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

Got Humid Heat? Want Pollinators? Try Firebush!

Some like it hot. While many flowers shrink from the Deep South's summertime heat and humidity, there are many tropical plants that may not survive the winter but will thrive through the hottest summer to provide shots of color in the garden. This year I discovered Firebush, Hamelia patens. In this public domain photo a Zebra longwing butterfly is sipping nectar from a Firebush.It is also called Firecracker Shrub, Scarlet Bush, and Hummingbird Bush. This striking plant will bloom for months, from late spring until frost, and its tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It provides both larval food and nectar for butterflies. Its also produces berries in the fall that are a treat for songbirds.

This woody perennial shrub is hardy in USDA zones 8b-11. It will grow as an annual in more northern regions of the South, with leaves that turn scarlet red as the temperatures cool. There are actually two forms of Firebush. Hamelia patens is native to Florida, as well as Mexico, the West Indies, and Central and South America. It has red blooms and will grow up to 15 feet tall in southern Florida, though it may be kept to 5 to 8 feet through pruning. A dwarf form, Hamelia patens var. glabra grows only to 4 to 8 feet. It may be planted in a 3 gallon or larger pot. Its blooms are lighter, orange with gold tips, rather than red. This dwarf form is native only to those areas south of the US, though introduced specimens may sometimes reseed themselves in southern Florida. It is just as attractive to wildlife as the taller native.Dwarf Firebush

Loving both heat and humidity, Firebush is a tough, easy-care plant. It will grow in full sun to light shade, in any well-drained soil. It is quite drought tolerant, though it should be watered regularly until it is established. 

My own plant is the dwarf, and I have it in a pot. I plan to move it indoors for winter, since the plant is unlikely to survive our lowest winter temps. Potted plants brought indoors should be protected from both freezing drafts and low humidity. I am really loving this plant. Every day I see bees, butterflies and hummingbirds visiting its blooms.Here is my dwarf firebush in the landscape. It is in a pot adjacent to my patio.