HEAT TOLERANT SUMMER ANNUALS

Summer is upon us. Having already experienced upper 90-degree temperatures in June, many of our colorful spring annuals have diminished in vigor and beauty. But plant materials are available that will provide the color we desire and tolerate our almost intolerable East Texas summer heat.

Here are some suggestions to replace stressed and faded plant materials in your landscape:

• Moss Rose (Portulaca) - Perhaps the most heat and drought tolerant bedding plant available.

• Texas Bluebells (Lisianthus) - A native Texas plant.

• Zinnias -Very colorful, easy to direct seed.

• Periwinkle (Vinca) - Just about the best summer annual available.

• Lantana - Can be grown as a perennial in East Texas.

• Impatiens - One of the few annuals that will do well in shade and still tolerate the heat.

These are just a few suggestions. Check with your local nursery for other heat tolerant annuals to put some color in your landscape for the summer.

Mary Ann Rogers, Smith County Master Gardener
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

---

Flowers Index
Gardening Tips For Northeast Texas Index