Warm Weather Plants (11 Plants To Beat The Heat)

With summer heat waves rocking even normally mild climate regions these days, picking the right plants that can survive the heat while needing less water is key to keeping your garden from shriveling up.

Heat tolerance is when a plant can grow and thrive under high temperatures. The American Horticultural Society’s Heat Zone Map can help you find heat-tolerant plants for your region, as each zone is based on the number of days a region gets above 86F. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days).

However, it’s important to remember that plants don’t need to be hardy to a high Heat Zone to be considered heat hardy. Just like with drought hardiness, it’s all about how long that heat lasts. A plant heat tolerant to one region isn’t necessarily tolerant in a region that gets more heat days.

This list of heat-loving flowers is specifically for gardeners in cooler regions dealing with summer heat waves and droughts, rather than for regions that normally get many heat days (although some of these species have varieties that grow in USDA Zone 10 or 11 or AHS Heat Zone 9+).

While some plants on this list need more moisture to keep growing (and so are great to plant if you get a lot of rain), most are drought tolerant, and so can survive high temperatures even when they can’t get a lot of moisture. Many grow well in arid and semi-arid regions that don’t get much water naturally, and so are great choices for water-wise gardens.

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Warm Weather Plants

#1 Salvia (Salvia spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: North America, Europe, Asia, Northern Africa (depending on species)
USDA Zone: 4 to 10 (depending on species)
AHS Heat Zone: 4 to 9 (S. nemerosa, S. pratensis, S. x superba), Heat Zone 8 – 12 (S. coccinea)
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 1 to 3 feet

Also known as Sage, Salvia is a true heat wave hero, being both heat and drought tolerant. While you may think of sage as a culinary herb (and garden sage is great too), other species feature stunning brightly colored two-lipped flowers running up the stems.

Salvia nemorosa and S. pratensis are hardy up to Zone 4, while the hybrid S. x superba is hardy up to Zone 3. All three are hardy to Heat Zone 9. While Salvia are perennials, if you live in a colder region, you can still grow them as annuals. Scarlet Sage (S. coccinea) is the flashiest with scarlet petals, but as a Texas native, it’s only hardy to Zone 9.

Salvia is very easy to grow and requires little maintenance. They grow well in dry to medium well-draining soil that’s in full sun. They’ll keep blooming if they continue to get moisture, but they will survive a drought.

#2 English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Mediterranean
USDA Zone: 5 to 10
AHS Heat Zone: 5 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 2 to 3 feet

Originating from the Mediterranean, you know that Lavender can stand up to hot, dry weather. Lavender produces spikes of tiny lavender florets throughout the summer. You can harvest the flowers for dried flowers or to add to tea. On its own, lavender has no taste, but it adds a calming effect to other herbal teas for relaxation and better sleep.

English Lavender originates from the Mediterranean, meaning it is a good choice to beat the heat.

Lavender prefers dry, well-draining soil. Once established, they only need to be watered once a week. Lavender is hard to start from seed, so buying a seedling is the easiest way to add it to your garden.

If you want to start from seed, then place the seeds in a plastic bag with a bit of water, leave it in a place that gets light, and once the seeds germinate, plant them. In regions slightly colder than its hardiness, cover lavender up with mulch or burlap for the winter to protect it, or plant in a pot to move to a protected region. Otherwise, treat it as an annual.

#3 Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Hybrid bred from North American species
USDA Zone: 4 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Medium to Wet
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 3 to 8 feet

While most Hibiscus is a tropical flower, breeders have created hybrid cultivars from species native to the US that are winter hardy to Zone 4. Hardy Hibiscus produces disc-shaped flowers in a variety of colors, with pink as the most iconic. These flowers only last for one day, but they continue to blossom from mid-summer to early fall.

Hardy Hibiscus 2 — Hardy Hibiscus tolerates heat and comes in many colors – but it does need lots of water.

If you’re worried about droughts, skip Hardy Hibiscus as it’s one water-hungry flower. It’s best used in rain gardens where it gets plenty of natural water. Water deeply and thoroughly, and mulch to help it retain moisture. Once the first frost hits, cut the old stems to the ground, as Hibiscus will only bloom on new wood that it’ll grow in spring. Mulch will also help protect it during the winter.

