Texas summers are notoriously hot, with temperatures frequently exceeding 100°F. The intense heat and sunlight can be challenging for many flowering plants. However, some varieties actually thrive under these conditions and will reward Texas gardeners with vivid, abundant blooms all season long.
When selecting the best flowers for Texas summers, focus on varieties that can withstand full sun, heat, drought, and humidity without fading or wilting. Consider native and tropical plants that evolved in similar environments. With proper care, the following flowers are sure to dazzle in Texas gardens June through September.
1. Pentas
Pentas produce dense clusters of star-shaped blooms in shades of red, pink, white, and lavender. Their nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Pentas are heat and drought tolerant once established. They flower best in full sun with moderate water. Provide well-draining soil as constant moisture can cause root rot. Pentas can grow up to 3 feet tall and have a similar spread. They work beautifully in beds and containers.
2. Zinnias
Few flowers can match the performance of zinnias in the Texas heat. Their daisy-like blooms come in a rainbow of colors including red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, white, and even green. There are many types to choose from, ranging from 6 inches to over 3 feet tall. Zinnias thrive on neglect – just give them full sun and well-drained soil. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new flowers. Their versatility and drought tolerance make them ideal for beds, borders, and containers.
3. Lantana
Lantana is an excellent choice for adding color to Texas gardens all summer It produces a nonstop display of small, verbena-like blooms in combinations of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Lantana is rugged and unfazed by heat, drought, humidity, and poor soil. Butterflies flock to its flowers For the best performance, plant lantana in full sun. It can grow up to 18 inches tall andspread several feet wide. Use in borders or trailing over walls and containers.
4. Globe Amaranth
Also known as gomphrena, globe amaranth has clover-like blooms that retain their color and shape when dried. The flowers come in purple pink, orange, red white, and yellow. Globe amaranth thrives in hot, sunny exposures. It delivers continuous color through summer and into fall. The plant grows 12-18 inches tall with a similar spread. Its compact shape lends well to beds and containers. Pinch back stems to promote bushiness.
5. Sunflowers
Towering sunflowers with their sunny yellow petals are iconic Texas summer blooms. They grow exceptionally tall, up to 10 feet for some giant varieties! Dwarf and mid-sized types max out around 5 feet, working better for smaller spaces. Sunflowers love heat and full sun. Give them room to spread. Use the back of beds and borders. Their seed-filled centers attract birds in late summer.
6. Purslane
Purslane produces carpets of succulent foliage studded with satiny cup-shaped flowers in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow, and white. Their fleshy leaves help purslane thrive in heat and humidity. This trailing annual grows just 4-6 inches tall but spreads 2 feet wide, working beautifully as a colorful groundcover. Its low profile also suits containers and hanging baskets. Purslane flourishes in full sun with average moisture.
7. Salvia
Salvias produce spires of tubular flowers loved by hummingbirds and butterflies. The red varieties are most popular, but they also come in pink, white, purple, and blue. Salvia provides vibrant color over an exceptionally long bloom period extending from spring into fall. Their nectar-rich blooms attract pollinators during the hot months when other flowers fade. Salvias thrive in full sun and tolerate heat, humidity, and lean soil.
8. Celosia
Sometimes called cockscomb, celosia bears large, plumed blooms in bright colors like red, orange, pink, yellow, and purple. The striking texture of its crested flower heads adds unique interest to gardens. Celosia is trouble-free in the Texas heat, unfazed by soaring temperatures. It grows 1-3 feet tall depending on variety. Use celosia in beds and along borders or as thriller plants in containers. It loves full sun and consistently moist soil.
9. Marigold
Marigolds are timeless, beloved flowers that have graced Texas gardens for generations. Their flower colors include yellow, gold, orange, red, and combinations. Marigolds bloom abundantly spring through fall, especially when deadheaded. They tolerate almost any condition – full sun, high heat, humidity, drought, and poor soils. Plant marigolds in beds and borders or mix with other containers. Marigolds repel some garden pests too.
