5 Heat-Tolerant Perennials To Plant This Season

With the temperatures quickly rising in the Treasure Valley, you may be wondering, what on earth could I plant right now that would tolerate this heat? The good news is, there’s actually a good number of plants that thrive in such weather. So fear not. We’re here to help you find not only heat-tolerant plants but also, low-maintenance ones as well.

Echinacea (Coneflower)

First, we have Echinacea or what’s commonly known as Coneflower. Echinacea is a popular choice for many reasons. It produces beautiful, vibrant blooms in many different colors, attracts beneficial pollinators, AND is heat and drought-tolerant once established!

Growth: 2’-5’ tall x 1’-2’ spread

Bloom time: Spring to late summer

Common use: Beds/borders, prairies and meadows, wildflower, and cottage gardens.

Achillea (Yarrow)

Yarrow is another popular choice as it blooms small flowers in clusters coming in a variety of shades of white, yellow, orange, and red. It also attracts beneficial pollinators including bees and butterflies. Achillea thrives in full sun and is drought-tolerant once established. This plant is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses so if you have little nibblers around, make sure to plant it in an area that isn’t as easily accessible to them.

Growth: 2-3’ tall x 1-2’ spread

Bloom time: Early-late summer

Common use: Cottage gardens, meadows, borders, and prairies.

Perovskia (Russian Sage)

Russian sage is often mistaken for Lavender because of its thin stems and small purple blooms. Although it isn’t Lavender, Perovskia is still a great choice! It attracts beneficial pollinators, is heat and drought-tolerant once established, and even has a very subtle, pleasant aroma commonly described as a kind of menthol scent mixed with sage and lavender. It’s also deer and rabbit resistant!

Growth: 2’-3’ tall and wide

Bloom time: Mid-summer to fall

Common use: Dessert, cottage, and Mediterranean gardens.

Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks)

Hens and Chicks are a popular and fun plant that thrives in the hot sun. These plants are commonly used as ground covers and in containers, succulent, rock, and dessert gardens due to their smaller size and succulent-type appearance. These plants are heat and drought-tolerant as well as rabbit and deer resistant!

Growth: 2-3” tall x 8”-1’ spread

Delosperma (Ice Plant)

Delosperma is a great groundcover option as it is low-growing and spreads beautifully. This plant produces 1”-2” daisy-like flowers that generally bloom from late spring to the first frost. Due to its succulent-like foliage, this plant is low maintenance as well as heat and drought-tolerant!

Growth: 4”-6” tall x 8”-10” or more spread

Common use: Groundcover, borders, containers, neutralized gardens, rock gardens, and succulent gardens.

These are just a few of our favorite options to start with. If you are planning your garden and are unsure where to start or need some direction, our Garden Center is always fully staffed with experts to assist you. Higher temperatures shouldn’t stop you from adding to your gardens. We hope you found this blog helpful and we can’t wait to help you with all of your gardening needs!

If you liked this blog, check out our blog on rose pruning!