For gardens in areas with extreme climate conditions like scarce rainfall, blistering sun, or sweltering humidity, it can be challenging to find plants that perform and flower reliably year after year.
But gardening in difficult environments doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a colorful garden every year!
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You just have to narrow your focus to those plants that thrive in the specific conditions in your landscape.
To save you some time, I’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular plants that perform admirably in harsh climates.
So if your hot, humid, or sunny garden is ready for showy blooms that return each summer, then let’s get into 19 of the best flowering perennials for hot, sunny gardens!
Here’s a look at what’s ahead:
Best Flowering Perennials for Hot Climates
1. Black-Eyed Susan
Versatile and low maintenance, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) waits until the dog days of summer to shine, bearing large, daisy-like blooms of bright sunshine yellow with a dark disc center.
More recent cultivars include shades of amber, brick, cream, gold, and burnt orange.
A North American native wildflower found in meadows, plains, and prairies, black-eyed Susans love the hot temperatures that cause other plants to fade, adding their radiant blooms to beds, borders, and containers plus cottage, cutting, and wildflower gardens.
The blooms are a favorite for bees and butterflies, and winter songbirds visit for the seeds. Plants grow up to 36 inches tall on erect, branching stems and spread up to 24 inches.
Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
‘American Gold Rush’ Black-Eyed Susan
‘American Gold Rush’ is an upright cultivar with sturdy stems and an abundance of golden blooms.
‘American Gold Rush’ in one-gallon containers is available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Find our guide to growing black-eyed Susans here.
2. Blanket Flower
Beautiful and tough, blanket flowers (Gaillardia spp.) bear pretty, daisy-like blooms in warm shades of brick, burgundy, gold, maroon, mustard, orange, and yellow plus bicolors, with dark, pincushion centers.
North American natives, these hardy and resilient plants bloom for weeks from early summer into fall, providing a regular source of nectar for pollinators and winter seeds for foraging birds. Deadhead regularly to encourage a steady bud set.
Heat and drought tolerant, blanket flowers grow 12 to 24 inches tall and wide and give reliable color to mixed beds, containers, islands, and cutting, naturalized, or native plant gardens.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 10.
‘Goblin’ is a compact hybrid cultivar that blooms with bright red and yellow bicolored flowers in the first season after sowing. Plants top out at about 18 inches tall.
You can find packets of ‘Goblin’ seeds available at Botanical Interests.
Check out our guide to growing blanket flowers to learn more.
3. Bulbine
Tall and slender with fleshy, grasslike leaves, bulbine (Bulbine frutescens) is a South African succulent that blooms with an upright inflorescence, producing delicate, star-shaped flowers in soft apricot with clouds of frilly yellow anthers in late spring to early summer.
Bulbine is highly heat and drought tolerant and loves to bake in the sun, making it an attractive choice for mass planting in borders, drifts, and edging or city, courtyard, cottage, rock, and water-wise gardens.
Plants grow 12 to 24 inches tall and wide and are hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
4. Canna
Canna (Canna spp.) is an easy-care, tropical classic, with colorful, paddle-like foliage and spikes of showy trumpet-shaped blooms in richly intense shades of orange, peach, pink, salmon, scarlet, and yellow.
Flowering throughout summer and into fall, cannas grow 24 to 72 inches tall and are an ideal choice for heat and humidity, but they need moist soil for the showiest performance.
Use them to add distinctive, colorful stature as a specimen or massed in barriers, mixed beds, foundations, islands, and in creek or pond margins plus water gardens. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
This Dwarf Mix collection is a colorful combo that’s perfect for containers and borders alike. These plants grow up to 36 inches tall.
You can find packets of five, 10, and 25 bulbs available at Eden Brothers.
Find our canna growing guide here.
5. Coneflower
A popular North American native, purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) bloom on erect single stems with mauve, lightly drooping rays and prominent, pincushion centers.
Newer hybrids are available in shades of chartreuse, orange, pink, and red, but the purple varieties perform best in areas with hot, intense sunshine.
A favorite of pollinators and seed-seeking birds, the cheery daisy-like blooms form attractive, floriferous clumps, growing 24 to 60 inches tall and spreading 18 to 24 inches.