10. Vinca
Vinca, also known as periwinkle, produces mounds of glossy foliage covered in starry pinwheel blooms. Flower colors include white, pink, red, and purple. A vinca variety named Cora is bred to withstand Texas summers. It resists drought, heat up to 115°F, and humidity. Vinca spreads 14-20 inches tall and wide. Use it as a colorful, carefree groundcover or trailing over walls and containers. Vinca thrives in full sun to part shade with average water needs.
Tips for Growing Flowers Successfully in the Texas Summer Heat
Texas summers present some unique challenges for gardens. Use these tips to help your flowers thrive in the intense heat and sun:
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Plant in well-draining soil to prevent soggy roots. Incorporate compost or other organic matter to improve drainage.
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Mulch flower beds and containers to retain soil moisture longer. 2-3 inches of organic mulch like bark or pine straw works great.
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Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth. About 1-2 inches per week is sufficient for most plants.
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Provide afternoon shade if possible – a trellis canopy, or strategically placed plants helps prevent wilting.
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Use containers with light-colored glazes to help moderate soil temperature and reduce water loss.
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Fertilize throughout the growing season to support flowering and health. Apply products designed for blooming plants.
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Remove spent blooms and dead leaves often to maintain a tidy appearance and promote new growth.
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Monitor for pests like aphids and caterpillars which can thrive in summer’s heat and humidity. Take action early to avoid major damage.
Excellent Flowering Plants for Specific Situations in Texas Gardens
When selecting flowers, also consider their ideal site conditions and growth habits. Here are great varieties tailored to specific landscape situations in Texas:
For Beds and Borders
Zinnias, cosmos, coneflowers, salvia, marigolds, celosia, globe amaranth, gaillardia
For Container Gardens
Pentas, vinca, petunias, lantana, purslane, million bells, geraniums, trailing lobelia
For Attracting Pollinators
Lantana, zinnias, pentas, globe amaranth, salvias, cosmos, gaillardia, sunflowers
Under Trees/Part Shade
Impatiens, coleus, torenia, begonias, caladiums, lobelia, impatiens
Spilling over Walls
Sweet potato vine, trailing lantana, ivy geraniums, lobelia, purslane, creeping Jenny
Heat and Drought Tolerant
Lantana, zinnias, yarrow, gaillardia, salvia, sedum, purslane, succulents
For Cutting Gardens
Zinnias, sunflowers, amaranth, celosia, snapdragons, dahlias, cosmos, marigolds
Design Inspiration for Summer Flower Gardens in Texas
Texas summers call for gorgeous gardens that can stand up to the intense conditions. When planning out your landscape, incorporate heat-loving flowers in creative ways:
Mass bold swaths of color – For dramatic impact, plant sweeping drifts of one flower variety like towers of orange zinnias or waves of purple salvia.
Mix it up – Blend compatible colors and shapes to make vibrant, textured flower beds. For example, combine red celosia, yellow marigolds, and upright blue salvia.
Create flower borders – Line walks and fences with low-growing flowering annuals like purslane or sweet alyssum for vivid summer color.
Use bold containers – Make a statement by filling giant pots, urns, and window boxes with trailing flowers and thriller plants. Go big and go bright!
Attract pollinators – Dedicate areas like borders or containers to pollinator-friendly flowers such as pentas, lantana, zinnias, and salvias.
Add night lighting – Extend enjoyment into the evenings by illuminating flowering trees, accent containers, or beds with outdoor lighting.
With a bit of creativity and the right plant choices, you can have a gorgeous flower garden that thrives through the Texas summer heat. The vivid colors and textures will make for an eye-catching landscape everyone can enjoy.
The Best Heat Tolerant Plants for Texas (And How to Help Them Thrive)
To say that our trees, shrubs, and flowers need to hold up under intense heat is an understatement. If you’re not careful, you can choose plants that will die quickly in our hot, dry climate. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best heat-tolerant plants for Texas.
We’ve been landscaping in and around Dallas/Fort Worth for decades, so we know how different plants do during the different seasons. The weather is getting cooler, and winter is coming, but it’s still not too early to start thinking about what you’ll plant in the spring.
Around here, we’re never too far away from hot days. So here are some plants that can take whatever Texas throws at them and still keep looking good!.
All plants need three things to thrive: sunlight, air, and water. Unfortunately, too much of any of those can cause problems.
- Too much water…they can drown.
- Too much air…they can blow away.
