Heat-Tolerant Blooms: Flowers That Thrive in Warm Conditions
In warm climates, having heat-friendly flowers is essential for creating a vibrant and resilient garden. Here are some top choices for flowers that thrive in hot weather, USDA zones 10 and 11, and are suitable for those short on time.
- Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
This annual flower produces rose-like flowers in various colours, from summer to frost, on succulent, creeping stems. Thriving in dry, sandy soil, Moss Rose blooms when other plants struggle in the heat.
- Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)
A popular summer groundcover, Madagascar Periwinkle blooms nonstop in vibrant colours and thrives in hot, humid weather, but requires consistent moisture.
- Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)
Pentas blooms best in fertile soils in full sun to part shade, producing star-shaped clusters in red, white, pink, and lilac. A favourite of butterflies and hummingbirds, Pentas is a must-have for any garden.
- Cosmos
Cosmos, with varieties like Cosmos bipinnatus and Cosmos sulphureus, is an annual flower that blooms quickly from seed in various colours. These flowers thrive in heat, drought, and in well-drained, poor soils.
- Wax Begonia (Semperflorens-Cultorum Group)
Wax begonia blooms prolifically till frost in red, pink, or white flowers on thick-leaved, compact foliage. Performing well in sun or shade, Wax begonia is trouble-free and drought tolerant.
- Lantana (Lantana camara)
Lantana prefers full sun, heat, and can stand up to salt and occasional drought. However, due to its invasive nature, seek out sterile varieties like the Bloomify series, which don't produce seed or viable pollen.
- Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Garden phlox is a stalwart perennial garden flower, blooming from June till frost, and sporting pink, purple, lavender, or white flowers in compact spheres that attract pollinators. It is disease-resistant in humid areas.
- Zinnia (Zinnia species)
Zinnia grows quickly from seed in a variety of bright colours, types, and styles. These flowers are humidity-tolerant but require disease-resistant varieties to prevent powdery mildew.
- Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Butterfly milkweed is a hardy perennial wildflower native to the Eastern and Southern United States, blooming bright orange clusters of flowers off-and-on all summer, and serving as the only host plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars.
- Celosia (Celosia plumosa and Celosia cristata)
Celosia is an annual flower that blooms continuously from June to frost in plume-like flowerheads or cockscomb shapes in orange, red, purple, yellow, or pink, thriving in hot and humid weather.
Before planting heat-loving flowers, work plenty of compost into the planting bed. Incorporate a well-balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 in slow-release granules at planting time. These resilient flowers are not only easy to care for but also bring an array of colours and attract pollinators to your garden. Enjoy the beauty of your heat-friendly flower garden!
