Summer is only a few days away, which means warmer weather is coming. Just like exposure to the sun can be too much for our skin, it can also be too much for certain plants. But don’t worry—the heat doesn’t have to prevent you from having a lush, colorful yard to enjoy while you’re outside this summer! There is a myriad of different plants and flowers that are heat resistant and can tolerate droughts.
Consider these:
Heat Tolerant Flowers
Different plants thrive in different temperatures. The optimal temperature ranges for germination vary, and some plants are more resistant to heat. So, one thing you can do for your yard this summer is plant flowers that like the heat.
You can ask your local gardening center about what flowers to choose, or you can use some of these ideas of popular flowers that prefer the sun and can be found in the Pacific Northwest:
- Avens — yellow, orange, red, or pink
- Bellflower — blue, purple, white, pink
- Bergenia — pink, red, white
- Black-Eyed Susans — yellow with black center
- Cardinal flower — bright red
- Dahlia — yellow, pink
- Gaura — pink
- Lupine — blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, white
- Marigolds — orange and yellow; some with highlights of red, gold, copper or brass
- Petunias — pink, purple, white, yellow
- Poppies — white, purple and any shade of red or pink in between
- Primrose — white, pink, yellow
- Rose Campion — pink
- Shasta Daisy — white with yellow center
- Wallflower (Erysimum) — blue, pink, yellow, red, orange, pink
Heat Tolerant Plants
Aside from the obvious choices like cacti and succulents, there are also many colorful and unique plants to consider that will thrive in warm or humid environments:
- Salvia (sages)
- Rockrose
- Aloe
- Artichoke
- Red-hot poker
- Native grasses
- Geraniums
- Lavender
- California wild lilac
For questions, advice, products, or landscaping services, call Green Acres Landscape Inc. at (503) 399-8066.