drought tolerant plants...

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_seasonal_zones/article/0,1785,HGTV_3631_3954981,00.html

Heat Lovers

Is your garden standing up to the sun? Picking heat-tolerant plants is one of the keys, of course. Here, 'Magellan Coral' zinnia, a 2005 AAS winner.

by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com

For gardeners (and gardens) wilting in the sun's hot August spotlight, there's no better remedy than a plant that likes (or at least tolerates) heat. Here are several tried-and-true plants that keep sizzling right along with the temperatures.

Cigar plant or firecracker plant (Cuphea sp.). Gardeners who have very hot summers have come to appreciate many of the options among cupheas. Heat tolerance is very high for most. Tubular red flowers attract hummingbirds. Size and habit vary according to species. The cigar plant (C. ignea) has dark green pointed leaves and a tightly branched habit to 12 inches tall. USDA Zones 10 to 12. Very frost sensitive; dies to the ground in Zones 8 and 9 but usually grows back quickly in spring. Other cupheas that are great for heat: Mexican heather (C. hyssopifolia), batface cuphea (Cuphea llavea), candy corn (C. micropetala) and giant candy corn (C. melvillea).

'Arizona Sun'

'Arizona Sun' blanket flower. The blanket flower regularly appears on lists of heat-tolerant plants; there are several great cultivars so you have only to choose your color. A 2005 All-America Selections winner, Galliardia 'Arizona Sun' forms a foot-tall mound topped with brightly hued, large flowers, a showier plant than 'Sundance Bicolor', a 2003 winner. It thrives in full, hot sun in USDA Zones 3 to 8. Blanket flower grows easily from seed.

Portulaca

Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora). This low-growing succulent annual comes in pink, rose, yellow, orange, white, and a host of hues in between. Blooms close in midafternoon and on cloudy days. Very tolerant of heat.

Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus). Long red or maroon tassels of flowers appear on this heat-tolerant annual in the summer. The blooms hold their color after cutting and are prized by crafters. Grows three to five feet tall. Reseeds. Get more information on amaranths.

Melampodium

Melampodium. A mass of yellow daisy-like flowers spread across bright-green foliage make Melampodium paludosum (or divaricatum) a welcome sight in the summer garden. An annual, melampodium reseeds readily. You'll want one of the compact cultivars such as 'Million Gold', shown here, 'Derby' or 'Showstar' (slightly taller). Give this plant average soil and expect bloom from late spring to early fall.

Rudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun'

Rudbeckia. No doubt about it, black-eyed Susans--almost any of them, and there are lots--will make you look like a great gardener. Robust plants put on a show of daisy-like blooms, especially in the summer's dog days, tolerating both heat and drought. Try 'Cherokee Sunset', a mix of yellow, orange, rust and dark red; 'Becky Cinnamon Bicolor' ('Becky also comes in yellow, orange and a mix); or 'Prairie Sun', which has green centers.


Heat Lovers

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'Jaio Scarlet Eye'

Vinca. Prolific, non-fading flowers, ultra-clean foliage plus heat and drought tolerance are the trademark of vincas (Vinca or Catharanthus roseus). 'Jaio Scarlet Eye' was a 2002 AAS winner. A great low-maintenance plant for bright color all season--in the ground or in containers.

'Lavender Wave'

Wave petunias. A 2002 AAS winner, 'Lavender Wave' spreads about three to four feet and reaches only four to six inches, so you'll get only a solid blanket of lavender with no pinching or pruning necessary.

Magilla perilla --photo courtesy of Simply Beautiful

Magilla Perilla. Here's a great heat-loving foliage plant that develops its brightest color in the sun. A bushy plant similar to coleus (in the same family), it grows up to 2-1/2 feet tall. Pinch it back a couple of times in the growing season to keep it bushy. Give it moist, well-drained soil, and fertilize lightly either with a liquid fertilizer every few weeks or with a slow-release fertilizer applied when planting and again in midseason.

Profusion Cherry

Profusion zinnias. Regular garden zinnias come in a wide range of colors but are subject to disease and insect problems, especially powdery mildew. The narrow-leaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) has high pest resistance but limited colors and small flowers. A cross between the two resulted in the Profusion series, which exhibit the best of both--excellent resistance to diseases and insects and more colors than in its narrow-leaf parent. First to come out were Profusion White, then Profusion Cherry and Profusion Orange, then Profusion Apricot and Profusion Fire. These zinnias grow up to two feet tall and wide, bloom profusely and robustly, even in the heat and humidity of the Deep South. They don't need to be deadheaded. Profusion White received the AAS Gold Medal award in 2001.

Lantana

Lantana (Lantana sp.). The bright flowers, clean evergreen foliage and drought tolerance make this southern perennial (or shrub) a stalwart of gardens in hot, dry areas. One to six feet tall, low and spreading to upright, depending on variety; comes in yellow, orange, pink, red and bicolors. Attracts butterflies, and birds eat the berries. Salt tolerant. USDA Zone 8 to 11. Notes: The leaves of some types are poisonous to humans and animals. Invasive in Hawaii, central and southern Florida.

Gazania (Gazania rigens). Short-lived perennial in USDA Zones 8b to 11, gazania is usually used as an annual, this bright daisy-like flower can take the heat, but usually does better with a little afternoon shade. The flowers close in the evening.

'Zowie! Yellow Flame' zinnia, a 2006 AAS winner

Zinnias. Need color amid the heat and don't want to work too hard to get it? Don't forget the zinnia, whose enduring nature is validated by continuing research and development of better varieties. Loves heat and sun. Will self sow until fall in the southernmost climates.

Tithonia

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). Three-inch, bright orange flowers on a medium-green bushy plant recommend this annual for gardeners looking for heat tolerance. T. rotundifolia averages four to six feet tall. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Self sows.

'Forever Blue'

'Forever Blue' Eustoma (or Lisianthus). A welcome color for a hot garden, lots of large (2-1/2 inch) purple-blue flowers form on densely branched, 12-inch plants. 'Forever Blue' earned an AAS award in 2001. 'Forever White' is another winning selection. Deadhead to increase bloom.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). Don't forget the easiest flower garden of all—the impromptu germination of spilled seed at the base of your bird feeders. As you move your feeders around the yard, you can extend your sunflower "beds." After you've enjoyed watching the flowers grow, finches will enjoy the harvest.