriousness, garden centers forever promote Gerber daisies as hardy and heat-resistant because they thrive in well-drained soil. While not ideal for rock gardens, they are perfect for large containers. They are also known for attracting pollinators!
Whether you're pining for pink, yellow, or blue flowers, Gerbers are your best bet. If you're not wild about the colors and want simpler white flowers, you can always find white Gerber daisy varieties.
3. Gaillardia 'Blanket Flower'
Gaillardia, also called Blanket Flower, is the perfect plant for the hot summer sun. They do best in full sun, rather than part shade. This lovely perennial is also known for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, so they'll bring beauty to your garden in many forms!
4. Hellebores
These flowers are foliage plants that are incredibly low maintenance for the beauty they provide. All you have to do is stick a few in the ground and you will be surprised at how easily they grow in the summertime heat, surviving from the late spring through the fall.
Their colorful blooms might even surprise you when you need it most. Their vaguely tropical look is what makes these flowering plants to popular.
5. Liatris
Liatris is a great choice for Southern gardens because it can take the scorching sun. Besides, adding some to your garden adds a strong vertical element that you can later cut off and add to your at-home bouquets.
6. Dusty Miller
Dusty Miller is a heather gray, velvety leaf that works as a contrasting background against brighter blooms. These heat-resistant plants also provide excellent ground cover for your garden when the sun can cause damage to plant roots fast, making them a smart landscaping choice.
Put some in your garden to make your colors pop as well as protect the ground from absorbing direct sunlight which can heat up plant roots.
7. Viburnum
Viburnum is an easy-to-grow, heat-tolerant plant that will perk up any garden. Plus, they look beautiful in a vase.
Consider this is one bloom you can plant indoors as a houseplant in a well-draining pot, or just bring cut flowers inside when you want a bright, good thing sitting at the center of your table.
8. Magnolia
Magnolia trees thrive in full sun and are renowned in the South for the shade they throw over the heat-strapped land. But besides providing relief to the weary, these trees also produce elegant blossoms that are heat-resistant and are emblematic of the region.
9. Agapanthus
Slim and regal, Agapanthus produce bell shaped clusters of flowers that top long, willowy stems. These showy flowers are great if you want to add some layers and height variety to your bouquets.
10. Lantana
Lantana loves the triple-digit heat. Not only that, but it requires little water and yet still blooms throughout the summer, even when planted in poor soil. With a wide variety of sizes and colors, you can plant these blooms throughout your garden without risking a monotonous landscape.
Lantana is perfect for hanging baskets, and they feature red flowers along with pink, orange, yellow and white for a colorful assortment of blooms.
Plus, lantana attracts the best garden feature around: butterflies.
11. Mealycup Sage
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Native to southern New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, these heat resistant plants are meant for harsh climates. With a color gradient ranging from deep violet to white, these densely flowered plants are a beautiful addition to any garden.
And just like other members of the sage family, mealycup sage, also called Salvia farinacea, is generally pest free and deer resistant.
12. Cacti
This is the obvious drought and heat-resistant plant. However, don't think that cacti are boring, spiny options for your garden. Far from it.
There are many varieties that offer colorful blooms that can be just as pretty as more conventional, non-succulent options.
This post was originally published on July 5, 2018.
