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.

 

 

Written by milbergers