- Too much sun…they can cook.
We enjoy abundant sunlight here In Texas. This is one of the many great things about living here, but it also means there is plenty of heat. If you want a landscape that looks good even during the hottest summer days, you should only plant things that do well in our harsh growing conditions.
However, before we start, please keep in mind that no plant can be sure to survive if things get too bad. In 2020, Texas had record-breaking high temperatures in the summer and freezing low temperatures in the winter. Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, nature wins in the end and your plants don’t make it.
Regardless of what shrubs and flowers you select, here are a few key rules to keep in mind:
- Put the right plant in the right place. Pay close attention to the tags and look for plants that can handle 6 to 10 hours of direct sunlight with little to no watering. Watch out for tags that say “low water” and “heat tolerant.” “These choices will be much less stressed by our summer weather than less hardy plants
- Don’t give up when they look weak. When it gets hot, even the toughest plants and flowers can start to look sad. To save energy during the hottest parts of the season, they often go into a protective mode that’s like hibernation. If this happens, they might not bloom anymore, and the leaves might curl or shrink. If that happens, don’t get rid of the plant right away because you think it’s dying. Keep it watered and fertilized (but don’t overdo it). Then keep an eye on it all summer to see if it starts to grow again when the weather gets cooler.
Now let’s take a look specifically at shrubs and flowers. You can bring these lists with you to your next meeting with a landscape designer or to the nursery near you.
Here is a list of heat resistant or tolerant shrubs as recommended by the Texas Superstar program of Texas AgriLife Research:
- Blue Angel™ Althea
- Lynn’s Legacy Cenizo
- Belinda’s Dream Rose
- Grandma’s Yellow Rose
- KNOCK OUT® Rose
- ‘Marie Daly’ Rose
- Rock Rose
- Texas Lilac Vitex
Next, here is a list of solid choices for heat-resistant flowers:
This list is divided into two categories: perennials and annuals. Every year, perennial flowers come back, or if the conditions are right, they keep growing. This makes them easy to grow. Annuals only last for one season, so they need to be planted year after year. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, so we’ll cover those as we go along. Here are the flowers that seem to do best in hot Texas weather.
- Plants that can handle high temperatures include lantana, aloe, black-eyed Susan, butterfly bush, columbine, Texas gold, cone flower, goldstrum rudbeckia, hibiscus (varieties include Flare, Lord Baltimore, Texas Star, and Moy Grande), mealycup sage, pink muhly grass, purple fountain grass, verbena – blue princess, and yucca.
- Begonia, Caladium, Coleus, Impatiens, Sunpatiens, and Lantana are all annual plants that can handle the heat in Texas. However, in northern Texas, the winter temperatures may be too low for these plants to survive. In planting zones 6 and 7 MarigoldPetuniaSalvia – varieties: Henry Duelberg, Mystic Spires BlueZinnia.
Top 5 Texas Plants for Drought-Tolerant Gardening | Cody’s Craft Corner
FAQ
What plants thrive in Texas weather?
When to plant summer flowers in Texas?
What flowers grow best in Texas?
Some of the best flowers for Texas summer include zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers, which thrive in full sun and can handle the heat. For more heat-tolerant options, consider planting lantana, black-eyed susans, or salvia. These plants not only survive but also bloom beautifully in the hot Texas climate.
What flowers can withstand Texas heat?
There are plenty of heat-tolerant flowers and plants that can withstand the Texas heat and add color to your outdoor space. Some of the best flowers for Texas summer include zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers, which thrive in full sun and can handle the heat. For more heat-tolerant options, consider planting lantana, black-eyed susans, or salvia.
How do I choose the best flowers for Texas heat?
For more heat-tolerant options, consider planting lantana, black-eyed susans, or salvia. These plants not only survive but also bloom beautifully in the hot Texas climate. By choosing the best flowers for Texas heat, you can create a vibrant garden full of summer flowers that will thrive throughout the season.
Are there native flowers in Texas?
Thankfully, there are hundreds of native Texas flowers that thrive in the state. These wildflowers are adapted to the Texan landscape and climate, where they thrive in almost constant sunshine and warmth. This article is an identification guide to some of the most popular Texas native plants.
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