Heat loving and drought tolerant, coneflower blooms in mid to late summer and make a long-lasting choice for mixed beds, containers, cutting and native plant gardens, plus meadows.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
‘Primadona Deep Rose’ Purple Coneflower
‘Primadona Deep Rose’ features large, double-petaled flowers held on sturdy stalks.
You can find ‘Primadona Deep Rose’ plants available at Burpee.
You can read more about growing coneflowers here.
6. Cosmos
Indigenous to Mexico, cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is a hardy summer performer with branched stems bearing delightful masses of colorful ray florets from early summer into fall.
The charming, open blooms with a yellow disc center come in a wide range of hues including amber, burgundy, mauve, orange, several pinks, purple, white, and yellow, attracting bees, birds, and butterflies.
Plants grow 12 to 72 inches tall with a spread of 12 to 36 inches, depending on the cultivar.
Often grown as annuals, these wildflowers self-seed readily and return year after year in hot regions.
They thrive in hot, dry conditions and are simply sumptuous when massed into beds, containers, drifts, and cottage, cutting, or naturalized gardens.
Cosmos are hardy in Zones 9 to 11.
The Sensation Mix is a mixture of pink, red, and white blooms.
You can find seeds in a variety of package sizes available at Eden Brothers.
Get more cosmos know-how here.
7. Crinum Lily
A native of the southern US, crinum lilies (Crinum americanum) bear gorgeous clusters of fragrant, spidery blooms in shades of rose, pink, purple, and white that bloom for weeks from spring through summer.
Tough and low maintenance, crinums grow 24 inches tall and wide, flourishing in heat and humidity when given moist soil.
They make a beautiful choice for beds, foundations, and islands or in the moist fringes beside creeks and ponds. Crinums are hardy in Zones 9 to 11.
You can find purple crinum lilies available in gallon-sized containers at Walmart.
8. Dusty Miller
Dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima) is most often grown for its ornamental and heavily toothed or fine, lacy foliage in icy green topped with a woolly frosting of silver.
Some gardeners even trim out the flower scapes to allow the foliage alone to shine.
But if you need color in dry, hot areas, the branched stems produce clusters of tiny, strawflower-like blooms, adding airy puffs of bright, sunshine yellow in midsummer.
They’re not big and showy, but do have an eye-catching, natural appeal.
Plants grow in the range of eight to 24 inches tall and wide, and have excellent drought and heat tolerance.
Dusty miller is outstanding in borders, mixed beds, and containers as well as rockeries and waterwise gardens – and the foliage is stellar for illuminating moon gardens!
Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
‘Silver Lace’ is a highly decorative cultivar with delicate, lace-like foliage.
You can find seeds in packets of 100 available at Burpee.
Learn to grow dusty miller here.
9. Euphorbia
Tough and resilient, euphorbia (Euphorbia spp.) species are popular for their uniquely colored foliage, including glaucus green, gold, maroon, plum, and orangey red and colorful blooms (bracts) of bright chartreuse, coral, green, rosy pink, white, or acid yellow.
Plants sizes vary depending on the species and cultivar and range from eight to 72 inches, with most types in bloom from early spring to early summer.
They feature excellent heat and drought tolerance and the milky latex sap keeps pesky herbivores away.
Use euphorbia to add distinctive color to mixed beds, containers, and naturalized or xeric gardens.
‘Miner’s Merlot’ is an E. amygdaloides hybrid that has fantastic wine red foliage with chartreuse bracts. It grows up to 24 inches tall and is suitable for cultivation in Zones 6 to 9.
You can find ‘Miner’s Merlot’ available from Nature Hills Nursery.
Read our guide to growing euphorbia.
10. Kangaroo Paws
For hot, dry heat, kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos spp.) bear upright stems with clusters of tubular buds in hot shades of orange, red, and yellow, with a long blooming period from late spring to fall.
Native to Australia, these highly drought tolerant plants grow six to 72 to inches tall and spread up to 48 inches, making an attractive and effective barrier or border, and in containers, rockeries, and xeric gardens.
Hardy in Zones 10 and 11.
