27 Annuals and Perennials That Survive & Thrive in Intense Heat

May 5, 2020

A marvelous list of annual and perennial flowers that can handle the heat amongst the summer sun? Yes Please! Here are Heat tolerant plants that are low maintenance and bloom all summer long are ideal when it comes to having a garden.

These colorful flowers are able to blossom and grow under scorching sun and lots of light–like a south-facing flower bed in front of a house where everything seems to die. They are all durable in hot weather and look good anywhere, like your front yard. Check them out!

Really quick gardening disclaimer: I garden in zone 3b in Saskatchewan, Canada, and as such, my gardening advice is best suited to the Canadian Prairies. While I try to make my gardening tips applicable to as many locations as possible, it is impossible to be 100% relevant to every single zone in North America and beyond. Thanks for understanding!

Top Perennials

1. Sedums

Sedums are nearly indestructible perennial flowers, as they can fight heat, drought, and disease! Sedums are very low maintenance and essentially bullet-proof flowers that come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Sedums can bloom in summer or fall; however, I am partial to the Autumn Joy variety for late season blooming.

2. Coneflowers

Coneflowers are unbeatable native Saskatchewan perennials when it comes to hot weather, as they can give rise to single, double, or tripling flowers in the heated months. These perennials are bright and attract many butterflies and birds. They are easy to grow as they are both heat resistant and drought resistant.

3. Salvia

These sturdy and trouble-free perennial flowers can survive the heat and are drought-tolerant! They can grow up to 30” and come in an array in colours, including rosy pinks, deep lavenders, or bright blues. Their spiky flowered appearance are pollinator magnets, and succeed in part to full sun.

4. Daylily

Daylilies love to bathe in the direct, hot sun. And like the above perennials, daylilies are also drought-resistant. Their blooms appear early to midsummer and dividing clumps can get you more flowers every 2 to 3 years. The amount of color options on daylilies is almost infinite.

However, the widely found orange variety that is commonly known as a ditch lily (shown above), is one you probably want to avoid. Sure, it’s pretty, but it can easily overtake your flower bed and choke out other plants if you’re not willing to pull out the overgrowth every year.

P.S. Want to know which perennials you might regret planting? Check out this list for zone 2 and zone 3, and this list for warmer areas.

5. Peony

I am biased with this plant as I am infatuated with peonies! Peonies last for years and are able to survive the hot sunshine if a deep water is given throughout the summer. This plant is fantastic fo rising through the soil and blooming an abundance of bright blooms!

BONUS: Peonies are hardy to Zone 2! Here’s the beginners guide to planting and caring for these beauties.

6. Yarrow

Yarrow the perfect perennial for an area with high heat and poor soil. Once it’s established, it’s practically indestructible.

7. Coreopsis

This bright and cheery perennial can bloom all summer! Coreopsis laughs at hot and dry weather conditions and is an extremely reliable plant. This sturdy perennial produces an abundance of yellow, orange, pink, white, or red colored blooms. Use a well-drained soil for any type of Coreopsis.

8. Butterfly Weed

This Asclepius plant, known as Butterfly Weed, got its name from the many monarch butterflies that stop by. This perennial thrives as the temperature rises in the summer months, and are fantastic in flower arrangements.

As with any plant that has “weed” in the name, it can take over a flower bed, so be sure you plant it in an area that it’s okay if it takes over.

9. Bearded Iris

This uniquely named flower is an easy grow, and its blooms come in an unlimited number of colors. The Bearded Iris does extremely well in the sun for around 6 hours and is common front yard plant.

10. Liatris

This pretty perennial makes awesome cut-flowers for bouquets and calls out to many pollinators. Liatris is extremely hardy in hot weather and need full sunlight to bloom best. I like using liatris as a both a unique, medium sized perennial in the flower bed, and for a spiked cut flower in arrangements.

11. Penstemon

The Penstemon, or Beardtongue, is a hardy perennial that us very drought tolerant and survives the parching hot weather. It attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, so it’s commonly used near plants that are not self-pollinated.

Looking for more drought-tolerant perennials? Check out this list of 25 options.

