“Grow These HEAT TOLERANT Drought-Tolerant Plants for Hot Summer Gardens! “

Gardening in Extreme Heat

Welcome back to Gardening From Square One! Today, we’re diving into one of the biggest challenges gardeners face: gardening in extreme heat.

Whether you’re growing in arid desert climates with less than 10 inches of annual rainfall or dealing with humid heat like in Central Texas, the South and other parts of the country,, this video lists heat-resistant plants that thrive even during the hottest months of summer. As someone who’s gardened in scorching triple-digit temps—even overnight—I know how tough it is to keep plants alive, let alone thriving!

In this video, I’m sharing my top heat-tolerant, drought-smart plants that don’t require a ton of water, yet still bring vibrant color and beauty to your garden. These selections are perfect for anyone looking to create a water-wise garden that stands strong against extreme summer conditions.

Topics covered in this video:
   •   Great plants for extreme heat and drought conditions
   
   •   Smart choices for summer gardening success

If you’re dreaming of a lush, beautiful garden even in the heat of summer, you’re in the right place. Let’s grow smarter, not harder!

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more gardening tips and heat-proof plant recommendations.

Adobe Stock:

Scenes of a front yard garden with a xeriscape design, featuring drought-tolerant plants, gravel pathways, and a water-efficient landscape
By Sladjana (Thumbnails)

Scenes of a front yard garden with a xeriscape design, featuring drought-tolerant plants, gravel pathways, and a water-efficient landscape
By Sladjana

Bushes of the blossoming yucca in a botanical garden
By Shchipkova Elena

Dawn light and native yucca plants at Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in New Mexico
By Martha Marks

Desert Marigold – Baileya Muliradiata. A sun-loving native to the deserts of Northern Mexico and SW United States.
By csfotoimages

Topped lavender or lavandula stoechas bushy plant
By photohampster

Overhead view of a vast field of desert marigold with hundreds of blooms stretching towards the sky, wide-open spaces, aerial photography, desert marigold, field views See Less
By Maneerat

Desert penstemon, dark red flowering bush growing on rocks
By Martina

(Penstemon hybrida) Penstemon Rose Quartz ‘Novapenros’ or Rose Beard tongue. Beautiful spikes of rose tubular flowers, white throats, pink stripes rising above foliage See Less
By Marc

Blühender Rosmarin, Rosmarinus officinalis,
By kranidi

Close-up of a blooming rosemary plant (Rosmarinus officinalis), a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and purple flowers, native to the Mediterranean region, Italy See Less
By Simona Sirio

rosemary in a herbs spiral
By Mira Drozdowski

Xeriscaped city street corner with Red Yucca and desert style gravel and rocks in Phoenix, Arizona
By EuToch

Scottsdale Arizona Waterfront District Walkway
By desertsolitaire

flowery and colorful xeric landscape, xeriscaping with pink and blue flowers and ornamental grasses, greenery and texture
By Katy

This California desert garden is loaded with colors and textures and is a great drought tolerant landscape solution.
By Joanne Dale