If winter hardiness is not a concern for you, then you have a ton of options to choose from, including cultivars of Scarlet Swamp/Texas Star Hibiscus (H. coccineus) and Rose Mallow (H. moscheutos) that are hardy to Heat Zone 8 – 12.

#4 Sedum, Stonecrop (Sedum spp., Hylotelephium spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Northern Hemisphere
USDA Zone: 3 to 10
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 1 to 4 inches

No list of heat-wave friendly plants would be complete without Sedum. Also known as Stonecrop, Sedums are succulents with green foliage. Some species like Sedum acre grow low to the ground, rising up only a few inches, while others grow tall and upright with sprays of tiny reddish-pink flowers.

(Technically, these upright Sedums were reclassified under the genus Hylotelephium.) The low growing species are great for ground covers or cascading down stone walls, while the upright species are better for border or pollinator gardens.

Sedum is one of the easiest perennials you can grow. They like dry, well-draining soil, and while many can tolerate some shade, they overwinter best if grown in full sun. Check them occasionally to make sure they don’t get too dry, and if they do, only give them a sip of water. They are succulents, after all.

You can learn about 10 good choices for sedum here if you want a creeping ground cover stonecrop.

You can also learn about 10 good choices for upright stonecrop if you want a taller succulent.

#5 Peony (Paeonia spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: Tibet, China, Siberia
USDA Zone: 3 to 8
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 1.5 to 2.5 feet

Like Hibiscus, Peonies bring so much joy to the garden with outrageously large blooms. You have a ton of flower types to choose from – anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb (that’s the ball of petals that start off small but grow dramatically bigger as they mature – definitely a showstopper!). Colder regions get an advantage as the chill encourages bud formation.

Peony’s drawback is that it loves water. They’re easy to grow, as they just need well-draining soil and plenty of sun (although they can grow in part shade, they just won’t bloom as much). They like to grow in fertile soil rich in organic matter. Once planted, they don’t like to be moved.

When buying peonies, you’ll only be able to buy bred cultivars. Pick a selection of early-blooming, mid-blooming, and late-blooming cultivars to ensure continuous blooms, as most cultivars only bloom for a short period. If you live in Heat Zone 8+, choose early-blooming cultivars so they can bloom before the long summer heat.

#6 Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 4/5 to 9
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 1 to 2 feet

Don’t let Coreopsis’ common name Tickseed put you off – these bright yellow flowers only got that name because the seeds resemble ticks. Coreopsis produces a ton of flowers from the summer into fall, long past the time that other long-blooming flowers have given up for the season. They’re also pretty hardy, as most species are tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought.

Most Coreopsis grow best in dry to medium moist, well-drained soil, including nutrient-poor, sandy, and rocky soils. Deadhead flowers to encourage more blooms and to prevent self-seeding (unless you want an enormous mass of flowers).

Most hybrids aren’t sterile, but they focus on producing more blooms rather than seeds. Hold off on the fertilizer, as too much nutrients will cause spindly stems with few flowers.

#7 Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 9
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 2 to 4 feet

Bee Balm is a popular native North American flower, with different species native to different regions. Eastern Bee Balm (Monarda bradburiana) is (despite its common name) native to the Southern and Central United States.

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is native to most of North America. Both have two-lipped flowers, with Eastern Bee Balm sporting purple-spotted pink-to-white blooms, and Wild Bergamot having pink or lavender. Like the common name implies, bees love this flower, and you can use the aromatic leaves in teas.

For the most part, Bee Balm is easy to grow, as it likes dry to medium moist soil and isn’t picky about sun. It’s also drought and dry soil tolerant, and can grow under black walnuts. Its biggest problem is powdery mildew, especially if you want to use the leaves in tea, so give Bee Balm plenty of air circulation. You can use Bee Balm in rain gardens that go between periods of dry and moist soil.

