Plants that have stayed fresh looking through the heat ...

12 years ago

There are a few plants that absolutely amaze me by staying so fresh looking in spite of triple digit heat of up to 108 degrees and little water. The first among these is Rangoon Creeper ...

The flowers start out white and fade to red. The tropical fragrance is very strong and wafts ...

Another is Winter Honeysuckle. It's had extra water maybe two times and yet remains green and fresh. When I first got it I couldn't find a place for it and planted it in the easement where it had no extra water for years ...

September Morn is an old hybrid tea from the 1920s. It has the strongest fragrance of all the roses in my garden. Planted as a band this spring (a band is like a well rooted cutting) it has not ceased to bloom. But the amazing part is how long the flowers last. This flower is two days old and still very fragrant ...

{{gwi:302192}}

Not all, but most of my roses look like this by noon ...

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This is the same flower 5 or 6 days later; faded white but still with a detectable scent ...

The bush ...

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Another plant notable for its ability to remain fresh looking in this heat is esperanza. It must have roots to the aquifer because several that are blooming in the yard next to me have gotten NO extra water.

Pentapete volunteerd in a large container and wants water every couple of days or it wilts, but there are no crisping of the leaves. This one is covered with buds and will be blooming in a few days. Also someone sent seeds to me for a pink variety to me so am eagerly awaiting to see its flowers ...

I'm eager to hear what plants have remained fresh looking in your gardens?

Oh and I managed to use less water in July than in June -- that's the most amazing thing of all :-) I've been careful, but still felt like I was watering a LOT!

Comments (13)

soxxxx
12 years ago
No water at all
coral bean
rock rose
yucca
bamboo muhly
zebra grass,
blue switch grass

A little water
angelonia
looseleaf strife
chile pequin
old fashioned petunias
helebores (still have the blooms from late winter)
lion's tail (has quit blooming but looks good)
artemesia powis castle
horsetails
veronica sunny blue
anise hyssup
rosemary (some plants look good, some look like c**p)
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
Original Author
12 years ago
Soxxxx, that's a good report of what's looking good with little or no water. Thank you!

My artemesia powis castle is looking great too and with VERY little if any water. Maybe it has some long roots over to things I do water, but their roots never seem to bother roses and other things planted in the ground a few feet from them.

Chile pequins are unbelievable in how they thrive with little water. I wish we could graft all our ornamentals to their roots.

And yes, my rock roses receive no water in the places where they volunteered. They are very short, but blooming. Amazing.

A lot of the things you name I don't grow so it's good to know they are doing well for you.
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plantmaven
12 years ago
Canyon creek abelia
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
Original Author
12 years ago
The leaves on my old fashioned full size Glossy abelia are a tad more sparse, but overall it's taking the heat and drought well so it's good to know the names of the newer smaller varieties that do well too. Thanks Kathy. I'm going to check on Canyon creek abelia to use as a hedge plant along the fence.
plantmaven
12 years ago
About 1 1/2 weeks ago I cut some of the blooms, stripped off the leaves and put them in a vase without water. They have dried like hydrangeas. Really cool.
I would post a pic, but I can't fins the camera cord.;(
cactusgarden
12 years ago
All of these have done well with once a week watering to none at all. Depends on the plant, what it gets. I put an star by the no watering at all ones. I've been keeping the grasses water to keep them green and this is their first summer so I am still establishing them.

*Houston's Pride Holly
*Silver King Artemesia
*Chamisa (Rubber Rabbit Bush)
*Mormon Tea
*Russian Sage
*Spanish Broom
*Cactus, all of them
Desert Spoon
*Oregano
*Thyme
*Creeping Rosemary
Red Barberry (a bit singed on tips, deep watering once a month)
Skullcap
*Purple Prairie Clover
*Liatris
*Paperflower
Missouri Primrose
Bahia disecta
Milkweed

*Agaves
*Weeping Lovegrass
*All the Muhly grasses
*Hesperaloe
Mexican Feather Grass
Desert Marigolds
Dogweed
*Flame Flowers
*Apache Plume
Switch Grass
Little Bluestem
Winterfat
*Fringed Sage
cactusgarden
12 years ago
I thought of a couple more that doing well in the heat and drought

Dianthus, low growing blue leaf kind with light pink flowers (don't know exact type) mine are in half day sun. I never water them.
Gregg Dalea- no watering, growing on slope.
Globe Mallow doing pretty good with no water but not very pretty right now.
Prince's Plume is all dried looking but the stems look fine, no water.
Hesperaloe flowers look bad for the first time ever but the plants look fine.

These are either gone or going out of here:
Lavendar bit the dust.
Feather Reed Grass looks terrible
Miscanthus is curled, looks like crap
Pineleaf penstemon look fried
Both types of Australian grasses are all dried up even with water
Three of the Wild Pink Snapdragons look very good, others look fried, one died.
alameda/zone 8/East Texas
12 years ago
After all my roses/daylilies starting sulking in this blistering heat, I started experimenting with plants that would take the full all day sun. So far, here it what is doing well:
Hamelia - firebush
Sun Coleus
Blue Daze
Hibiscus - tropical
Lantana
Plumbago
Purple fountain grass
Periwinkles
My favorite nursery has everything half off - I am going back for more tomorrow now that I see these are going to do well.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
12 years ago
It would be good if people mention the type of dirt they have because that makes such a difference.
plantmaven
12 years ago
I have alkaline/clay. I know they grow well in East TX, also.

American beautyberry :Callicarpa americana is doing great and the berries are turning. These 2 were a gift from some birds and this is the 2nd year for them to bloom. They are about 3ft. tall.
I am too hot and tired to go back out to take a picture, so here is a link. I also read that people make jelly with the berries.

Kathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Am. Beautyberry
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for all the replies!

Something that I have not even taken notice of simply because it requires NO attention is garlic chives. It's looking fresh, bright green, and blooming!

Periwinkles have done well for me too -- in a pot with water every other day.

And yes firebush is amazing. Even if it droops the leaves don't brown around the edges. I appreciate plants like that.

There is a little clump of ornamental grass that I've had for years, 'bunny tail grass' is all I know it by. It's doing great. I point the hose at it every two or three weeks. Being that it's roots are under some paving stones and it is not in full sun helps I'm sure.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bunny tail grass ...
ckap
12 years ago
Roselee,Quick question about the Rangoon Creeper.Does your vine have lots of bloom?Mine has lot of new leaves,but few blooms.Last year it was loaded with blooms.
Chaya
bossjim1
12 years ago
Chaya, not Roselee, but, I'm probably 35 miles south of you, and my Rangoon creeper is slow to bloom this year too. Of course, it froze to the ground the last two winters, which I guess, slows it down some. Mine has grown back over 16 feet tall now and is beginning to bloom, not covered in blooms, like usual, but I think it eventually will be. Hope this helps.
Jim

Plants that have stayed fresh looking through the heat ...

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soxxxx

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roselee z8b S.W. TexasOriginal Author

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