11. Lantana
A tropical gem that hails from Central and South America plus parts of Africa, lantana (Lantana spp.) is characterized by its attractive clusters of multi-hued florets, including shades of apricot, cerise, coral, orange, scarlet, pink, purple, white, and yellow.
Tough and durable, lantana forms handsome mounds, with the stems growing up to 60 inches long and spreading up to 24 inches, and the nectar-rich blooms drawing in bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
These plants flourish in hot sun and dry conditions and make a robust choice for low barriers, containers, ground covers, or any xeric setting.
Lantana is hardy in Zones 7 to 11.
‘Cherry’ is a cultivar in the Bandana® series featuring multicolored pink, purple, and yellow flowers. Cultivars in this series feature flowers that are larger than the species plants.
You can find Bandana® ‘Cherry’ available at Nature Hills Nursery.
Check out our lantana growing guide to learn more.
12. Lavender
Beloved for their heavenly scent, lavender plants feature spikes of beautiful rose, pink, or purple florets that bloom in early to midsummer, depending on the variety.
The low, shrubby plants are ideal for low barriers, beds, and containers or in rockeries and herb or xeric gardens, with the sweet flowers attracting a variety of beneficial pollinating insects.
In areas with hot, dry heat, lavandin cultivars like those in the Phenomenal series (L. x intermedia) give the best performance while the French (L. dentata), Portuguese (L. latifolia), and Spanish (L. stoechas) varieties are better equipped to handle humidity.
Phenomenal ‘Niko’ is available in one-quart and one-gallon containers at Nature Hills Nursery.
‘Lavish Purple’ Spanish Lavender
And Spanish ‘Lavish Purple’ plants are available at Burpee.
For more suggestions, check out the best lavenders for hot climates. Need growing advice? Find our guide to growing lavender here.
13. Obedient Plant
Another native plant found throughout North America, obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) bears tall, terminal spikes of tubular, snapdragon-like blossoms in pretty pastel shades of pale pink, mauve, and creamy white.
The buds open from late summer to mid-autumn and attract birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
These fast-spreading plants are highly versatile and low maintenance, tolerating wet soil, poor drainage, and humidity.
Growing in the range of 24 to 48 inches tall and wide, obedient plants make a sound choice for late color in cottage gardens, meadows, and creek, pond, or woodland margins.
Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
‘Vivid’ has vibrant lavender blooms and tops out at about 24 inches tall.
You can find ‘Vivid’ available at Nature Hills.
14. Pavonia
A North American native, pavonia (Pavonia lasiopetala) produces masses of sweet and simple, bright pink hibiscus-like blossoms from mid-spring through summer and into fall.
Each flower lasts just a day, but buds are constantly being set for a continuous and long-lasting display.
A semi-woody shrub that grows 24 to 48 inches tall and wide, selectively snip the stems throughout the growing season to keep plants compact and producing new buds.
Happy in intense sun and arid conditions, pavonia adds colorful beauty to low barriers, foundations, planters, or any low water setting, and attracts bees and butterflies.
Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
15. Salvia
Highly drought and heat tolerant once established, salvia (Salvia) varieties bear multiple upright racemes of bell-shaped or tubular blooms in brilliant shades of blue, mauve, pink, purple, scarlet, white, or yellow.
Another months-long performer, salvia is native to Asia and the Americas, blooming from late spring to fall and attracting a host of pollinators to beds, containers, rockeries, plus cottage, cutting, and naturalized gardens.
Common sage (S. officinalis) is a popular Salvia species and is delightful in gravel, herb, and rock gardens.
Hardy in Zones 9 to 11, a wide range of salvia cultivars offer a variety of characteristics for various settings.
Some are good for hot, arid conditions while others are better suited for heat and humidity.
‘Evolution’ is a hybrid cultivar with deep purple flowers that works in heat, sun, and humidity.
It is available in one-gallon pots at Nature Hills Nursery.
Learn more about growing salvia here.
16. Strawflower
A wild plant indigenous to Australian grasslands, strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) features daisy-like blooms with multiple rows of stiff, papery petals in colors of orange, pink, purple, white, and yellow with matching or contrasting centers.
Growing 15 to 36 inches tall and spreading up to 24 inches, they have a long blooming season of early summer through to fall, extended by consistent deadheading, and attract many types of pollinators.
Strawflowers make a bright addition to beds, borders, containers, and rock or naturalized gardens and feature good heat and drought resistance once established.
Plants are hardy in Zones 8 to 11, and are grown as annuals elsewhere.
‘Bright Rose’ features hot pink petals surrounding a yellow center, for a colorful display.
You can find ‘Bright Rose’ seeds in a variety of packet sizes available via Eden Brothers.
Check out our strawflower growing guide!
17. Trumpet Vine
Native to the southeastern US, trumpet vines or trumpet creepers (Campsis radicans) are vigorous growers covered in flared bugle-like flowers during summer.
A favorite of hummingbirds, these sun-loving vines are heat and drought tolerant and can reach a mature size of 25 to 40 feet long with a spread of five to 10 feet.
For the best displays, they need a strong and sturdy support to grow on such as an arbor, fence, or trellis.
Prune freely as needed to keep its rather aggressive growth habit in check. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
Bare root plants are available at Nature Hills.
18. Verbena
Garden verbena (V. x hybrida) refers to cultivars of Verbena species native to the Americas and have mounding, trailing, or upright habits covered with clusters of starry florets in sumptuous shades of apricot, blue, mauve, mango, pink, red, white, and bicolors.
Freely blooming from late spring through to fall, garden varieties grow six to 18 inches tall and spread 12 to 30 inches.
And you’ll promote even more blooms if you cut them back a few inches every month during the growing season.
Heat and mildly drought tolerant once established, they add exceptional, long lasting color as ground covers or in beds, hanging baskets, patio planters, and window boxes. Hardy in Zones 8 to 11.
Purple top verbena (V. bonariensis) is tall, with an airy, branching structure and delightful puffs of purple florets on plants growing 48 inches tall.
A biennial that self-seeds readily and has better drought tolerance than garden varieties, purple top also has an impressively long flowering time.
These rangy plants give reliable color to the back of beds and in meadows, naturalized, or native plant gardens. Hardy in Zones 7 to 11.
You can find purpletop verbena seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
Our guide to growing verbena has further details.
19. Yarrow
A common native plant in North American meadows and prairies, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) features lacy foliage and pretty corymbs of small, starry florets.
Species plants have creamy white flowers and newer cultivars feature hues of apricot, blush, cerise, coral, crimson, gold, mauve, purple, and yellow.
Yarrow has a long blooming time of late spring to early fall, with garden varieties growing in mounds of 24 to 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
The branching, upright stems have a sweet, delicate appearance that masks its tough, resilient nature as yarrow plants easily endure drought, intense heat, and lean soils.
An ideal choice for colorful blooms in barren, dry areas as well as beds, borders, and containers.
Red Shades features a mixture of cranberry, rose, and violet flowers.
You can find bare roots available at Eden Brothers.
Bring on the Heat!
For areas with difficult climates such as lack of rainfall, burning sunshine, or sticky humidity, there’s no need to be deprived of showy blooms that return every year.
Our list of 19 flowering perennials for hot, sunny gardens has plants that thrive in growing extremes, including poor soil, baking sunlight, lack of water, and muggy conditions.
Choose the varieties best suited for your particular environment and be sure to provide the care they need to become established, then kick back and enjoy the show. You’ll be amazed, and delighted, at just how tough some of these plants can be!
What are your favorite perennials for southern climates? Let us know in the comments section below!
And for more flowers to grow in your garden, check out these guides next:
Nice! What is the flower in the very last picture?
Hi Jessica. That’s lantana. Probably ‘Bandana pink’ though it’s been a while since I planted it and I can’t be sure. 🙂
definitely lantana
That Hibiscus looking flower looks more like Pavonia than Lantana.
Canna lilies are great too, drought tolerant/ full sun. Very South Georgia, zone 8b/9
How about Plumbago, pretty blue flowers.
That’s a great one for southern gardens! We included it in our roundup of best perennials for fall color.
It blooms year round for us in Hawaii!
Just what I was looking for! Perfect! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Dian! 🙂