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Everyone wants a gorgeous garden, but no one wants to feel like they’re spending all their summer days constantly doing lawn upkeep. Just like our delicate blooms, we often crave relief from the sweltering heat, and the last thing we want to do is spend hours soaking plant beds under the beating summer sun.
On the hottest days of the year, flowers that can withstand the heat are a lifesaver, saving time, a little bit of money, and a whole lot of our mental energy, and they're not as rare as you might think. Many annuals and perennials alike can withstand hot temperatures and constant sun exposure. In fact, some adore hot weather.
Just know that their resilience isn’t an excuse to neglect your sprouts. New plants especially need time to acclimate and establish their roots with regular watering before you can leave them to their own devices. Plus, inconsistent watering can lead to wilting, stress, and a serious dampening of flower power.
So, when the temps start rising, it's important to make your rounds and check in on your pots, baskets, and beds. If you notice dry soil beneath the surface or gaps between soil and pot walls, your plant is parched. Pro tip: We recommend watering your plants in the early morning so they go into the day prepared to handle the heat. Read ahead for our favorite plants that can survive a summer heat wave.
Additional copy by Alyssa Khan.
Lantana
If you plant one flower that can take the heat, make it lantana. This shrubby, low-growing annual comes in a variety of gorgeous, deeply saturated colors such as hot pink, coral, and bright yellow. In warm climates, lantana may be perennial.
Canna Lily
This striking plant has big, flashy blooms and dramatic green, chocolate, striped, or burgundy foliage. This subtropical beauty is right at home in summer’s heat. Keep them blooming by watering two to three times a week during droughts. Canna lily is considered a perennial in warmer climates, but in cold regions (USDA zones 6 or colder), dig up the rhizomes in the fall after the first frost to save them for planting next spring.
Coneflower
Long-stemmed showy flowers in eye-popping colors make coneflower a must-have in any garden bed. Once established, they’re drought-tolerant. Pollinators love the flowers, while birds are attracted to the seedheads in winter.
Blanket Flower
These sun lovers come in an array of bright colors, ranging from yellow to red to orange to bicolor blooms. They’re most impressive when massed in planting beds, and they bloom all summer long. Pollinators also love these cheerful-looking perennials.
Dichondra
If you need a sturdy, trailing plant to contrast with other flowers in a mixed container, dichondra is an excellent choice. The silvery leaves look good throughout the heat of summer. It’s often grown as an annual but can be perennial in warm climates.
Catmint
Catmint is a perennial that thrives on neglect once established. With silvery-green foliage that deer and bunnies leave alone and spikes of purple flowers that last all summer long, catmint is a worthwhile addition to your heat-tolerant garden.
Pentas
Pentas blooms all summer long in shades of red, pink, and white. It works equally well in beds, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Plus, pollinators love this annual’s star-shaped flowers.
Read more: Annuals That Bloom All Summer Long
Caladium
Who needs blooms when you have the gorgeous foliage of caladium? This stunning tropical plant is grown for its large, flashy, heart-shaped leaves that come in shades of pink, green, and white. It thrives in heat and humidity in the shade, but some new varieties are more forgiving of some direct sunlight.
Fan Flower
The fan-shaped flowers of this plant keep coming all summer long. Its pretty white, purple, or pink flowers look amazing spilling out of window boxes, hanging baskets, or over the edges of planting beds. Native to Australia, this low-growing annual naturally can take the heat.
Sweet Potato Vine
This vigorous, vining plant fills containers in a hurry, with pretty heart-shaped leaves in lime green, burgundy, or variegated patterns. Give it a little afternoon shade in the hottest climates.
Salvia
Salvia’s spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers keep coming all summer long. It’s available in both perennial and annual varieties, but they both stand up to the heat and keep blooming.
Sedum
Sedum is an annual or perennial that comes in forms ranging from low-growing, ground cover types to more upright habits. Because it’s a succulent and stores water, it is drought and heat-tolerant. The flowers attract pollinators, too.
