Plants that survive the heat of summer
When the hot days of summer hit, many container garden plants slow down to produce flowers and new foliage, even if you're watering regularly. Beat the heat by filling your containers with these colorful plants that thrive as temperatures rise. Most come from warm places around the world, so they are often grown as annuals in cooler areas. However, you can spend many of them indoors and bring them back outside when the warmer weather returns.
1 Angel's Trumpet
In full bloom, a good-sized angel's trumpet will stop you in your tracks. The drooping flowers are actually trumpet-shaped and can reach over 1 foot in length depending on the variety. The flowers emit a sweet, sweet fragrance after sunset. If you have pets or children, keep these plants out of reach, as all parts are poisonous if ingested.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: 6 feet or more
Zones: 7-11
2 Agave
Although it is not grown for flowers, agave is a wonderful plant that provides an architectural flair to any container. There are striped and solid varieties of agave in different shades of green and blue. Most varieties have very sharp leaf tips, so if you have small children or pets, you can cut the points or cover them to minimize injury.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in well-drained soil
Size: 4 feet or more depending on the variety
Zones: 5-11
3 Angelonia
This adaptable flower is sometimes called the summer snapdragon. No matter how tall the mercury is, its purple, white, or pink flowers appear throughout the summer. Some varieties of Angelonia have large flowers, while dwarf varieties are the perfect size for container gardens.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: 2 feet or more tall
Zones: 9-11
4 Bamboo
Although it can be a fast-spreading threat when grown in the ground, bamboo is a dramatic specimen plant when grown in a large container (where it cannot escape). This creates a fast-growing screen perfect for privacy. When planting bamboo, make the planting hole twice as wide as the root ball; If you're planting in a container, make sure it's big enough!
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: 20 feet or more
Zones: 6-10
5 Banana
With its large leaves, the banana has a large presence in the landscape. Place the plant in the center of a garden bed or against a fence for tropical elevation at the back of the garden. While most are plain green, look for varieties with dark red or white edges for added interest.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in moist, well-drained soil
Size: 1 to 15 feet, depending on the variety
Zones: 9-10
6 Canna
Perfect for creating a lush, tropical look, canna offers large leaves (many varieties are available) and bright flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink. These plants are often found near water, so they need moist soil to be happy in the garden. You can grow cannas indoors and then bring them outside the following spring.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in consistently moist soil
Size: 1 foot to 15 feet, depending on the variety
Zones: 7-10
7 Lantana
Loved by butterflies, lantana produces multi-colored flowers in red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Some varieties have flowers that create an ombre effect, darkening from light or outside. Some varieties have a variety of foliage that adds extra color to your garden even when they are not blooming.
Light: Full sun
Water: Plant in well-drained soil
Size: 2 feet or more
Zones: 8-11
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