Oklahoma’s humid subtropical climate can be tricky, but it’s perfect for a colorful, thriving garden. I’ve tried my fair share of flowers here and learned which ones truly shine in this heat and humidity.
These 15 picks are not only stunning but also surprisingly easy to care for. Let’s get your garden blooming beautifully all season long!
1. Black-Eyed Susan
Bright yellow petals surround a dark center, creating a cheerful addition to any Oklahoma garden. These drought-tolerant perennials bloom from June through October, attracting butterflies and pollinators throughout the season.
In Oklahoma’s humid climate, they establish quickly and spread naturally, requiring minimal care once established. Just deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers!
2. Purple Coneflower
Stunning daisy-like blooms with drooping lavender petals and spiky orange-brown centers make a statement in Oklahoma gardens. Native to the central United States, these hardy perennials handle Oklahoma’s summer heat with remarkable resilience.
Many Oklahoma gardeners appreciate how these flowers attract beneficial pollinators while deterring deer. Their seed heads provide winter interest and food for goldfinches after the blooming season ends.
3. Blanket Flower
Fiery red and yellow blooms resemble tiny sunsets dancing atop slender stems from spring through fall. Hardy and heat-loving, these drought-resistant perennials laugh at Oklahoma’s hottest summer days while continuing to produce vibrant flowers.
Across Oklahoma gardens, blanket flowers require minimal maintenance and thrive in poor soil conditions. Their daisy-like appearance brings southwestern charm while attracting butterflies and beneficial insects to your garden space.
4. Butterfly Weed
Vibrant orange clusters create a beacon for monarchs and other butterflies throughout Oklahoma summers. Despite its name, this native milkweed is actually a well-behaved perennial that forms tidy clumps rather than spreading aggressively.
Oklahoma gardeners love how this plant handles poor soil and drought conditions with ease. The distinctive seed pods that follow the blooms add interest well into fall in gardens across the state.
5. Autumn Sage
Tubular red blooms appear from spring until frost, creating a hummingbird haven in Oklahoma gardens. The aromatic gray-green foliage remains attractive even when not flowering, adding texture to garden beds throughout the year.
Many Oklahoma gardeners appreciate how this drought-tolerant perennial thrives in the state’s hot summers. With minimal care beyond occasional trimming, autumn sage rewards with months of colorful blooms that brighten any landscape.
6. Yarrow
Flat-topped flower clusters in shades from white to yellow to pink crown ferny foliage all summer long. These tough perennials laugh at Oklahoma’s heat and humidity while providing months of color with minimal care requirements.
Throughout Oklahoma gardens, yarrow attracts beneficial insects while repelling many garden pests. The flowers dry beautifully for arrangements, adding multi-season value to this easy-care plant that thrives in the state’s challenging conditions.
7. Russian Sage
Airy spires of tiny lavender-blue flowers create a cloud-like effect above silvery foliage from midsummer through fall. The aromatic leaves deter deer and rabbits, making this a practical choice for Oklahoma gardens plagued by hungry wildlife.
Across Oklahoma’s varying soil conditions, Russian sage performs reliably with minimal care. Its drought tolerance and heat resistance make it perfect for sunny spots where other plants might struggle in the state’s challenging summer weather.
8. Coreopsis
Cheery daisy-like blooms in gold, yellow, or bicolors dance above fine-textured foliage throughout summer. These easy-care perennials establish quickly in Oklahoma gardens and often self-seed gently to create natural-looking drifts.
Many Oklahoma gardeners appreciate how coreopsis handles poor soil and drought conditions. Regular deadheading extends the blooming season, ensuring months of bright color that attracts butterflies and other pollinators to state gardens.
9. Lantana
Multi-colored flower clusters change hues as they age, creating a kaleidoscope effect from spring until frost. Heat-loving and drought-tolerant, lantana thrives during Oklahoma’s hottest months when many other plants struggle to perform.
Throughout Oklahoma gardens, lantana attracts countless butterflies while deterring deer with its aromatic foliage. Though treated as an annual in northern parts of the state, it often returns in southern Oklahoma’s milder winter conditions.
10. Daylily
Trumpet-shaped blooms in virtually every color except true blue open daily throughout summer in Oklahoma gardens. Though each flower lasts just one day, established clumps produce dozens of buds that ensure continuous color for weeks.
Across Oklahoma’s varied growing conditions, daylilies perform reliably with minimal care. Their ability to handle poor soil, drought, and humidity makes them perfect for challenging spots where other perennials might struggle in the state’s climate.
11. Gayfeather
Fuzzy purple spikes rise like bottle brushes above grassy foliage in late summer, creating vertical interest in Oklahoma gardens. Native to prairies, these drought-tolerant perennials develop deep taproots that help them survive the state’s hot, dry periods.
Many Oklahoma gardeners appreciate how gayfeather attracts butterflies and pollinators to the landscape. The distinctive blooms also make excellent cut flowers, bringing the beauty of the state’s native prairie into home arrangements.
12. Penstemon
Tubular blooms in shades from white to pink to deep purple dangle from sturdy stems above attractive foliage. These native perennials handle Oklahoma’s clay soils and summer heat with remarkable resilience while attracting hummingbirds and beneficial insects.
Throughout Oklahoma gardens, penstemon adds reliable color with minimal maintenance requirements. Different varieties bloom from spring through fall, allowing gardeners to enjoy their trumpet-shaped flowers throughout much of the growing season.
13. Cosmos
Daisy-like flowers in white, pink, or deep rose dance above ferny foliage from summer until frost. These easy-growing annuals self-seed readily in Oklahoma gardens, often returning year after year without additional planting.
Many Oklahoma gardeners appreciate how cosmos attracts butterflies while requiring minimal care. Their airy habit makes them perfect for filling spaces between perennials or creating informal cottage garden effects throughout the state’s growing season.
14. Turk’s Cap
Unusual red blooms with twisted petals resemble tiny turbans nodding above lush green foliage all summer. This shade-tolerant perennial thrives in Oklahoma’s woodland gardens where many flowering plants struggle to perform in the filtered light.
Throughout Oklahoma gardens, Turk’s Cap attracts hummingbirds and butterflies with its nectar-rich flowers. Its ability to handle the state’s heat, humidity, and clay soils makes it a low-maintenance choice for challenging garden spots.
15. Verbena
Clusters of small, flat-faced flowers in purple, pink, or white spread over low-growing foliage from spring until frost. Heat-loving and drought-tolerant, verbena creates colorful carpets in Oklahoma gardens even during the hottest summer months.
Across Oklahoma landscapes, verbena attracts butterflies while deterring many garden pests. Native varieties are particularly well-adapted to the state’s climate extremes, performing reliably with minimal care throughout the growing season.