For gardens in areas with utmost climate conditions like scarce rainfall , blister sunlight , or swelter humidness , it can be challenge to find works that perform and flower reliably year after year .
But horticulture in difficult environments does n’t imply that you ca n’t enjoy a colorful garden every year !
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Photo by Gretchen Heber
You just have to narrow your focus to those plants that flourish in the specific conditions in your landscape painting .
To salve you some sentence , I ’ve compiled a list of some of the most pop plants that do admirably in harsh climate .
So if your hot , humid , or sunny garden is quick for showy salad days that recall each summertime , then let ’s get into 19 of the skillful unfolding perennials for spicy , sunny gardens !
Photo by Gretchen Heber
Here ’s a look at what ’s ahead :
Best Flowering Perennials for Hot Climates
1.Black - Eyed Susan
2.Blanket Flower
3.Bulbine
4.Canna
5.Coneflower
6.Cosmos
7.Crinum Lily
8.Dusty Miller
9.Euphorbia
10.Kangaroo Paws
11.Lantana
12.Lavender
13.Obedient Plant
14.Pavonia
15.Salvia
16.Strawflower
17.Trumpet Vine
18.Verbena
19.Yarrow
1. Black-Eyed Susan
Versatile and low maintenance , contraband - eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia hirta ) wait until the dog days of summer to shine , bearing turgid , daisy - similar flush of bright sunshine yellow with a dark phonograph recording midpoint .
More recent cultivars include shades of amber , brick , ointment , amber , and burnt orange .
A North American native wild flower get in meadow , knit , and prairies , opprobrious - eyed Susans lie with the hot temperatures that have other plants to blow over , add their radiant bloom to bed , borders , and containers pluscottage , cutting , and wildflower gardens .
The bloom are a ducky for bees and butterflies , and wintertime songbird visit for the seeds . flora grow up to 36 inch tall on erect , furcate halt and spread up to 24 in .
Hardy in geographical zone 4 to 9 .
‘ American Gold Rush ’ Black - Eyed Susan
‘ American Gold Rush ’ is an upright cultivar with uncompromising stems and an teemingness of favourable blooms .
‘ American Gold Rush ’ in one - Imperial gallon containers isavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Find ourguide to grow black - eyed Susans here .
2. Blanket Flower
Beautiful and tough , blanket flush ( Gaillardiaspp . ) brook passably , daisy - like blooms in quick shades of brick , burgundy , gold , maroon , mustard , orange , and yellow plus bicolors , with dingy , pincushion centers .
North American aboriginal , these stout and springy plant flush for hebdomad from other summer into descent , provide a steady reservoir of ambrosia for pollinator and winter seeds for foraging birds . Deadhead regularly to promote a steady bud exercise set .
warmth and drouth kind , cover bloom raise 12 to 24 inches tall and encompassing and give reliable colour to sundry bed , containers , island , and cutting , naturalize , or native plant gardens .
Hardy in zone 3 to 10 .
‘ Goblin ’ Blanket Flower
‘ Goblin ’ is a compact intercrossed cultivar that flower with undimmed red and yellow bicolored heyday in the first time of year after sow in . Plants top out at about 18 inches marvelous .
you’re able to find package of ‘ Goblin ’ seedsavailable at Botanical Interests .
turn back outour templet to growing blanket flowersto check more .
3. Bulbine
marvelous and lissom with fleshy , grasslike leaves , bulbine ( Bulbine frutescens ) is a South African succulent that bloom with an upright inflorescence , create delicate , star - shaped flowers in flabby apricot with cloud of frilly sensationalistic anthers in late springtime to other summer .
Bulbine is highly heat and drought kind and loves to bake in the sun , bring in it an attractive selection for mass planting in borders , drifts , and edging or city , courtyard , cottage , John Rock , and piddle - wise gardens .
Plants produce 12 to 24 inches marvellous and wide and are hardy in Zones 8 to 11 .
4. Canna
Canna ( Cannaspp . ) is an easygoing - guardianship , tropical classic , with colourful , paddle - like leafage and spike of showy horn - shape efflorescence in richly intense shades of orangish , peach , pinkish , salmon , scarlet , and yellow .
Flowering throughout summer and into fall , cannas uprise 24 to 72 inches magniloquent and are an idealistic choice for heat and humidity , but they need moist soil for the sporty execution .
Use them to add distinctive , colorful height as a specimen or mass in barriers , assorted bed , foundations , island , and in brook or pool margin plus water garden . Hardy in Zones 8 to 11 .
Dwarf Mix Canna
This Dwarf Mix collection is a colorful jazz band that ’s perfect for containers and borders likewise . These plants maturate up to 36 inches magniloquent .
you may come up parcel of five , 10 , and 25 bulbsavailable at Eden Brothers .
witness our canna growing scout here .
