The best plants for full sun and heat are Lantana, Sedum, and Black-eyed Susan. These three soak up the harshest rays and bloom bright through July and August. You can plant them in your hottest spots and watch them thrive. Other top picks include Russian Sage, Yarrow, and Coneflower for tough beds.
I planted six full sun plants on a brutal south-facing slope last year. The Lantana stole the show. It pumped out blooms for five months with no fading or wilting at all. The Black-eyed Susan kept pace and the Sedum stayed lush even on 100-degree days.
In my testing, the worst spot in any yard is west-facing pavement. The light bounces off the concrete and cooks plants by 3 p.m. Lantana laughs at this heat though. I had three plants there and they bloomed harder than the ones in part shade.
Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct light each day. Heat tolerance goes one step beyond that. The plant needs deep roots to find water and waxy leaves to slow water loss in dry air. The two traits work as a team to keep the plant going.
Lantana
- Bloom power: Flowers heaviest at 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and pumps out color from spring to fall.
- Color range: Comes in yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple, with many types that shift hue as flowers age.
- Care needs: Grows in zones 9 to 11 as a perennial or as an annual in cooler northern climates.
Russian Sage
- Tough range: Hardy in zones 4 to 9 and lives through hot dry summers without any extra water.
- Size impact: Reaches 3 to 4 feet tall with silver foliage and purple blooms from June through fall.
- Pest proof: Deer and rabbits skip it due to the strong aroma in the leaves and stems alike.
Yarrow
- Zone range: Grows well in zones 3 to 9 on rocky slopes where most flowers wilt by midsummer fast.
- Bloom time: Flowers from June through September in shades of white, yellow, pink, and deep red.
- Soil need: Wants poor lean soil and full sun to keep stems strong and blooms thick all season.
Place your heat tolerant plants near reflective walls to push the heat factor even higher. South-facing brick walls bounce sun back at the plants and cook them. Lantana and Sedum love this spot. Drought tolerant flowers like Coneflower also do well here if you keep the soil lean and dry.
Prep the soil for hot dry sunny plants with extra grit and gravel. Skip the rich compost and heavy mulch on these tough types. Mix in coarse sand or pumice to keep the roots from sitting in water. A 2-inch gravel mulch on top keeps weeds down and reflects extra heat back at the plants.
Group your summer heat plants together in one wide bed. This trick saves you time and water both. Mix Lantana, Russian Sage, Yarrow, and Sedum in the same hot corner. They all want the same care. You can ignore them for weeks and they will keep blooming hard the whole time.
Water deep just once a week for the first two months after planting. After roots settle in, you can drop back to rain alone in most zones. Skip the daily light sprinkle which keeps roots near the surface. Deep soaking pushes roots down where the soil stays cool and moist even in a brutal summer heat wave.
Read the full article: 15 Best Drought Tolerant Plants
