Kansas’s humid weather can be challenging for some plants, but certain flowers thrive and bring vibrant color to your garden. With the right choices, your yard can stay lively and full of life all season long.
These blooms can handle moisture, heat, and everything in between without losing their charm. Here are 16 flowers that flourish beautifully in Kansas’s humid conditions.
1. Coneflowers
Hardy natives that laugh in the face of Kansas humidity! These drought-tolerant perennials produce stunning daisy-like blooms in purple, pink, and white.
With deep roots that help them survive tough conditions, coneflowers attract butterflies and birds to your garden. Kansas gardeners love them for their long blooming season from June through October.
2. Black-eyed Susans
Bright golden petals surround a dark brown center, creating a cheerful addition to any Kansas landscape. These native wildflowers thrive in the state’s humid conditions without fussing.
Unfazed by heat or humidity, they bloom from June until frost. Kansas gardeners appreciate their ability to self-seed and create beautiful natural drifts year after year.
3. Daylilies
Nearly indestructible beauties that flourish in Kansas’s challenging climate! Available in countless colors, these perennials produce trumpet-shaped blooms throughout summer.
Each flower lasts just one day (hence the name), but plants produce many buds on each stem. Kansas gardeners treasure daylilies for their ability to thrive in both humid heat and poor soil.
4. Zinnias
Bringing explosive color to Kansas gardens from summer until frost! These annual flowers come in virtually every shade except blue, with forms ranging from button-sized to dinner-plate dimensions.
Heat-loving and humidity-tolerant, zinnias attract butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. Kansas gardeners can easily grow them from seed sown directly in garden beds after the last frost.
5. Butterfly Bush
Fragrant flower spikes become butterfly magnets in humid Kansas summers! The sweet nectar attracts hummingbirds and beneficial insects too, creating a lively garden scene.
Available in purple, pink, white, and blue, these shrubs bloom from midsummer until frost. Kansas gardeners should prune them back severely in early spring for the most impressive blooms.
6. Bee Balm
Unique spiky blooms in red, pink, or purple create a firework display in Kansas gardens! Native to North America, bee balm attracts pollinators while handling humidity with ease.
The aromatic leaves give off a pleasant minty-citrus scent when brushed against. Kansas gardeners love how this perennial spreads to form beautiful clumps that return more impressive each year.
7. Coreopsis
Cheerful daisy-like flowers dance above delicate foliage throughout Kansas summers! These easy-growing perennials come in sunny yellows, warm oranges, and rich reds.
Humidity doesn’t bother these tough natives, which bloom repeatedly when deadheaded regularly. Kansas gardeners can count on coreopsis to provide reliable color even during the most challenging weather conditions.
8. Yarrow
Flat-topped flower clusters rise above feathery foliage, creating architectural interest in Kansas gardens! Available in yellow, white, pink, and red, these drought-tolerant perennials laugh at humidity.
The flowers dry beautifully for arrangements and attract beneficial insects to your garden. Kansas gardeners appreciate yarrow’s ability to thrive in poor soil with minimal care.
9. Blazing Star
Tall purple spikes create vertical drama in Kansas landscapes from July through September! Native to the prairies, these perennials naturally handle the state’s humidity and temperature swings.
Monarch butterflies find the nectar irresistible during their migration. Kansas gardeners treasure blazing star for its ability to thrive in tough conditions while providing food for wildlife.
10. Russian Sage
Airy lavender-blue flower spikes create a cloud-like effect in Kansas gardens from midsummer until frost! The silver-gray foliage adds beautiful contrast and remains attractive even in brutal humidity.
Drought-tolerant once established, this perennial requires almost no maintenance. Kansas gardeners love its ability to thrive in full sun and poor soil while repelling deer and rabbits.
11. Blanket Flower
Fiery red and yellow blooms resemble tiny sunsets scattered throughout Kansas gardens! These tough natives handle humidity with ease while flowering continuously from early summer until frost.
Their daisy-like flowers attract butterflies and provide cheerful color even during drought. Kansas gardeners appreciate how blanket flowers self-seed gently, creating natural-looking drifts year after year.
12. Garden Phlox
Fragrant flower clusters perfume Kansas gardens throughout summer! Available in white, pink, lavender, and bi-colors, these traditional perennials create a cottage garden feel.
Choose mildew-resistant varieties to handle Kansas humidity with grace. Kansas gardeners love how these natives attract butterflies and hummingbirds while providing weeks of colorful blooms in partial shade.
13. Purple Coneflower
Medicinal native beauties stand tall through Kansas’s hottest, most humid days! The drooping lavender petals surrounding orange-copper centers create distinctive silhouettes in garden beds.
Goldfinches love the seeds, visiting gardens well into fall. Kansas gardeners appreciate how these tough perennials need almost no care while providing months of blooms and wildlife benefits.
14. Sedum
Succulent foliage provides interest all season before flat flower clusters appear in late summer! The star-shaped blooms in pink, red, or white persist through Kansas fall, even turning attractive russet tones.
Extremely drought-tolerant once established, sedums shrug off humidity. Kansas gardeners love these low-maintenance perennials for their ability to thrive in poor soil and attract beneficial insects.
15. Sunflowers
Kansas’s state flower naturally thrives in the local climate! From giant single-stemmed varieties to branching types covered in smaller blooms, sunflowers create dramatic garden statements.
Birds feast on the nutritious seeds in fall. Kansas gardeners can choose from varieties ranging from 18 inches to 12 feet tall, all providing cheerful yellow faces that track the sun.
16. Hibiscus
Dinner-plate sized blooms create tropical drama in Kansas gardens! Hardy varieties survive winter while producing enormous flowers in white, pink, or red with distinctive central stamens.
Unlike many perennials, hibiscus actually prefer humid conditions. Kansas gardeners should be patient in spring, as these late-risers don’t emerge until the soil warms considerably.