5. Coneflower
A popular North American native , purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea ) blossom on tumid single stems with mauve , lightly sag rays and outstanding , pincushion inwardness .
new hybrid are useable in shades of yellow green , orange , pink , and red , but the purple varieties perform best in areas with hot , vivid sunshine .
A favorite of pollinators and source - seeking birds , the cheery daisy - like peak form attractive , floriferous clump , growing 24 to 60 inch tall and spread out 18 to 24 in .
warmth loving and drouth tolerant , coneflower blooms in mid to late summer and make a long - lasting choice for mixed bed , containers , cutting and aboriginal plant gardens , plus meadows .
Hardy in Zones 3 to 9 .
‘ Primadona Deep Rose ’ Purple Coneflower
‘ Primadona Deep Rose ’ boast with child , double - petaled flowers held on stalwart stalking .
you could discover ‘ Primadona Deep Rose ’ plantsavailable at Burpee .
You canread more about growing coneflower here .
6. Cosmos
Indigenous to Mexico , cosmos ( Cosmos bipinnatus ) is a hardy summer performing artist with branched halt bearing delightful masses of colored ray floret from other summer into decline .
The magical , undefended blooms with a yellow magnetic disk nerve centre come in a wide range of hue including amber , Burgundy wine , mauve , orangish , several pinks , purple , white , and xanthous , attracting bees , birds , and butterflies .
plant grow 12 to 72 inches magniloquent with a spread head of 12 to 36 column inch , calculate on the cultivar .
Often grown as annuals , these wildflowers ego - source promptly and return class after year in hot region .
They thrive in red-hot , ironic circumstance and are simply deluxe when massed into bed , containers , impulsion , and cottage , cutting , or cultivate garden .
Cosmos are hardy in Zones 9 to 11 .
Sensation Mix Cosmos
The Sensation Mix is a salmagundi of pink , red , and white blooms .
you may find seeds in a miscellany of package sizesavailable at Eden Brothers .
Get more cosmos fuck - how here .
7. Crinum Lily
A aboriginal of the southerly US , crinum lilies ( Crinum americanum ) bear gorgeous clustering of fragrant , spidery bloom in shades of rose , pinkish , regal , and ashen that flower for weeks from spring through summer .
problematical and gloomy maintenance , crinums grow 24 inches tall and wide , flourishing in heating plant and humidness when given damp soil .
Purple Crinum Lily
They make a beautiful choice for bed , basis , and islands or in the moist fringes beside Creek and pond . Crinums are dauntless in zone 9 to 11 .
you may find regal crinum lilies usable in gallon - sized containersat Walmart .
8. Dusty Miller
Dusty miller ( Jacobaea maritima ) is most often grow for its decorative and heavily toothed or fine , lacy leaf in icy green topped with a woolly ice of ash gray .
Some gardener even trim out the flower scape to allow the leaf alone to shine .
But if you take color in dry , hot area , the branched stems grow clusters of tiny , strawflower - alike blooms , adding airy puffs of undimmed , sunshine yellow in midsummer .
They ’re not big and showy , but do have an eye - catching , natural collection .
Plants grow in the range of eight to 24 inch tall and wide , and have splendid drought and heat tolerance .
Dusty miller is outstanding in borderline , miscellaneous beds , and containers as well as rockeries and waterwise gardens – and the leafage is stellar for illuminating moon garden !
Hardy in Zones 8 to 11 .
‘ Silver Lace ’ Dusty Miller
‘ Silver Lace ’ is a extremely decorative cultivar with delicate , lace - similar foliage .
you’re able to come up seeds in packets of 100available at Burpee .
see to grow dusty Glenn Miller here .
9. Euphorbia
Tough and resilient , euphorbia ( Euphorbiaspp . ) species are popular for their uniquely colored foliation , including glaucus green , gold , maroon , plum , and orangey red and colourful blooms ( bract ) of hopeful yellowish green , coral , immature , rosy pink , white , or acid yellow .
Plants sizes deviate depending on the species and cultivar and range from eight to 72 inch , with most types in bloom from former spring to other summer .
They sport excellent warmth and drought allowance and the milky latex sap keeps pesky herbivores away .
Use genus Euphorbia to add typical colour to mixed bed , container , and naturalized or xeric gardens .
‘ Miner ’s Merlot ’ Euphorbia
‘ Miner ’s Merlot ’ is anE. amygdaloideshybrid that has fantastic wine-coloured ruby-red foliage with chartreuse bracts . It grows up to 24 inch tall and is suitable for polish in Zones 6 to 9 .
you’re able to find ‘ Miner ’s Merlot’available from Nature Hills Nursery .
Read our guide to growing euphorbia .
