12 Resilient Plants That Can Survive the Heat—Even in Full Sun

Long-stemmed showy flowers in eye-popping colors make coneflower a must-have in any garden bed. Once established, they’re drought-tolerant. Pollinators love the flowers, while birds are attracted to the seedheads in winter.

These sun lovers come in an array of bright colors, ranging from yellow to red to orange to bicolor blooms. They’re most impressive when massed in planting beds, and they bloom all summer long. Pollinators also love these cheerful-looking perennials.

If you need a sturdy, trailing plant to contrast with other flowers in a mixed container, dichondra is an excellent choice. The silvery leaves look good throughout the heat of summer. It’s often grown as an annual but can be perennial in warm climates.

Catmint is a perennial that thrives on neglect once established. With silvery-green foliage that deer and bunnies leave alone and spikes of purple flowers that last all summer long, catmint is a worthwhile addition to your heat-tolerant garden.

Pentas blooms all summer long in shades of red, pink, and white. It works equally well in beds, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Plus, pollinators love this annual’s star-shaped flowers.

Read more: Annuals That Bloom All Summer Long

Who needs blooms when you have the gorgeous foliage of caladium? This stunning tropical plant is grown for its large, flashy, heart-shaped leaves that come in shades of pink, green, and white. It thrives in heat and humidity in the shade, but some new varieties are more forgiving of some direct sunlight.

The fan-shaped flowers of this plant keep coming all summer long. Its pretty white, purple, or pink flowers look amazing spilling out of window boxes, hanging baskets, or over the edges of planting beds. Native to Australia, this low-growing annual naturally can take the heat.

This vigorous, vining plant fills containers in a hurry, with pretty heart-shaped leaves in lime green, burgundy, or variegated patterns. Give it a little afternoon shade in the hottest climates.

Salvia’s spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers keep coming all summer long. It’s available in both perennial and annual varieties, but they both stand up to the heat and keep blooming.

Sedum is an annual or perennial that comes in forms ranging from low-growing, ground cover types to more upright habits. Because it’s a succulent and stores water, it is drought and heat-tolerant. The flowers attract pollinators, too.