Living in a hot climate means finding plants that can handle intense heat and drought.
After lots of trial and error in my garden, I’ve discovered these resilient perennials that keep blooming beautifully all summer long, even during the driest spells.
6 Heat-Hardy Perennials for Summer Gardens
1. Yarrow
This easy-growing perennial handles heat and drought effortlessly.
I love using it for cut flowers, and I never worry about local wildlife – deer and rabbits avoid it completely.
With colors ranging from yellow to orange, red, pink, and white, it fits perfectly in any garden design.
2. Blanket Flower
My blanket flowers bring reliable prairie toughness to the garden.
Their red and yellow blooms keep going strong from summer straight through fall.
I’ve noticed they’re particularly good at attracting pollinators to my garden.
3. Pineleaf Penstemon
The semi-evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, but the real show starts when masses of scarlet flowers bloom in summer.
It thrives in full sun and handles dry conditions like a champion.
I often cut stems for indoor arrangements, and the hummingbirds and butterflies seem to appreciate them as much as I do.
4. Agastache (Desert Sunrise)
This stunning plant stays covered in blooms from summer through fall.
The orange flowers with pink and purple hints create a beautiful display in my garden.
It’s become a favorite spot for local hummingbirds, and I love cutting stems for indoor bouquets.
5. Russian Sage
The aromatic silvery foliage and violet purple flower plumes make this one of my garden standouts.
I use the taller varieties as beautiful backdrop plants.
It’s incredibly drought resistant and completely ignored by rabbits and deer.
6. Meadowsage
This salvia variety produces striking violet blue flower clusters from midsummer to early September.
Its drought resistance has made it a reliable performer in my garden.
The butterflies and hummingbirds it attracts bring extra life and movement to my summer landscape.