Spring blossoms are beautiful and entrancing, but living in the heart of Texas, it’s reasonable to want a garden with plants that are bright and thriving when the temperature is trying to wither everyone and everything. With a little knowledge and planning, you can mix some heat-tolerant plants into your garden to keep things vibrant throughout the long Texas summer. Here are the 10 best heat-tolerant plants for your Texas garden:
1. Marigold
This is pretty much the premier warm-weather flower. It’s beautiful and hearty. Marigolds are extremely easy to plant and grow, and they come in multiple color tones. If you’re just getting started, they’re among the most reliable summer blooms you can find. If all of that wasn’t enough, they’re also great for deterring pests. If you want to grow some fruits or vegetables in your garden, marigolds can help keep devastating bugs away.
2. Geranium
Another of the warm-weather classics, new hybrid geraniums are popping up in southern Texas and Arizona. They can handle dry weather and extreme heat. Anything that can bloom in a Phoenix summer is truly heat resistant. Still, your geraniums won’t mind if you give them a home that has some shade in the late afternoon and evening.
3. Begonia
Begonias aren’t quite the summer classic that marigolds and geraniums are — you have to be a little more careful with begonias. That’s because they come in several varieties, and some of those do not thrive in intense light. If you get the right begonias, though, they’ll bloom in peak summer and look great. Just be sure to keep up with their warm-weather thirst.
4. Stonecrop
If we’re going to talk about plants that do well with heat, succulents have to be on the list somewhere. Stonecrop is often thought of as one of the more decorative succulents. It looks particularly fetching in a rock garden, and it’s extra hearty in droughts and heatwaves.
5. Lantana
This is a plant that comes from tropical environments. That means it won’t do well in the desert, but in a humid summer, it can power through the very hottest weather around. It’s an annual and known for toughness. Once you get it to a little maturity, you can count on it enduring even if you have some rougher-than-normal seasons.
6. Sunstar
Commonly called the Egyptian star flower, this is a plant that can handle the heat. As the name implies, it comes from harsh desert conditions. The flowers are unique and beautiful, and they add an amazing touch to any summer garden. Plus, you don’t have to worry about intense sunlight or a hot season giving them any trouble.
7. Yellow Helianthus
This is a particularly sun-loving variety of sunflower, which is saying something. It was only a matter of time before this list made it to sunflowers, and yellow helianthus is the chief among them. The blossoms are bright and yellow deep into the summer months. They grow on a pretty bushy branch habit, so they can fill up a lot of space if you need them to. They’re one of the most adaptable plants to put in a summer garden.
8. Salvia
Salvia is another plant that is known for its hardiness. It’s Mediterranean in origin, and it loves full sun. Salvia doesn’t need much watering, and it comes in a ton of striking vivid flower colors. It can serve as the reliable heart of any garden.
9. Echinacea
This is a type of coneflower that thrives in late summer. In particular, it’s great for enriching the aesthetic of a garden as July wanes and the summer nears its end. The colors are rich with orange and yellow, and they can make late summer feel just as full of life and opportunity as the early months.
10. Pomegranate
Our last late bloomer is pomegranate. This is an amazing fruiting plant that has proven its mettle throughout history. It can thrive in a wide range of climates. The only thing that really hurts it is a lot of freezing temperatures, which isn’t much of a problem in Texas. Pomegranate will be one of the last things to bloom in the summer, helping you transition the seasons with good color and the promise of delicious fruit as you get into autumn.
If you want to explore all of your plant options, give us at Main Street Mowing a call. We can help you acquire the plants you want and help you get them growing and thriving. Your summer garden can be as inspiring as any spring blossom — helping you to make the most of the sunny season every single year.