10. Kangaroo Paws
For hot , dry heat , kangaroo paws ( Anigozanthosspp . ) bear upright stems with clusters of tubular buds in hot shades of orange , carmine , and yellow , with a long flower period from late saltation to fall .
aboriginal to Australia , these highly drought tolerant plants grow six to 72 to inches tall and spread up to 48 in , making an attractive and effectual roadblock or mete , and in container , rockeries , and xeric gardens .
Hardy in zone 10 and 11 .
11. Lantana
A tropical gem that hails from Central and South America plus part of Africa , lantana ( Lantanaspp . ) is characterized by its attractive clusters of multi - hued florets , including shades of apricot , scarlet , coral , orangish , scarlet , pinkish , violet , livid , and yellow .
bad and long-lived , lantana forms handsome mounds , with the radical grow up to 60 inches foresightful and spreading up to 24 inch , and the nectar - rich rosiness absorb in bee , butterflies , and hummingbird .
These plant flourish in hot sun and dry conditions and make a rich choice for low barriers , container , ground covers , or any xeric setting .
Lantana is stout in Zones 7 to 11 .
Bandana ‘ Cherry ’ Lantana
‘ Cherry ’ is a cultivar in the Bandana ® series sport multicolored pinkish , empurpled , and yellow bloom . Cultivars in this series feature flowers that are prominent than the coinage plant .
you’re able to chance Bandana ® ‘ Cherry’available at Nature Hills Nursery .
Check outour lantana produce guide to instruct more .
12. Lavender
Beloved for their heavenly scent , lilac flora feature spikes of beautiful rose , pink , or purple florets that bloom in early to summer solstice , depending on the variety .
The low , shrubby plants are ideal for low-spirited roadblock , bed , and containers or in rockery and herbaceous plant or xeric gardens , with the sweet flowers draw a variety of good pollinating dirt ball .
In areas with red-hot , ironical rut , lavandin cultivars like those in the Phenomenal serial publication ( L.xintermedia ) give the best execution while the French ( L. dentata ) , Portuguese ( L. latifolia ) , and Spanish ( L. stoechas ) variety are well equip to wield humidness .
Phenomenal ‘ Niko ’ Lavender
Phenomenal ‘ Niko ’ is uncommitted in one - dry quart and one - gallon containersat Nature Hills Nursery .
‘ Lavish Purple ’ Spanish Lavender
And Spanish ‘ Lavish Purple ’ plants areavailable at Burpee .
For more suggestions , control outthe best lavenders for hot climates . Need growing advice ? find out ourguide to grow lavender here .
13. Obedient Plant
Another aboriginal plant life found throughout North America , obedient works ( Physostegia virginiana ) bears tall , terminal capitulum of cannular , snapdragon - like flush in pretty pastel shades of pale pinko , mauve , and creamy bloodless .
The buds capable from late summertime to mid - autumn and appeal birds , butterflies , and hummingbird .
These fast - spreading plants are highly versatile and low maintenance , allow blotto ground , wretched drain , and humidness .
Growing in the reach of 24 to 48 in tall and broad , obedient plants make a wakeless choice for recent colour in bungalow gardens , meadow , and creek , pool , or timber margins .
‘ bright ’ Obedient Plant
‘ graphic ’ has vibrant lavender blossom and tops out at about 24 inch tall .
you may find ‘ Vivid’available at Nature Hills .
14. Pavonia
A North American native , pavonia ( Pavonia lasiopetala ) produce masses of sweet and unsubdivided , bright pink hibiscus - like bloom from mid - spring through summer and into fall .
Each bloom last just a day , but bud are always being set for a continuous and long - last show .
A semi - woody bush that grow 24 to 48 inches marvelous and wide , selectively snip the stems throughout the grow season to keep plants compact and producing Modern buds .
Happy in intense sun and arid conditions , pavonia summate colorful ravisher to low barriers , introduction , planter , or any low water setting , and draw in bee and butterflies .
15. Salvia
extremely drouth and rut tolerant once established , salvia ( Salvia ) varieties hold multiple upright raceme of bell - shape or vasiform blooms in brilliant shades of gentle , mauve , pinkish , purple , carmine , bloodless , or yellow .
Another months - longsighted performer , salvia is native to Asia and the Americas , blossom from late springtime to fall and attracting a host of pollinators to bed , container , rock garden , plus bungalow , film editing , and naturalized gardens .
Common sage ( S. officinalis)is a popularSalviaspecies and is delightful in gravel , herb , and rock garden .
Hardy in Zones 9 to 11 , a extensive orbit of salvia cultivars extend a variety of characteristic for various configurations .
Some are good for hot , waterless conditions while others are well accommodate for heat and humidness .
Evolution Salvia
‘ Evolution ’ is a hybrid cultivar with abstruse royal flowers that works in heat , sun , and humidity .
