Blooms That Take the Heat

The heat has been bad this summer, or maybe it is the equally high humidity that has made it seem worse than other years. I am grateful for plants that have continued to flower, despite temperatures that cause less stalwart plants to quit blooming.

A lot of heat tolerant flowers are annuals. I don't plant a lot of annuals. If I did, no doubt I would have much more summer color. Among those I have, the one that has impressed me the most is gomphrena, which has bloomed non-stop through the summer. Gomphrena has clover-like blooms in shades of purple, pink and white. Lantana is another great summer bloomer, though its flowers come in successive waves rather than blooming continuously. The following images show pink gomphrena and a creamy lantana, along with silvery 'Powis Castle' artemesia.

My Crepe Myrtle trees have been blooming for months. They thrive on heat and humidity. This one is by the parking area in front of the house:

Salvia 'Black and Bloom' has incredible cobalt blue blooms, and it also thrives in heat and humidity. With larger flowers, thicker leaves and darker stems, it is an improved version of Salvia 'Black and Blue.'

Cat Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus) is another plant putting out successive blooms through the summer. It is a perennial that is hardy in USDA zones 9-11, but it is unlikely to survive my winter. This is the first year I have grown this plant, but I will definitely plant it again.

Cat Whiskers grows to the right of the path shown above.As long as I keep deadheading it, 'Tutti Frutti' butterfly bush keeps putting out pretty flowers. These blooms are not as large as the initial flush, but are still satisfying to me and the pollinators. It will continue to bloom into the fall.

Zinnia augustifolia just keeps on going. I sometimes remember to deadhead it. Here it is, along with Dusty Miller:

'Coral' Drift rose can't be beat. It is a heavy bloomer, and so far it is disease free.

Firebush is not hardy here, but I grow it in a pot and plan to keep it inside through the winter. The hummingbirds love it!

Another plant that attracts hummingbirds is 'Major Wheeler' honeysuckle. It puts out successive blooms into fall:

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer' and Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight', shown below, are a couple of hydrangeas that continue to bloom, despite the heat. 'Limelight'  has many blooms, while 'Endless Summer' has a few.

I will have more flowers once the heat breaks (hopefully soon!). In the meantime, I enjoy these few blooms that can take the heat.

Orthosiphon aristatus)

Read more at Gardening Know How: How To Grow A Cat Whiskers Plant: Growing Cat Whiskers In Gardens http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/cat-whiskers/growing-cat-whiskers.htm

Orthosiphon aristatus)

Read more at Gardening Know How: How To Grow A Cat Whiskers Plant: Growing Cat Whiskers In Gardens http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/cat-whiskers/growing-cat-whiskers.htm

Orthosiphon aristatus)

Read more at Gardening Know How: How To Grow A Cat Whiskers Plant: Growing Cat Whiskers In Gardens http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/cat-whiskers/growing-cat-whiskers.htm

Tickled by Cat Whiskers

I was tickled to discover a new plant this year: Orthosiphon aristatus, commonly called Cat Whiskers.It is an unusual plant that comes from the tropics, native to Southeast Asia and Australia. It has beautiful ethereal blooms with long white stamens that look very much like kitty whiskers, thus inspiring its common name. 

This is a fast growing perennial herb in USDA zones 9-11. In my zone 7b/8a climate it will be an annual. It is not always an easy plant to find. It will grow from seed, but it is much easier to propagate by cuttings. It roots easily in water or soil, so I plan to try to keep some cuttings over winter to replant next spring. 

The striking flower spikes come in white or shades of blue. Mine has white blooms with a faint hint of blue. The flowers fairly glow and would look fantastic in an evening garden. The plant forms a bushy, medium to deep green clump up to 4' high by 3' wide. Mine has been in the ground a couple of months and is about half that large. It will bloom summer into fall and attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds. With its upright growth and spiky flowers, Cat Whiskers will look good with many other garden plants. Use in the mixed border or as an accent plant in the herb or flower garden. 

Cat Whiskers will grow in full sun to partial shade, though it will bloom best with more sun. This plant likes rich soil and plenty of water. It loves summer heat, but it appreciates a 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch to conserve moisture during hot, dry weather. Removing spent blooms will encourage development of new blooms and will promote density of the plant's architecture. Cat Whiskers is not picky about fertilization, but for maximum blooms fertilize once or twice in spring or summer, more often if it is grown in a pot. 

A member of the mint family, in some cultures Orthosiphon aristatus also has a long history as a medicinal plant known as Java Tea and is used to treat kidney symptoms.