12. Silvermound

Silvermound is super easy to grow and survives the hottest summer days. It keeps it’s clumped shape, but it can spread quite a bit. Use it as a nice silvery green counterpoint to all the colour in your garden.

13. Hens & Chicks

It’s hard to find a succulent that can survive prairie winters, but hens and chicks are a tried and true perennial that can survive both the -40 winter temps and the intense heat that often happens right beside the house, especially if it’s facing south.

Need more perennials in your life? (Obviously!) Here’s 20 easy to grow perennials for zone 3 gardeners.

Top Pereannuals*

*These are flowers that can either be gardened as perennials or annuals depending on certain species!

14. Gaillardias

Gaillardias, aka the Blanket Flower, loves hot and sunny spots. They come in a wide array of colors, ranging from hot pink to pale yellow. They can handle neglect and abandonment, so constant watering is not needed at all! They are awesome native plants that add an immense pop of colour in your front or backyard.

Use them as a border flower in your flowerbed.

15. Black Eyed Susan

This awesome-named flower has a daisy-like appearance and are very easy to grow. They are able to tolerate heat like a champion. They can grow to be around 2-3 feet tall, so I’d recommend this flower as a mid-sized plant.

16. Verbena

Verbena are heat loving and drought tolerant flowers that bloom from late spring to early fall. They are able to grow anywhere, from containers to ground cover. Deadheading late in the summer will allow for further blooming in the fall!

17. Dianthus

The dianthus is a very pleasing addition in a garden and accents a lot of other plants in the flower bed. They grow in both full sun or part shade and love warm weather. Just water regularly during dry spells.

Plan the Perfect Garden

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Top Annuals

18. Lantana

Lantanas are amazing annuals that like it scorching hot. Lantanas prefer moist, well-draining soil but can withstand drought conditions. This perennial is common around vegetable gardens that need pollination, as Lantanas are irresistible to butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds.

19. Zinnia

These heat-loving flowers bloom frequently and easily. Zinnias are a hot-climate plant, therefore thriving is the agonizing heat of summer days. They’re one of the easiest flowers to look after and come in a variety of colors!

Direct seed immediately after the last spring frost, or start indoors 2-4 weeks before.

20. Marigolds

Marigolds do best in full sun with plenty of air flow. They are able to work through dry conditions and repel a variety of unwanted pests. This pop of orange or yellow can withstand very hot summers. Marigolds come in short, medium, and tall heights, so pay attention to which one you’re buying when you purchase them.

21. Cosmos

If you want a taller flower with a nice texture that can beat the heat, Cosmos are the prime choice. They come in a great deal of different colours and grow very quickly! Cosmos are also one of the most versatile cut flowers you can grow, since they can be used for both their foliage and flowers.

22. Sunflower

Just like the name indicates, Sunflowers are devoted to the ball of fire in the sky. They can stand the heat and still grow extremely tall.

23. Amaranth

These ever-lasting flowers that can survive in various conditions, including intense summer heat. If you’re growing them as cut flowers, my favourites are Love Lies Bleeding (pictured) and Hot Biscuits.

24. Celosia

Celosia are very interesting and unique looking flowers, that come in both brain and spike varieties. These annuals can live happily in the heat and will always get a second glance from passersby at your garden.

25. Periwinkle

Periwinkles are one of the most heat tolerant annuals. They can survive in the heat and blooms all summer long. Periwinkles are awesome as a ground cover, because they can grow in both shade and sun.

26. Petunia

A staple of the container flower garden, petunias can be grown as border flowers in a flower bed too. You can find them in almost every imaginable colour (even black!!), so there will be something to work with the look you’re going for.

27. Portulaca

Portulaca reminds me a little bit of a cactus, and it’s one of my go-to solutions to adding colour to an extremely hot area. They are easily found in any garden centre and come in a wide array of colours.

Do you have a suggestion for a good heat tolerant flower? Let me know in the comments!

WANT TO CREATE A PERENNIAL GARDEN THAT CONSTANTLY BLOOMS FROM SPRING TO FALL, WITHOUT CONSTANT WORK? HERE’S HOW. . .

Everything you need to easily create your own perennial garden with constant blooms. You’ll get an easy to follow system, along with 5 templates and 5 done-for-you plans, plus fun bonuses.

LEARN MORE HERE!

Rachel Kay

53 Favourite Perennials to Plant in Zone 3

May 23, 2019

You asked for it and you got it: a list of the most-loved perennials for Zone 3. These perennials are the stars of the garden, blooming year after year and delighting their owners every time. Pick these winners up at your nearest garden centre, or ask a friend with a more established garden if you can dig up a few.

A huge thank you and shout out to the gardeners in the Gardening in Saskatchewan Facebook group! This post would not be possible without you. If you’re in Saskatchewan and not in this group already, you need to join. I’ve learned so much from the more experienced gardeners there who are so generous with their time and advice.

And finally, if you’re someone who prefers to watch a video, here’s a shorter video version of this post:

Best Cut Flowers

1. Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies come in every colour and combination and are easy to grow. Put them in a sunny spot and they’ll flourish year after year.

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots. She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden. She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

5 Things You Can Do this Fall to Save Money in the Garden next Spring

September 24, 2018

We’ve all been there. Promising ourselves that this is the year we will stay on budget in the garden centre. But $100 soon becomes $200 and then you realize that you need “just one more thing” and suddenly your best attempts at not spending too much quickly spiral into $500 on bedding plants and seeds in the blink of an eye.

So what’s a gardener to do?

Here’s 5 ways this Fall you can make a dent in your gardening budget next Spring.

Plant Heirlooms and Save the Seeds

The easiest way to save money in the garden is by saving seeds. Sure, you’ll have an initial investment, but after that your cost is essentially zero. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, lettuce, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers are all really easy vegetables to start with.

When you do buy your initial seeds, make sure you get heirloom, open pollinated varieties and not hybrids. If you plant a seed saved from a hybrid vegetable, you’ll get a plant that resembles one of the “parents” that went into making the hybrid, not the hybrid itself.

Not sure where to buy seeds? Here’s a list of Canadian companies, and one for the US.

Collect Seeds From Easy to Save Annuals

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to spend a fortune to make your front yard look amazing? Save seeds from marigolds, sunflowers, nasturtiums, zinnias, calendula, and more for an easy and cheap flower garden next year. Or plant them amongst your vegetable garden for some wonderful companion planting benefits.

Divide and Share Overgrown Perennials

More established gardeners are often happy to share perennials plants that have grown a bit too big for their intended space. The parent plant often ends up revived the next growing season and you end up with some free plants for your yard. Win!

Before you get too excited, you might want to read over this list of plants that can quickly turn into a nightmare in zone 2 and 3, and this one for all the warmer zones.

Favourite plant on the list? You can still plant it!! Just know that if you’re not willing or able to maintain it every year, you’ll quickly have an overgrown mess on your hands.

Take Cuttings of Annual Plants and Grow them Indoors Over Winter

For years my mother has taken cuttings of her favourite coleus and german ivy plants and grown them over the winter. Then, in Spring, she takes multiple cuttings from those indoor plants and has enough plants that she doesn’t need to buy them from the nursery. Although lets be real. . . a new variety or two always makes it’s way into the cart.

How do you take a cutting? It’s quite simple. Cut the plant so that it has a bit of a stem. Put the stem in water until it grows roots, usually in around a week. Transfer your newly rooted cuttings to a pot with dirt. Put them in a spot with adequate sunlight, water every few days, and repeat the process in spring.

Get Serious About Composting

Don’t throw away those kitchen scraps and old leaves! They are the perfect ingredients for making a nutrient-rich compost for your soil.

If you’ve never composted before, know that composting can be a bit of a waiting game (unless you vermicompost or hot compost). Your home compost will need to sit a couple of months and sometimes up to a year to be fully ready to use in your garden. The time depends on a couple of factors, such as how frequently (if at all) you turn it, and if you live in an area that has extremely cold winters or not.

If you live someplace where the whole winter is below freezing, the composting process will stop for the winter and re-start in the spring.

Check with your municipality if they have a compost program. Some cities offer free compost to their citizens!!