It’s difficult finding plants for those sunny, hot spots in
the landscape.  Many of the common annuals just don’t have what it
takes to survive the rigors of our summer heat.  Plants like petunias,
marigolds and periwinkles will usually fizzle long before the fall cool
down starts.

	With a little persistence and shopping around, you can locate
those garden gems that have what it takes to stand the heat.

	By the end of April those winter annuals such as pansies,
calendulas, snapdragons and the like will be well past their prime and
ready for replacement.  If a plant is to find its way into the
discriminating summer landscape it must pass a rigorous set of tests. 
This super plant should be able to hold up to heat (I mean really hot),
periods of extreme drought, as well as periods of wet, high humidity and
have the ability to give up a show of color from beginning to end.

	This may sound impossible but there are some hardy souls that
fit the bill.

	Portulaca is a great selection for sun and heat.  It is a low
growing succulent that produces bright cactus like flowers all summer in
shades of pinks, reds, yellows, peach and white.  Portulaca can be
purchased as single colors or in mixes and provide you with a durable,
showy ground cover from planting to frost.  They don’t like wet feet
so build the beds up to help with the drainage.  Varieties such as
Margarita Rosita, Sundial and Calypso have been developed to have
flowers that remain open well into the afternoon giving you a showier
display.  The purslane is a portulaca relative in shades of yellow and
orange.

	Rudbeckia or Black-eyed Susan is another candidate for the heat.
 This perennial, native is well adapted to our soils and climate.  The
green mounding plant grows through the winter and come the warmer days
of spring and summer it loads up with tons of two feet tall bright,
yellow daisy like flowers with a dark brown center.  This one is great
for cutting, lasting a week or more in water.  To keep this one blooming
you must remove the old spent blooms (this is called dead heading). 
Varieties such as Marmalade, Rustic Colors and Indian Summer make a
spectacular show.

	Lantana is another perennial that thrives on our heat.  It’s
great for attracting butterflies to the garden and comes in a wide
assortment of colors and heights.  There are  low growing, mounding
forms and tall types that may reach over four feet, with colors of
white, yellow, orange, red and violet.  This one is really bullet
proof.

	Pentas is one of my favorites.  Pentas are a weak perennial that
survives our milder winters.  They come in standard (4 feet tall) and
dwarf forms (18 inches to 2 feet tall) in shades of pink, red, white and
violet.  They will bloom all summer until frost and are great for
attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. They also grow well in the
shade.

	Gomphrena or bachelor buttons as they are sometimes called are
great in the sun.  They have a small cone shape bloom in shades of pink,
lavender, white and a reddish orange.  This annual reaches a height of
12 to 18 inches.  Gomphrena is great for really hot spots like those
beds near the street or on the west side of  the house.  Varieties such
as Lavender Lady and Gnome Dwarf are good growers.

	Don’t abandon those sunny spots in the landscape instead bask
in them with these glorious garden gems.

Don’t forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at
9020 FM 1484, Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail me at t-leroy@tamu.edu .
Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to
all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, age or
national origin.