The chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs. The cows are giving evaporated milk. Old Doc, who was such a good dog, is upstairs shaving himself with my best razor. I’m saying it’s hot out there people!
For North Florida transplants like myself, whose cooling strategy is to make exclamations, summer in the panhandle can seem downright unbearable. Luckily for me and other Florida gardeners, several Florida native plants are particularly well adapted to heat and able to withstand drought. Incorporating these “sunshine plants” into your garden is a great way to keep your yard thriving and a little bit cooler all summer long.
Heat-tolerant plants are those that have developed special ways to battle “drought stress,” which is the technical term given when plants lose more water than they’re able to absorb. Wilting is likely an early sign of drought stress. Florida’s typically sandy soils and high temperatures combine so that many of its plants may experience drought stress after a few days without water. Plants that have adapted clever ways to retain water, such as large root systems for absorbing rainfall quickly, or thick, waxy-coated leaves for reducing evaporation, are better able to survive dry spells. Notice the waxy coating on vincas’ leaves. Vincas aren’t Florida natives, but they can be a colorful and reliable staple for hot weather flowerbeds.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: UF/Leon County Extension
