Summer is just around the corner, so now is the perfect time to fill our gardens with plants that can survive the summer heat. Luckily, there are various plants that can not only survive, but thrive in hot climates!
Whether you are looking for colorful flowers, lush foliage, or delicious edible plants, there are plenty of choices to keep your garden thriving even on the hottest days.
The trick is to look for telltale signs of drought tolerant plants, and we will take an in-depth look at them all in this article, so stay tuned!
Look For Silvery-toned Leaves
The most colorful gardens in hot climates share one characteristic – they all have plants with silvery-toned leaves.
These leaves indicate their ability to tolerate heat on hot summer days.
Many plants with silvery or grayish-green leaves have adaptations that reduce water loss and enable them to withstand high temperatures.
Small leaf hairs, wax coats, and reflective leaf surfaces are a few examples of these adaptations. They can reflect sunlight and lower heat absorption.
A thin covering of small hairs or a wax coating on the leaf surface are frequently the cause of the silvery appearance.
Nonetheless, these tiny hairs and wax can help the plants endure extreme temperatures, reduce water evaporation, and aid with water conservation.
It’s important to note that while having silvery-toned leaves may suggest some degree of heat tolerance, it doesn’t necessarily mean that these plants can grow in scorching gardens.
When choosing plants for hot locations, other factors, such as the plant’s specific heat tolerance range, water requirements, and general climatic adaptation, should also be taken into account.
I would recommend you look for some native plants first and always take into consideration the heat level that these plants can tolerate, because you don’t want to end up with fried plants!
Plants With Silvery Leaves
Not every plant with silvery leaves has remarkable heat tolerance – you will have to do your research and carefully choose plants if you have a hot and dry garden.
You can start with Dusty Miller, otherwise known as Senecio cineraria. This herb has fine silver-gray foliage and is highly tolerant to heat and drought. Dusty Miller is a great companion to Creeping phlox, which is another drought tolerant plant.
Agave and Lamb’s Ear are also great plants for dry and hot environments, but our top pick is definitely Russian Sage. This is one of the best drought tolerant plants and can make your garden look dreamy with its soft purple flower spikes!
If you want to grow ornamental grass to fill out your garden, consider planting Blue Oat grass.
Since these plants can tolerate heat and drought, you won’t have to worry about any special growing requirements!
Other Features Of Drought Tolerant Plants
Those silvery leaves are not the only characteristics of drought tolerant plants. There are other things that you can look at to determine if the plant can withstand the heat and drought of hot summers.
So many different plants have the ability to conserve water. For instance, succulent plants have fleshy leaves that retain extra water.
Other plants, like yarrow, have deep root systems that can reach beneath dry, crispy soil and still find some cold, damp ground to use as a water source.
Thick and leathery leaves are also great for water conservation, as well as sturdy stems. Plants with waxy leaves can reflect sunlight, which works great for water loss reduction during hot summer days.
Even plants with small and narrow leaves are better suited for heat and drought since they have reduced surface areas that minimize water loss via transpiration.
Take into consideration that the plants need to adapt to a new kind of area. I would suggest you always opt for plants that originate from relatively dry regions such as deserts or rocky terrain.
Our Favorite Drought Tolerant Plants
| Dusty Miller Maritima Silverdust Cineraria Live Starter Plant Winter Hardy |
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| Silver color |
| Winter hardy |
| Moderate watering required |
| Lambs Ear Live Plant Perennial - 12 Plants LAMBSEAR-12PK-NPF |
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| Purple color |
| Low-maintenance |
| Requires full sun exposure |
| Clovers Garden Purple Sage Herb Plants- Non GMO-Two (2) Live Plants |
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| Green and purple color |
| Attracts pollinators |
| Deer resistant |
| Agave Americana - Blue Agave - 2 Plants in Big Size |
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| Green color |
| Fast grower |
| Easy to grow |
I hope this article was helpful.
Until next time!