Hi everyone, welcome back to Gardening from Square One. And if you’re new here, welcome. Today we’re talking about a challenge that so many gardeners face, and that is gardening in extreme heat. I have definitely been there. I have gardened in some seriously hot places like aid deserts where it barely rains more than about 9 in in a year and the summer temperatures regularly hit triple digits in the teens. Sometimes it was still triple digits at night. So, it didn’t even cool down. It just stays hot day after day. Talk about brutal. Then there’s areas where it’s not quite as hot, but with a decent dose of humidity, adding a whole new level of challenge. If you’ve ever struggled to keep plants alive, let alone thriving during the peak of summer, I get it. I know how discouraging it can feel when you’re dreaming of lush greenery, but the heat and drought seem to work against you. But there is good news. Over the years, I found some incredible plants that not only survive in extreme heat, but they actually thrive even with minimal watering. And today, I’m really excited to share them with you. My hope is that these plant suggestions will help you create a beautiful, resilient garden space even when the temperatures are soaring. So, grab your favorite beverage and let’s dive in. First up is a real showstopper. It is nifia, also known as red hot poker. Now, this plant has striking torch-like flower spikes that come in fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow. and it’s going to bring bold vertical interest to your garden bed. Now, Nifia is for gardeners in zones 5 through nine, and it is absolutely loves hot, sunny environments. It handles high temperatures like a champ while delivering those vibrant blooms throughout the growing season. So once it’s settle in, it’s going to become remarkably drought tolerant thanks to its deep root system that taps into moisture far below the surface. That is what makes it perfect for zeroscaping and low water landscapes. So if you’re looking for something dramatic, heat hearty, and also lowmaintenance, Torch Lily or Red Hot Poker Novia might just become your new favorite. Next up is Lantana. Now, this low growing shrub puts on a show with clusters of blooms that can range from fiery orange and sunny yellow to pinks, purples, and even white. It is like confetti and a platform. Lantana absolutely thrives in hot and warm climates, and you’ll see it everywhere across the desert southwest. So, from commercial landscapes to home gardens and it’s favorite, it’s a favorite for a reason. It’s going to grow best in the USDA zones 8 through 111 where it is a hearty perennial. But in cooler zones, you can still enjoy it as an annual. Just treat it like summer color and replant it each year. One of the things I love most about Lantana is its incredible drought tolerance. Once it’s established, it can handle prolonged dry spells with ease. That makes it an ideal pick for zeroscaping in any low water garden. So, if you have full sun and scorching temperatures, Lentenna won’t just survive, it’ll flourish. I sincerely appreciate you watching my videos. If you get value from anything I present, please consider clicking like, subscribe, and notifications. Now, let’s talk about a plant that brings both beauty and toughness to your garden. That is Russian sage. Now, this hearty perennial is heat and a droughtresistant supererstore. It absolutely thrives in sunny dry conditions and it can handle high temperatures with or without humidity. It has these wispy purple blooms and silvery foliage that is tough as nails. My sage advice is in year two and it’s not even on direct irrigation. The only water it gets is from the little bit of rain that we get during the summer and a tiny bit of once a week sprinkler overspray and it’s doing beautifully. So if you’re looking for a lowmaintenance, drought tolerant and heatloving perennial with loads of visual appeal, Russian sage is definitely worth planting. Next on the list is rosemary. Now, this evergreen herb is famous for its aromatic leaves and countless culinary uses. But it is also a true garden warrior when it comes to heat and drought. But rosemary loves full sun and warmer climates, making it a natural fit for hot, sunny gardens. And once it’s established, it needs very little water and it can write out long dry spells without missing a beat. Next up is pinaman, also known as beard tongue. And trust me, this one’s a gem for hot weather gardeners. Now, Pensamman is a diverse genius of flowering perennials, best known for its tubular flowers that come in a rainbow of colors that attracts loads of pollinators. But getting past the beauty, these plants are tough. Many varieties are perfectly suited for hot climates, and they thrive in zones 3 through 9, so practically everyone can grow these plants. They love full sun and can handle high temperatures. So whether it’s dry heat in the desert or a humid southern summer once established, they are also pretty drought tolerant. Desert maragold is a vibrant, pretty little perennial wildflower native to the deserts of the southwestern United States. So like that’s the hint right there. It’s growing in the desert. Maragold is exceptionally well adapted to hot aid environments. This plant thrives in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 11 where it can handle high temperatures typical of desert climates. This robustness makes it a popular choice for zeroscaping and low water gardens. Next is yaka. Yucka is, you know, many people find this to be a striking perennial and it is native to the southwestern United States. However, it will grow in USDA zones 5 through 10. And like other tough plants we’ve talked about today, red yucka is also remarkably drought tolerant once it’s established. So, if you are looking for structure, color, and serious heat resistance, yucka delivers all of that with almost no fuss. Let’s talk about another incredibly versatile and heat hearty group of plants, and that is salvia. There are so many varieties of salvia, and they’re real powerhouses when it comes to handling heat. You’ll find salvia um that thrive across USDA zones four all the way up to 10, which means there’s likely a salvia for you that will be perfect in your garden no matter where you are. They are very well adapted to hot dry climates where they can flourish in full sun. But all in all, once established, most salvas are drought tolerant, making them ideal for low water landscapes. So if you’re looking for color, pollinator appeal, and serious heat tolerance, Salvia should probably be on your list. Next up is Spanish lavender. Not only is it beautiful and fragrant, it is a great pick for hot, sunny gardens. In general, all lavender is known for being heat and drought tolerant once established. But Spanish lavender in particular, it really thrives in warmer, hot climates, doing its best in USDA zones 8 through 10. This lavender absolutely loves the full sun and it can handle those very high temperatures in the triple digits. Once this plant is settled in, it’s pretty drought tolerant, too. Now, what it needs is well- draining soil. It actually prefers sandy or lomy soils. Now, if you have clay soil like me, that’s a different story. I haven’t quite cracked the code on growing lavender and clay. And to be perfectly honest, I’ve pretty much given up. Although these plants were smashing in an arid desert garden. Nepida like salvia is in the mint family. These plants are known for their aromatic gray green foliage and spikes of these little small lavender blue flowers that will attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden. This plant is for USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8 and possibly 9A. I grew it in the arid desert in zone 9 and it definitely could endure high temperatures. It is very suitable for sunny garden spots and once established it is quite drought tolerant. Nepida has a deep root system that allows it to access moisture from lower lower soil levels enabling it to survive in dry conditions and that is what makes it an excellent choice for zeroscaping and low water gardens. While all of these plants can take high heat and have good drought resistance, many would also benefit from at least a 2-in layer of mulch around plants to help regulate ground temperatures. What are your go-to heat and drought tolerant plants? Please comment below. Thanks for watching and I hope you have a great day in your garden. Bye.