Best Foliage to Plant in Your Garden to Withstand the Summer Heat in Texas

Summertime in Texas can be brutal and very challenging for anyone trying to grow and maintain a garden. Knowing what type of plants and flowers will thrive in the hot Texas sun can save you money and frustration. Consider using these native and adapted plants in your garden or landscaping this summer.

Turk's Cap

This shrub is a member of the hibiscus family and blooms from early summer through late fall. The flowers can be red, white, or pink. The blooms attract hummingbirds, moths, and butterflies. Turk's Cap thrives in a variety of soils, and requires only a minimum of water and fertilizer.

Angel's Trumpet

This shrub grows very quickly and has beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers. The flower blooms are very fragrant and attract bees, butterflies and birds. The flowers colors I've seen are mostly usually white, pink or yellow. The shrub doesn't require a lot of water and holds up nicely in full sun. One thing to note is that all parts of this plant are highly poisonous, so if you have small children or pets that are prone to "tasting" things, you might not want to have Angel's Trumpet in your garden.

Gold Star Esperanza

This shrub is evergreen and has yellow bell-shaped flowers. It blooms from early spring through late fall, and thrives in the full hot Texas sun! Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the nectar in the flowers. Gold Star Esperanza is a very low maintenance shrub that is also naturally pest resistant.

Mealy cup sage

This is one of my favorite plants for ground cover. It grows quickly and spreads rapidly. The hotter the sun, the more it seems to thrive! The leaves are gray-green colored and are topped with beautiful blue and lavender flowers. The flowers bloom most of the summer and fall and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Mealy cup sage requires minimal watering and care.

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy hibiscus grow best in full sun and require plenty of water and fertilizer. This hearty shrub features large vibrantly colored flowers in yellow, pink, and white. This shrub blooms from summer to frost. The flowers look very delicate like they are made from crepe paper, but they are actually very sturdy. The colorful flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The Hardy Hibiscus thrives in the Texas heat and is practically pest and disease free.

Crape myrtles

The crape myrtle is the official state shrub of Texas. The shrubs grow up to 10 ft tall and the trees grow to 40 feet tall, and both grow very fast. The blooms are beautiful and are generally have pink, purple, white, or red in color. Crape myrtles don't require a lot of water or pruning, and are disease and insect resistant.

Sources:
http://www.texasalmanac.com/
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu