15 PLANTS THAT LOVE THE HEAT Do your plants send out distress signals when the temperatures climb? Try a few of these beauties, which reward with blooms and vigorous growth as the mercury rises.
Angel's Trumpet In full bloom, a good-size angel's trumpet is absolutely arresting. The hanging flowers are indeed trumpetshape and can reach more than 1 foot long, depending on variety. Name: Brugmansia varieties Size: To 6 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but welldrained soil
Agave Though it's not grown for blooms, agave is a stunning plant that lends an architectural flair to any container. Note, though, that most varieties have extremely sharp leaf tips. Cut them off or cover them to make them more friendly. Name: Agave varieties Size: To 4 feet or more, depending on variety Growing Conditions: Full sun and welldrained soil
Angelonia This adaptable flower is sometimes called summer snapdragon. Its spikes of purple, white, or pink flowers appear all summer long, no matter how high the mercury rises. Name: Angelonia varieties Size: To 2 feet tall or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Bamboo Although it's a fastspreading menace when grown in the ground, bamboo is a dramatic specimen plant when grown in a large container (where it can't escape). It makes a perfect, fast-growing screen. Name: Phyllostachys aurea Size: To 20 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Banana With its big leaves, banana makes a great big presence in the landscape. While most are plain green, look for types with a mottling of dark red or white edges for extra interest. Name: Musa varieties Size: From 1 to 15 feet, depending on type. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Canna Perfect for creating a lush, tropical look, canna offers large leaves (variegated in many varieties) and glowing flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink. Name: Canna varieties Size: From 1 foot to 15 feet, depending on type Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist soil
Lantana Loved by butterflies, lantana produces multicolored flowers in festive shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Some varieties, such as 'Samantha', shown here, have attractively variegated foliage to boot. Name: Lantana varieties Size: To 2 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and welldrained soil
Mandevilla One of the most regal flowering vines, mandevilla produces large trumpet-shape blooms in shades of red, white, and pink. It's a fast-growing climber that blooms profusely. Name: Mandevilla varieties Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Passionflower One of the most beautiful climbing vines, passionflower bears intricate flowers in rich shades of almost every shade of the rainbow. This is another butterfly favorite! Name: Passiflora varieties Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Pentas Pentas produces clusters of beautiful starry red, white, or pink flowers. No matter how hot it gets, the flowers keep on coming all summer long. (And so do the butterflies that love them!) Name: Pentas lanceolata Size: To 2 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Plumbago We enjoy the beautiful, sky-blue flowers of plumbago -- and butterflies do, too. This shrubby vine is a quick grower and flowers prolifically all summer long. Name: Plumbago auriculata Size: Climbs to 10 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Salvia A wonderful, heat- and drought-tolerant plant with indigo-blue flowers, 'Black and Blue' salvia also attracts lots of birds and butterflies. Name: Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' Size: To 3 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and welldrained soil
Sky Vine This fast-growing vine smothers itself with large sky-blue flowers throughout the summer. It's a favorite of butterflies; adults drink the nectar and some species will eat the foliage. Name: Thunbergia grandiflora Size: Climbs to 15 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, but well-drained soil
Solanum A beautiful shrub, solanum bears clusters of dark violet-blue flowers. This easygrowing plant is often sold on a standard form, meaning trained as a patio tree. Name: Solanum rantonnetii Size: To 5 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and welldrained soil
Tropical Milkweed It's hard to decide what's prettier, the brilliant red, yellow, and orange tropical milkweed flowers or the scores of Monarch butterflies they attract. Note: Monarch caterpillars will eat the foliage of this plant. Name: Asclepias curassavica Size: To 3 feet or more Growing Conditions: Full sun and welldrained soil
The dog days of summer can turn your gorgeous container gardens into a crispy mess. Try these plants that take the heat for color all season long.
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