by Lydia Holley August 28, 2023
Like many, I have been spending most of my day in the house, with the air conditioning on. But plants do not have that option. They have to take what Mother Nature gives them. Many plants will go dormant during a stretch of high heat, conserving their energy by no longer blooming. Some plants, however, do not mind the heat and continue to bloom despite the temperatures.
In my own garden, I have several plants still in bloom. Texas Rock Rose (Pavonia) continues to bloom, and is covered in cheerful bright pink flowers. It is a Texas native and likes full to part sun. It has also been named a Texas Superstar plant.
Hummingbirds are still drinking nectar from the blooms of Trumpet Creeper (Campis radicans), Black and Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica), and Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. dummondii).
Trumpet Creeper is also a Texas native, and it is so drought and heat tolerant, I see it blooming along the sides of the road. Be certain you place this where it can spread because it will grow to 40 ft and will freely sucker. It climbs by aerial rootlets, so it is best to place it on a fence or structure other than your home where it may damage the walls.
Native to Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, Black and Blue Salvia’s bloom color is a gorgeous cobalt blue. It will spread approximately five feet, so give it some room to naturalize.
With unusual flowers, Turk’s cap is a Texas native plant that can grow to 10 ft tall, but can be pruned to stay shorter. Though it may grow in full sun, it prefers partial shade and will even bloom in full shade.
Groundcovers still in bloom now are Dwarf Ruellia and Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides). Other plants in bloom are Autumn Joy sedum and Rose of Sharon.
Pollinators are also visiting the purple blooms of chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus), tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) , and rough blazing star (Liatris aspera). Flowering in various colors, crape myrtles are still in bloom and so are cannas. But nothing quite compares to the abundance of blooms and the number of butterflies on the lantana.
You may have to get out of the air conditioning to do it, but you may want to take a look around to find what will not only survive the heat, but bloom in it.
For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HCmastergardener.