It’s a common misconception that if you want your landscape to be more heat and drought tolerant, it has to look like a desert. Though I love this aesthetic (Palm Springs, anyone?), my personal garden style borrows from English cottage traditions.
To make the lush, colorful perennial gardens of my dreams work in North Texas without losing my mind or my wallet, I use plants that are native or adapted. These plants can tolerate temperature extremes, require dramatically less water, and are rarely bothered by pests or disease. Even better, adding more native plants to our landscapes provides habitats for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.
Here are some of my favorite drought- and heat-tolerant perennial plants that you can add to your garden for verdant color during the hottest summer months.
Rock rose
(Pavonia lasiopetala)
Though its common name might suggest otherwise, native Rock rose isn’t a rose at all but a member of the mallow family. When planted in an area with well-drained soil and plenty of sun, these shrublike perennials will bloom nonstop, spring through fall. For best results, shear back established plants by half in late winter and again by half in July to maintain shape and encourage dense bloom.
Turk’s cap
(Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
To spruce up shadier spots in your garden, look no further than tough, native Turk’s cap. This perennial shrub fills in quickly, gracing your garden with lush, green foliage and bright red blossoms that are a favorite of hummingbirds. Pink-blooming cultivars are also available. Be sure to check out the beautiful installation of Turk’s cap on the Katy Trail where it crosses over Fitzhugh Avenue.
Wright’s skullcap
(Scutellaria wrightii)
Skullcap is a master of disguise. You’d never guess how hardy this plant is by looking at it. With thyme-like green foliage and delicate violet flowers, native Wright’s skullcap is an evergreen with a shrublike habit that grows to only about 10 inches tall, making it perfect for the front edge of your garden. I’ve seen Wright’s skullcap growing in the medians of blazing-hot parking lots, happy as can be. Skullcap needs well-drained soil, so if you have heavy clay, amend the area with expanded shale and compost before planting.
Lamb’s ear
(Stachys byzantina)
Soft and fuzzy just like its common name implies, lamb’s ear is an herbaceous perennial plant known for its distinctive woolly, silver-gray leaves. I use the nonblooming “Helen Von Stein” cultivar as a design element along the edge of pathways, and it exhibits remarkable heat and drought tolerance in my gardens. It quickly blankets the ground where it’s planted, effectively smothering weeds, and can be easily divided in the spring to add to other parts of your garden. If you have sprinklers, direct them away from these plants because they resent overhead watering. In early spring, clear away dead foliage at the base of the plant to keep it tidy.
Oakleaf hydrangea
(Hydrangea quercifolia)
Traditional mophead hydrangeas may be desirable, but they are water hogs that dislike our alkaline soil and never perform as expected. If you want the hydrangea look without the headache, invest instead in oakleaf hydrangeas. These large deciduous shrubs bloom profusely in shade and partial shade just like traditional hydrangeas but are better adapted to our hot, dry climate and soil. Just remember not to prune them unless absolutely necessary, as oakleaf hydrangeas bloom best when they are left alone. If you must, wait until after blooming is done for the season.
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