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Beat the Heat story by HARLEY HERRIN 1831 Garden Center
a’ll, we all know how hot it gets here in the southeast. In order to keep our containers and seasonal beds looking topnotch, we need to make sure we are choosing plant material that thrives in the sizzling summer sun and continues to provide bountiful blooms all season long. In this article, we will address five of the most heat tolerant plants for the south. These plants thrive in the sun and tolerate periods of little water.
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Lantana: Purslane: Purslane is a succulent type annual great for trailing down the side of a container or spilling over the edge of a hanging basket. It loves heat and blooms continuously throughout the day. It comes in several vibrant neon-colored blooming varieties that are sure to shine in the summer sun.
Angelonia: Angelonia is a fantastic upright annual that thrives in the heat. It is often used for height or filler in container arrangements. It makes a great backdrop to other sun-tolerant summer annuals and is often paired with Pentas and Alternanthera in seasonal color beds. It comes in shades of white, pinks, and purples. Its upright growth habit features spires of bell-shaped blooms that entice bees and butterflies to visit their beautiful blooms.
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Lantana is an excellent performer for summer gardens. Its prolific bundles of blooms provide continuous color in a wide range of white, red, yellow, pinks, purples, and oranges. These heavy bloomers can take the heat. Newer varieties have a smaller, more compact growth habit making them great for containers and flower bed borders without sacrificing their heavy blooming abilities.
