Heat Tolerant Flowers to Grow in Your Garden

Hardy aster flowers bring a lot of perennial color to your garden. A perennial is a plant that returns every year. Asters can survive harsh heat and cold. This type of plant differs from an annual that must be planted every year.

Asters are hardy in zones 4 to 8. The U.S. Department of Agriculture creates zones based on climate to help people know what plants will grow where they live. Plant these deer-resistant flowers from spring to summer in a full-sun site for the best results.

Tip: Add mulch to help hold moisture in the soil, and you can cut back on watering all summer.

Fill your garden with zinnias, and these brilliant annual blooms will keep the color show going all season. Sprinkle zinnia seeds in a bed or container and cover with mulch.

Zinnias are also sold as seedlings. They are annuals in most of the country and are both low maintenance and drought tolerant.

Blazing star, known also as Liatris, attracts butterflies with its long spikes. It’s an extremely hardy perennial and is deer resistant. Plant this one for flower bloomers that can take the heat.

Liatris can be planted from bulbs in spring or as blooms in summer. Plant Liatris in well-draining soil in a partial sun site that gets four to six hours of sun each day. Liatris is hardy in zones 3 to 9.

Sedum is a heat-tolerant must-have for sunny spots in the garden. Sedum is a spreader that comes in like clockwork year after year. This category of plants has a wide growing range, with some varieties perennial to zone 7.

Plant sedum in well-draining soil in partial- to full-sun sites. These plants are considered deer- and drought-resistant.

Lantana can take the hottest corner of your garden. Watch these heat-tolerant flowers thrive as the thermometer spikes.

Plant lantana in full sun (six to eight hours of sunlight) in well-draining soil, and give it room to grow. It's drought-tolerant and a solid choice for container gardening.

Some varieties of lantana are perennial up to zone 7. Read plant tags for care instructions for the variety you choose.

Feathery perennial yarrow is highly adaptable to various conditions. Yarrow is aromatic and brings long-lasting blooms into cooler temperatures.

Showy, fragrant and eye-catching, yarrow is hardy in zones 3 through 9 and thrives in a full-sun site.

Veronica, also known as speedwell, brings perennial blooms that can take the heat as well as the cold. Remove spent blooms in mid-summer for another flush of flowers.

Plant Veronica in a full-sun site in your garden. Able to grow to a mature height of just 15 to 18 inches, it's a good candidate for the front or middle of a flower border. Most varieties of veronica are hardy in zones 3 to 8.

Cleome, also called spider flower, creates clouds of color. Plant cleome in clusters, and watch the hummingbirds flock to your garden.

This showy flower grows as an annual from seed throughout most of the country. An annual is a plant that you need to replant each year because it does not come back on its own. Follow the seed packet directions, and place in a full-sun site with six to eight hours of sunlight daily.

Coneflower brings perennial beauty with bright blooms on the hottest summer days. It comes in various colors, including orange, white and pink. Also called echinacea, these heat-tolerant flowers lure pollinators like magnets when it blooms in late summer. Pollinators are birds and insects that spread pollen from one plant to another to help gardens grow.

Whether you grow coneflower from seed or seedling, plant in well-draining soil in a full-sun site.

Marigold is an annual bloom that brings vivid orange and yellow flowers throughout the growing season. These heat-tolerant flowers may help deter pests when planted underneath tomatoes.

Grow marigolds from seed or seedling. Always plant in full sun. Marigolds are tolerant of soil quality as long as it drains well. Remove spent blooms to keep plants tidy and to encourage more blooms.

Some other heat-tolerant flowers to consider include:

• Amaryllis
• Angelonia
• Arabian jasmine
• Aztec lily
• Bidens
• Bird of paradise
• Blanket flower
• Bleeding heart
• Bolivian begonia
• Bottlebrush
• Bougainvillea
• Brazilian jasmine
• Canna lily
• Cock's comb
• Diamond frost euphorbia
• Desert rose
• Floss flower
• Geranium
• Globe amaranth
• Ground orchids
• Heliotrope
• Hibiscus
• King's mantle
• Mexican flame vine
• Million bells
• Moonflower
• Morning glory
• Moss rose
• Oleander
• Parrot's beak
• Pelargonium
• Pentas
• Petunia
• Plumbago
• Powder puff
• Princess flower
• Salvia
• Scaevola
• Scarlet sage
• Spider flower
• Sunflower
• Sunpatiens
• Vanda
• Verbena
• Vinca

Tip: To choose outdoor plants wisely, check the tags and match varieties to your growing conditions.