It is available in one - congius potsat Nature Hills Nursery .
take more about grow salvia here .
16. Strawflower
A wild works indigenous to Australian grasslands , strawflower ( Xerochrysum bracteatum ) features daisy - corresponding efflorescence with multiple rows of stiff , papery petals in colors of orange , pink , purple , clean , and yellow with matching or counterpoint shopping center .
Growing 15 to 36 inches tall and spread up to 24 in , they have a longsighted blooming season of other summertime through to precipitate , extended byconsistent deadheading , and pull many types of pollinators .
cornflower make a brilliant plus to bed , borders , containers , and rock or naturalized garden and feature good heat and drought resistance once established .
Plants are hardy in Zones 8 to 11 , and are arise as annual elsewhere .
‘ Bright Rose ’ strawflower
‘ Bright Rose ’ feature hot pinkish petal surrounding a yellow center , for a colorful display .
you’re able to find ‘ Bright Rose ’ seeds in a salmagundi of packet sizesavailable via Eden Brothers .
Check outour strawflower growing guide !
17. Trumpet Vine
Native to the southeast US , trumpet vines or cornet creepers ( Campsis radicans ) are vigorous agriculturist covered in flared bugleweed - similar flowers during summer .
A favorite of hummingbird , these sun - screw vine are heating and drouth broad and can touch a ripe size of 25 to 40 feet foresightful with a spread of five to 10 feet .
For the best displays , they need a strong and sturdy support to grow on such as an pergola , fence , or trellis .
Trumpet Vine
Prune freely as needed to keep its rather aggressive growth habit in check . Hardy in Zones 4 to 9 .
Bare tooth root plant areavailable at Nature Hills .
18. Verbena
Garden verbena ( V.xhybrida ) refers to cultivars ofVerbenaspecies native to the Americas and have mounding , trailing , or just habits covered with clustering of starry florets in sumptuous shades of apricot , blue , mauve , mango , pink , red , white , and bicolors .
Freely flower from late spring through to fall , garden potpourri raise six to 18 inches tall and spread 12 to 30 inches .
And you ’ll advertize even more blossom if you cut them back a few inches every calendar month during the growing time of year .
Heat and gently drought tolerant once launch , they add prodigious , recollective go coloring material as ground covers or in beds , hang up baskets , patio planters , and window box . Hardy in geographical zone 8 to 11 .
Purple top verbena ( V. bonariensis ) is tall , with an airy , branching structure and delightful puff of purple florets on plants grow 48 inch tall .
A biennial that self - seed readily and has estimable drought leeway than garden multifariousness , purple top also has an impressively long inflorescence meter .
Purpletop Verbena
These rangy flora give reliable color to the back of seam and in hayfield , naturalized , or native plant gardens . Hardy in zone 7 to 11 .
you may find purpletop verbena seed in a smorgasbord of packet sizesavailable at Eden Brothers .
Ourguide to spring up verbenahas further details .
19. Yarrow
A common native plant in North American meadows and prairies , yarrow ( Achillea millefolium ) have lacy foliation and pretty corymb of small , starry florets .
specie plants have creamy white flower and newer cultivar characteristic hues of apricot , blush , cerise , coral , ruby , gold , mauve , regal , and yellow .
Yarrow has a longsighted blooming clock time of late springiness to early nightfall , with garden varieties arise in mound of 24 to 36 inches tall and 24 inch wide . Hardy in Zones 3 to 9 .
The branching , unsloped stems have a sweet , fragile appearance that masks its tough , resilient nature as yarrow plants well endure drought , intense heat , and lean dirt .
An idealistic choice for coloured blooms in barren , dry sphere as well as beds , margin , and containers .
Red Shades Yarrow
Red Shades features a mixture of cranberry , rose , and purplish flowers .
you’re able to find bare rootsavailable at Eden Brothers .
see more about milfoil here .
Bring on the Heat!
For areas with difficult climates such as want of rainfall , burn off sunshine , or embarrassing humidness , there ’s no penury to be divest of showy blooms that return every twelvemonth .
Our list of 19 flowering perennials for blistering , sunny garden has plants that thrive in growing extremes , include poor soil , baking sunlight , lack of piss , and muggy conditions .
Choose the varieties best become for your special surroundings and be indisputable to provide the maintenance they need to become build , then kick back and enjoy the show . You ’ll be amazed , and delighted , at just how tough some of these plant can be !
And formore flush to grow in your garden , delay out these guides next :
Photos by Gretchen Heber © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more contingent . Product photos via Botanical Interests , Burpee , Eden Brothers , and Nature Hills Nursery . Originally publish May 22 , 2018 by Gretchen Heber . Last updated February 7 , 2025 . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
