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Top 5 Spring Flowers That Will Outlast the Summer Heat Into Fall

The scorching Texas summer heat is a problem not just for humans, but for gardens too. However, with the right selection of hardy annual flowers, you can create a vibrant and resilient garden that thrives in the Lone Star State. Here are five essential annual flowers for your Texas garden, each showcasing unique beauty and adaptability to the Texas climate. Plant these in spring and they will bloom all the way until fall giving you the most bang for your buck!

Scaevola: Tough as Texans

Known as the Fan Flower, this hardy annual is a resilient addition to any Texas garden. With its purplish-blue flowers that withstand the heat to bloom spring through fall, Scaveola is perfect for hot, sunny landscapes.

Scaveola flowers in full bloom

This herbaceous annual has a trailing growth habit, sprawling 18-24 inches with a height of up to 14 inches. Be sure to plant these at least a foot apart to give room to grow. Perfect for softening harsh hardscaped edges, spilling over the rim of an urn or hanging basket, or for economically covering a large amount of bed space, its adaptability to full sun to partial shade and moist to well-drained soils makes it an ideal choice for Texas gardens.

Sprawling Habit

Ideal for native garden plantings or attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies, Scaveola requires minimal maintenance. Deadheading is not necessary to support continuous blooms from spring to fall, and occasional watering during dry spells supports healthy growth. Scaveola brings beauty and resilience to any garden, whether planted in flower beds, window boxes, or hanging baskets.

Angelonia: Thriving in the Summer Heat

For Texas gardeners seeking a burst of color and fragrance, Angelonia is the perfect choice. This drought-tolerant perennial shrub, known as the “Summer Snapdragon,” thrives even in the heat of a Texas summer. It comes in a variety of colors, including white and purple.

Angelonia, scientifically known as Angelonia angustifolia, is native to the warm climates of South America and produces clusters of small, two-lipped flowers from June into September. Angelonia boasts an upright growth habit. Its colorful blooms range from white, pink, and mauve to violet, blue, and purple, adding vibrancy to any garden. Thriving in full sun and moist, well-drained soils, it’s suitable for borders, mass plantings, or containers.

Ease of Maintenance

Low-maintenance and easy to grow, Angelonia does not require deadheading, making it an ideal choice for gardeners seeking a hassle-free addition to their outdoor spaces. Whether planted in flower beds, garden beds, or hanging baskets, Angelonia brings beauty and fragrance to Texas gardens.

Pentas: Bursting with Color

Pentas, also known as Egyptian Stars, are vibrant perennials that thrive in Texas gardens. With their profusion of blooms and ability to attract butterflies and bees, Pentas add life to any landscape. These bright-colored flowers come in various colors. Purple, white, and pink flowers are just some of the available color variations.

Pentas lanceolata, commonly known as Pentas, is a hardy annual to perenneial native to tropical regions, including Texas. Boasting vibrant pink, red, white, and purple flowers, Pentas adds color to any garden landscape.

  • Thrive in full sun to partial shade conditions.
  • Suitable for borders.
  • Ideal for mass plantings.
  • Perfect for containers like hanging baskets.

Pollinator Attractors

Pentas requires occasional deadheading to encourage continuous flowering. They require quite minimal maintenance and are easy to grow. Additionally, they attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, enhancing the biodiversity of your garden. With its resilience and long-lasting blooms, Pentas brings vibrancy to Texas gardens year after year.

Begonias: Versatile Beauties

Begonias are a resilient and versatile plant, perfect for summertime. With their colorful foliage and blooms, they add charm to both indoor and outdoor spaces. Begonias encompass a diverse group of flowering plants that thrive in warm climates like Texas. With glossy foliage and vibrant blooms in shades of pink, red, yellow, and white, Begonias add elegance to any garden setting.

COCKTAIL — Cocktail Vodka begonias are a fine choice for the garden, outdoor containers and hanging baskets where their mass of flowers and foliage fills in any gaps. (Photo by MSU Extension/Eddie Smith) Alt text — Plants with purple leaves and red flowers are in a wooden tray. ###

Image credit: Mississippi State University Extension

Moderate Maintenance

Whether grown as perennials, annuals, or houseplants, they’re suitable for flower beds, garden beds, or containers like window boxes. Moderate maintenance and easy to grow, Begonias require regular watering to maintain soil moisture without waterlogging. Deadheading spent flowers encourages continuous blooming, ensuring plentiful blooms throughout the growing season.

SunPatiens: Full-Sun Marvels

Finding flowering plants that thrive in full sun can be a challenge, especially in regions like Texas. SunPatiens are game-changers, with vibrant blooms and lush foliage that can withstand intense sun exposure.

SunPatiens, scientifically known as Impatiens x hybrida SunPatiens®, were created by crossbreeding traditional impatiens varieties with wild impatiens. The breeding process combines the resilience of wild impatiens with the vibrant colors and lush foliage of traditional varieties. As a result, SunPatiens can thrive in full-sun areas, offering a wide range of vibrant colors and robust growth.

Improved Variety

SunPatiens, with their compact or vigorous growth habit, continuously bloom from spring to fall. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soils, they’re ideal for borders, containers, or hanging baskets. Low-maintenance and easy to grow, SunPatiens require regular watering to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.

Avoiding overfertilizing and monitoring for pests and diseases like spider mites or powdery mildew ensures healthy growth. Incorporate SunPatiens into your outdoor spaces to create vibrant, sun-filled gardens that burst with color and life.

Design Your Resilient Summer Garden

In the scorching heat of Texas, maintaining a vibrant garden can be a challenge. However, with the right flowers, you can create a heat-tolerant and beautiful garden that survives Texas summers. From the tough Scaveloa to the colorful Pentas and the adaptable SunPatiens, each flower brings its unique beauty and can handle Texas weather. They have bright blooms, need little care, and attract pollinators, making any garden lively and colorful. For advice from an expert landscaper, Southern Botanical is here to help you design a garden that will thrive all year round.