If your Kansas yard gets loads of sunshine, you’re in luck—there are flowers that absolutely soak it up and bloom like crazy. I’ve filled my beds with sun-lovers and the color show doesn’t disappoint.
These tough beauties can handle heat, wind, and wide-open skies without blinking. They’re just what you need to turn a plain patch into a vibrant, buzzing haven.
Let’s check out the flowers that thrive in full sun and make your yard feel alive!
1. Black-Eyed Susan
Golden petals surround a dark center, creating a cheerful addition to any Kansas garden. These native wildflowers thrive in our hot summers and return reliably year after year.
Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, they’ll bloom from June until frost. Kansas gardeners appreciate their ability to self-seed, gradually forming impressive natural drifts throughout flower beds.
2. Purple Coneflower
Native to the Midwest, these stunning daisy-like blooms feature purple petals surrounding a spiky copper center. Their nectar attracts butterflies while their seeds feed finches and cardinals in fall.
Hardy perennials that return stronger each year in Kansas landscapes. Many gardeners appreciate their medicinal properties – the roots are harvested for echinacea, known for immune-boosting benefits.
3. Coreopsis
Butter-yellow blooms dance above delicate foliage from early summer through fall. Heat-loving and drought-resistant, they’re perfectly suited for Kansas’ challenging climate conditions.
Bees and butterflies flock to these cheerful flowers. Kansas gardeners love how these reliable perennials spread gradually without becoming invasive, filling garden spaces with golden color year after year.
4. Yarrow
Flat-topped flower clusters in white, yellow, or pink rise above feathery, aromatic foliage. Once established, yarrow thrives on neglect, making it perfect for busy Kansas homeowners.
Historically used for medicinal purposes, this tough perennial attracts beneficial insects. Kansas gardens benefit from its drought tolerance and ability to grow in poor soil where other flowers struggle.
5. Blanket Flower
Fiery red and yellow blooms resemble little sunbursts, brightening gardens from early summer until frost. Heat-loving and drought-tolerant, they’re tailor-made for Kansas’ hot summers.
Pollinators can’t resist these vibrant flowers. Kansas gardeners appreciate their long blooming season and minimal care requirements – deadheading spent flowers encourages continuous blooming throughout the growing season.
6. Russian Sage
Airy spires of tiny lavender-blue flowers create a cloud-like effect above silvery foliage. This woody perennial establishes deep roots, making it incredibly drought-resistant for Kansas landscapes.
Deer and rabbits avoid its aromatic leaves, solving a common garden problem. Kansas gardeners value its long bloom time from midsummer through fall, providing structure and color when many other perennials have finished flowering.
7. Daylily
Available in countless colors, these trumpet-shaped blooms open for just one day, but plants produce buds for weeks. Their thick, strappy foliage forms attractive clumps even when not flowering.
Remarkably adaptable to Kansas’ climate extremes, from summer heat to winter cold. Each established plant can produce dozens of blooms, creating spectacular displays that require minimal maintenance in Kansas gardens.
8. Butterfly Weed
Clusters of vibrant orange flowers attract monarch butterflies and other pollinators all summer long. Native to Kansas prairies, this milkweed species provides crucial habitat for monarch caterpillars.
Deep taproots make it incredibly drought-tolerant once established. Kansas gardeners appreciate its wildlife value and the spectacular sight of butterflies visiting these nectar-rich blooms throughout the growing season.
9. Lavender
Fragrant purple flower spikes rise above silvery-gray foliage, creating a sensory delight. The Munstead and Phenomenal varieties perform especially well in Kansas’ hot, humid summers.
Dried flowers retain their scent for months, perfect for sachets and potpourri. Kansas gardeners love how bees flock to these aromatic blooms, and the plants become more drought-tolerant with each passing year.
10. Sedum
Succulent foliage in blue-green, burgundy, or variegated forms provides year-round interest. Late summer brings large flower heads in pink or rusty red that persist into winter.
Extremely drought-tolerant, these plants thrive in Kansas’ hot, sunny locations. Kansas gardeners appreciate how these low-maintenance perennials attract butterflies and provide winter interest when other garden plants have disappeared.
11. Salvia
Spikes of blue, purple, or red flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies throughout summer. Their aromatic foliage naturally repels deer and rabbits, solving a common Kansas garden problem.
Heat-loving and drought-tolerant once established, they’re perfect for Kansas summers. Many varieties will rebloom if cut back after their first flowering, providing continuous color in Kansas gardens until frost.
12. Sunflower
Kansas’ state flower creates dramatic height and golden color in any garden. Varieties range from towering 12-foot giants to compact 2-foot plants perfect for smaller spaces.
Birds feast on the nutritious seeds in fall. Kansas gardeners can choose between annual varieties for cutting gardens or perennial types that return year after year with minimal care.
13. Gaura
Delicate white or pink butterfly-like blooms dance on slender stems from early summer until frost. This native wildflower handles Kansas heat and humidity with grace, continuing to flower when other plants have given up.
Low water needs make it perfect for drought-prone areas. Kansas gardeners love its airy, movement-filled presence that adds a whimsical touch to borders and meadow-style plantings.
14. Lantana
Clusters of multicolored flowers in orange, yellow, pink, or purple bloom continuously from spring until frost. Heat-loving and virtually indestructible, they thrive in Kansas’ hottest summer conditions.
Butterflies can’t resist these nectar-rich blooms. Though typically grown as annuals in Kansas, these tropical plants grow so quickly and flower so abundantly that they’re worth replanting each spring.
15. Verbena
Low-growing clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers spread to create colorful ground cover. Heat-loving and drought-tolerant, they’re perfectly suited for Kansas’ challenging summer conditions.
Butterflies flock to these nectar-rich blooms all season. Kansas gardeners appreciate how these tough plants thrive in full sun and poor soil, flowering continuously from late spring until frost.
16. Penstemon
Tubular flowers in shades of red, purple, pink, or white attract hummingbirds throughout summer. Native to North American prairies, many varieties are perfectly adapted to Kansas’ climate extremes.
Drought-tolerant once established, they thrive with minimal care. Kansas gardeners value these reliable perennials for their vertical interest and ability to blend beautifully with other prairie-inspired plantings.
17. Cosmos
Daisy-like flowers in pink, white, or magenta dance above feathery foliage all summer long. These easy-growing annuals self-seed readily, returning to Kansas gardens year after year.
Butterflies love their simple, open blooms. Kansas gardeners appreciate how these drought-tolerant flowers thrive in poor soil and continue blooming through the hottest summer days without special attention.
18. Agastache
Spikes of tubular flowers in blue, purple, orange, or pink attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Their licorice-scented foliage naturally repels deer and rabbits, solving a common Kansas garden challenge.
Extremely heat and drought tolerant once established. Kansas gardeners value these long-blooming perennials for their aromatic foliage and ability to thrive in hot, sunny locations where other plants struggle.
19. Catmint
Lavender-blue flower spikes rise above aromatic gray-green foliage from late spring through summer. Deer and rabbits avoid these fragrant plants, making them perfect for problem areas in Kansas gardens.
Cut back after first flowering for a second bloom cycle. Kansas gardeners appreciate how these drought-tolerant perennials form attractive mounds that complement roses and other sun-loving garden favorites.
20. Liatris
Purple flower spikes bloom from top to bottom, creating unusual vertical interest in summer gardens. Native to Kansas prairies, these tough perennials handle heat, drought, and poor soil with ease.
Butterflies can’t resist their nectar-rich blooms. Kansas gardeners value these low-maintenance natives for their reliability and their ability to thrive in the challenging conditions of Midwestern summers.