I was recently asked to give a summer gardening presentation to members of the Peace Lutheran Church. One of the questions they asked me to address was, what are some colorful plants for local gardens that can take the heat of our South Florida summers.
With record heat so far this year, gardeners are looking for plants that will still be show stoppers in their gardens. I found a list of ten such plants that were complied by Florida’s Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Tom Wichman. His recommendations for flowering plants that can withstand the Florida heat, you can enjoy blooms from spring to fall.
Crinum – One of the many bulbs that grow well in Florida, Crinum lilies are a hallmark of Southern gardens and have been cherished and cultivated by gardeners for years. There are several species and dozens of varieties available. Flowers are generally with or pink and may be bi-colored. There are even some hardy Florida natives that will do best in dry sandy soils if scrub forests and beach dunes.
Canna – Cannas are tropical bulbs that can add lush color and texture to any Florida garden, thanks to their beautiful flowers and interesting leaves. Wild types are water loving and thrive in boggy areas and ponds, but other modern selections are well adapted to dryer soils. They will often die back in winter, but rebound in the spring and summer. There is a caterpillar that will often leave a line of holes in the young rolled up leaves, but a little bit of “B.t.” insecticides in the shoots will take care of that little problem. Flowers can be pink, yellow, orange, or red.
Pentas – When other plants fade in Florida's hot and humid summers, perennials like Pentas lanceolata truly shine. These attractive plants produce red, pink, or white flowers throughout the summer. Their star-shaped flowers clusters are virtually required for butterfly and hummingbird gardens. In my experience, the reds are a little more cold tolerant and will attract more butterflies. If left unpruned, they can form 5 foot tall bushes, although there are also some miniature forms that will never exceed a foot in height.
Scarlet Salvia – Scarlet salvia is a native of the Southeast, including Florida. Also know as Tropical Sage, its striking red flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This Florida-Friendly perennial looks especially attractive as a border or in mass plantings. It will readily reseed itself and slowly spread to other areas, but it is not aggressive in this regard. Our native Salvia coccinea has a thinner growth habit and sometimes can be seen with white flowers. There are other Salvia species that may have white, pink or blue colors.
Coleus – Coleus are heat-tolerant, durable annuals that are prized for their colorful foliage. They come in shades of green, yellow, pink, red, and maroon and work well in hanging baskets, containers, and landscape beds. The flower spikes are often pinched out to make for a plant with more foliage. UF released a number of heat tolerant varieties a few years back that have done will in Florida Yards.
Torenia – Torenia is a great choice for hot and humid locations. It blooms for months and looks great in summer beds. This bedding plant is also known as Wishbone Flower because of the wishbone shape in the center of each bloom. Flowers look somewhat like snapdragons and can be white, yellow, pink, violet, or purple. Make sure to choose the new varieties that can tolerate heat, heavy rains, and occasionally dry soils.
Ornamental Sweet Potato – This hardy, drought-tolerant groundcover comes in a wide array of attractive foliage colors, from bright chartreuse green to a purple so dark it's almost black. They're well suited for containers, hanging baskets and the front of garden beds. “Blackie” has dark purple/black, deeply cut foliage. ‘Margarita’ is easy to spot because of its chartreuse colored, heart-shaped leaves. ‘Tricolor’ (Pink Frost) has multicolored leaves with green, pink, and white foliage. A newer cultivar is ‘Black Beauty’, which has rounded black leaves. Be sure to plant this with some kind of border, otherwise it may run all over the landscape.
Wax Begonia – Begonias can be used in mass plants, or mixed in with other annuals. While there are thousands of different varieties, they are limited to pink, white, or red flowers. If well drained soils are provided with adequate moisture, these colorful standbys will last from the heat of summer until taken out by frost. With recent outbreaks of diseases effecting the availability of impatiens, expect to see more of these becoming available as winter annual plants enter the garden shops this fall.
Cleome – Cleome (“KLEE-ohm”) has been a longtime favorite in Southern cottage gardens because of its attractive foliage and flowers, and its ability to take the summer heat. It is often called "spider flower" because of the long whisker-like flowers. Cleome can be white, pink, or purple, and often attract hummingbirds. They are generally tall upright plants, but dwarf forms are now available. Older varieties have spines and may have a skunky odor, but newer cultivars are thorn- and odor-free. And now gardeners have more options, thanks to new varieties like 'Senorita Rosalita'® that have come on the market.
Gaillardia – Gaillardia blooms will appear all summer and make excellent cut flowers. I first learned to call this plant Indian Blanket flower, which describes its habit of making a spreading blanket of color in Florida yards with dry soils. They come in yellow, orange, red, and even bicolor. If spent flowers are not removed, seed heads will form, and then you will not have to replant this hardy summer bedding plant. It also shows high tolerance to salt if that is an issue in your landscape.
Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service – Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida. Millie Ferrer Chancy, Interim, Dean.
Source: UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service