#8 Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial, Herbaceous Annual
Geographic Origin: North America, Mexico (depending on species)
USDA Zone: 2 to 11 (depending on species)
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 1 to 1.5 feet

Gaillardia is an amazing, underrated plant with many species native to North America, and they are highly adapted to heat and drought. Gaillardia aristata is native from Colorado to Southwestern Canada, and produces daisy-like flowers with bright red centers that gradient to yellow tips.

The annual Gaillardia pulchella is native to Mexico and Southern US (although it can be grown up to Zone 2), and features a unique take on the classic Gaillardia flower head – instead of flat petals, it has rays of flowers around a central stem.

Gaillardia prefers semi-arid climates with dry to medium well-draining soil where they get full sun. Most Gaillardia you’ll find in nurseries are hybrids (unless it’s a native plant nursery), so you may need to try starting them yourself. They also grow well in deep containers.

#9 Celosia (Celosia argentea)

Type: Annual
Geographic Origin: North America, South America, Africa
USDA Zone: 2 to 11
AHS Heat Zone: 2 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 6 inches to 3 feet

Celosia is a unique-looking, show-stopping flower with intensely vivid colors that’s also really easy to grow. Related to Amaranth, Celosia grows best in the heat and can tolerate dry soil and drought. Celosia offers three different blooms:

Plumosa Group – also referred to as Feather Celosia or Plumed Celosia, these flowers look like their common name – like a large, fluffy feather or plume sticking up from the plant.
Cristata Group – also referred to as Cockscomb, these unique flowers somewhat look like a rooster’s comb (as the name suggests), but more accurately look like corals or brains.
Spicata Group – also referred to as Wheat Celosia, these flowers rise in a tuft of flowers, like wheat on a stem.

Celosia grows best in full sun and moist, well-draining soil. Unless your soil is already rich in organic matter and nutrients, mix in compost as they like more nutrients. They like regular watering, but keep it on the drier soil (too much moisture can kill the plant). Celosia flowers make stunning cut flowers, both fresh and dried.

#10 Coneflowers/Echinacea (Echinacea spp.)

Type: Herbaceous perennial
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 3 to 9 (depending on species)
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 9
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Dry to Medium
Maintenance: Low
Mature Size: 2 to 5 feet

Coneflowers are both beautiful and extremely tough, tolerating heat, drought, humidity, and poor or rocky soil, and they can grow just about everywhere in North America. Birds, bees, and songbirds love them. The most common coneflower is the Purple Coneflower (E. purpurea), although you can find 8 other native Echinacea species in different colors (not including cultivars and hybrids).

Purple Coneflower — Coneflower is beautiful but tough, handling heat, drought, humidity, and poor soil with grace and poise.

Grow Coneflowers in full sun and dry to medium moist well-draining soil. Natural Coneflowers will self-seed, although they won’t spread aggressively. Hybrids are sterile, so won’t self-seed.

If you wish to attract songbirds like goldfinches, get a natural species as the seedless hybrids are of no interest to birds. Plant them in mass for a striking garden bed that will bloom from June to August.

#11 Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Geographic Origin: North America
USDA Zone: 4 to 9 (depending on variety)
AHS Heat Zone: 1 to 8
Light Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Mature Size: 2 to 4 feet

With all the native species and varieties Phlox offers, you can find the right cultivar for your garden. While many varieties of Garden Phlox prefer mild summers, there are a few cultivars that can stand the heat.

Cultivars Victoria and John Fanick [PDF] are heat and drought tolerant, growing well as far south as Texas, and both are resistant to powdery mildew, the bane of Phlox gardeners. Victoria features masses of magenta flowers from summer to fall. John Fanick features fragrant, light pink flowers with dark pink centers that start blooming a few weeks after Victoria. John Fanick has higher disease resistance than Victoria.

Garden Phlox grows best in well-draining soil with full sun, but can tolerate part shade. Look for cultivars resistant to powdery mildew and avoid overhead watering. Cut back the plant at the end of summer to encourage a fall bloom.

If you’re in the colder range and need something drought-tolerant, look at Douglas Moss Phlox (Phlox douglasii), Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata), and Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata).