Plant These Summer Bloomers Now for Color in July and August
Text by Suzy Fischer, Plant Selection by SAWS
July and August are the tough months for plants. The good news is that there are many perennials that thrive on the heat without much water. While turfgrass, roses and other plants are wilting, enjoy the seasonal stars.
Firebush
Thrives in Full Sun. Width: 2-4ft. Height: 2-5ft
Firebush start growing and blooming once summer begins. They thrive in sunny, hot, dry places and are covered with orange-red tubular flowers all summer long. Hummingbirds love these plants! Firebush get larger each summer, so plan their location carefully.
Plumbago
Thrives almost anywhere but likes partial Sun. Width: 3 ft. Height: 3 ft
Plumbago is a root-hardy perennial that will produce quarter-size blooms (white and various shades of blue) all summer long. The plant will reach three feet tall and likes to spread. The foliage is an attractive light-green color. The ideal conditions for plumbago seem to be morning sun or speckled shade, but it will grow in more or less light. The denser the shade the fewer the flowers.
“Gold Star” Esperanza
Thrives in Full Sun. Width: 2-5 ft., Height: 5-8 ft
Esperanza or yellow bells begin to bloom in May. The plant loves the heat, and full sun is a necessity to produce blooms. The yellow, tubular flowers appear in several cycles if spent flowers are removed. On most sites, the stems freeze back to the roots every winter and then grow to five to eight feet tall the next summer.
Turk’s Cap
Thrives in Partial Sun. Width: 2-5 ft. Height: 2-5 ft
Turk’s Cap prospers in dappled sunlight under trees, but blooms lessen as sun exposure decreases. Its scarlet red blooms and nearly evergreen foliage, make Turk’s Cap a good rambling groundcover under oaks on poor soils. Hummingbirds love Turk’s Cap but the deer are not very fond of it.
Pride of Barbados
Thrives in Full Sun. Width: 18-24 ft. Height: 12-14 ft
Pride of Barbados is a tall, heat-loving perennial that produces bright balls of orange-red blossoms during mid-summer. It needs full-sun and good drainage, but requires little other care because it is not bothered by pests or disease.
25 Comments
Can someone help me to select 2 or 3 Crepe Mertyls trees for planting in my yard in Corpus Christi?
I prefer the single trunk .
Is this a good time to plant?
What is cost for approx 8-10 feet?
We carry a large selection of field grown (balled & burlapped) specimen crape myrtles including single trunk, which are harder to find. The single trunk varieties we’ll have are Natchez (white), Muskogee (lavender) and County Red. Our new inventory is scheduled to arrive late January 2018. 2” caliper, 10’+ tall for $399.99 cash and carry.
wanting to know if you carry the pink flowering pride of Barbados plant.
We have a limited inventory of pink pride of Barbados!
Question: how well will the jacaranda tree grow in San Antonio? What is the cost of a 5ft tree.? I need a fast growing shade tree on west side of house to be growing before I have my 50 yr old Arizona ash taken down. Do you have any other recommendations? I do not want an evergreen because I prefer sun to warm house in the winter months. I have red oak in backyard & although it is a wonderful shade tree it drops too many leaves in fall & too much pollen in the spring. Thank you for your response.
Unfortunately, jacaranda are too cold sensitive. It’s doubtful that they would survive even the temperatures we are experiencing this week! Oaks and elms are the best large growing shade trees for this area — look at Monterrey Oaks. They are relatively fast for an oak and shed their leaves in late winter early spring like Live Oaks.
Do you have any other color pride of Barbados besides red? Like orange yellow or pink?
John, we do get other varieties of the Pride of Barbados, but rarely. They’re generally not as floriferous, and you’re more likely to see them in summer. Hope that helps!
I have a spot that gets only afternoon sun. Will Plumbago or Esperanza work better?
Is there an Oak Tree or other shade that does not dump leaves in fall, that would survive this South TX. climate? Any recommendations would be appreciated, Thanks in advance.
Do you have Bergeria or Astilbe plants?
Looking for lemongrass plants, pride of barbados (any color) and cannas. Is this something you carry right now? If so what is the best time for planting? I am planning on planting in pots since I rent my property. Ant tips or tricks would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
We just received some new Lemon grass in one gallon pots for $8.99 each and they sell off fast, we also have Pride of Barbados in stock and both can be planted in pots, larger pots are easier to keep hydrated and I like to add “Vermiculite” to the potting mix because it holds some water and aerates the soil, but you will still need to water daily since they need the full sun and the hot weather is here. Be sure that your plant is spaced off of any hot surfaces like concrete, pavement, or decks so the heat from these surfaces don’t “cook” the roots.
Summer is the right time to plant these plants however in pots both of these plants can die in hard winters.
Have a Great Day!
We have several tall blue ceramic containers that we want to put out front of our condo for flowers.They will be on either side of door entry. The width of containers are @ 18″ The area out from is 6-8 hours sun. We are trying to plant now, in October for some beautiful color from now through winter. Any suggestions?
Sam
Our fall through winter hardy annual color is just now coming in from our growers and more choices should arrive every week in October. If you don’t have any deer problems your winter color choices are Pansies and Johnny Jump-ups, snapdragons, calendula, dianthus, carnations, old fashioned stock, petunias, primrose, Dusty Miller, flowering cabbage or kale, and Cyclamen. Johnny Jump-ups and petunias are good for cascading down, petunias can get damaged in a good freeze but the Johnny Jump-ups and pansies survive freezes.
If deer have access to your front porch the best color for winter are Snapdragons in all kinds of colors and different growth heights, Calendula that come in Orange and Yellow, and Dusty Miller that is a silvery leaf plant for a good contrasting foliage. If you want some height for effect a good center interest in a larger pot would be a bi-color Iris that has a grassy look, and can handle moderate freezes, and then the deer resistant flowers around the pot.
When is the best time to plant a purple duranta in San Antonio and do you or will you have them in stock?
Here at Milberger’s Nursery we usually get our duranta plants in during the summer and it would be best to plant them at this time to develop a good root system to survive any possible hard freezes during the winter. I like to mulch at least 4” deep right over the base and out from the any tender perennial plant to protect tender root systems then pull away the mulch once all danger of hard freezes are over, generally by late February.
I am looking for Dwarf Katie Ruellia in either pink or white
Thank you
We do not have any variety of Dwarf Katie Ruellia at this time and might not have any come available from our vendors until sometime in March.
I’m looking for clematis! I have a lattice board for it to spread. Do you have any for spring planting?
We seldom get in Clematis vines because they need more acidic and loamy soils, our heavy alkaline soils make it difficult to grow and extreme summer heat can scorch them if not put on the morning sun with afternoon shade.
Do you have Cora Vincas in stock right now? I am really having trouble finding them right now.
We have 4’’ pot for $1.29 each.
Hi there! I am looking for Lamb’s ears and rain lillies for my front yard landscaping. Do you have those in stock?
No lambs ear in stock right now but we do have rain lilies in our aquatic section in a 4’’ pot for $12.99 each.