July can be a tricky time in the garden, especially if yours receives full sun for most of the day. The intense sunlight and high temperatures can cause plants to struggle, no matter how much water you give them. But if you still need to fill in some bare spots come July, there are annuals that can withstand these stressful conditions.
The key is choosing varieties that germinate quickly, thrive in warmth, and don’t require a long blooming season to put on a show. Ahead, gardening experts share the heat- and sun-loving annuals to plant in July, from cheerful border plants to towering blooms.
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Related: 8 Flowers That Keep Blooming Even in Extreme Heat, According to Gardening Experts
01 of 09
Annual Vinca
Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus) adds color when planted in masses. It has five-lobed flowers that fill gardens with pink, white, and red hues. This annual requires minimal maintenance once planted and thrives in the summer heat, lasting until the first frost. “Adding this plant to flower beds or containers in July is a great way to add some summer color through the rest of summer and into fall,” says Damon Abdi, assistant professor of landscape horticulture at Louisiana State University.
02 of 09
Angelonia
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Angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia) has the classic snapdragon flower form that gardeners love but is able to withstand hot summer weather. “A key thing to remember with angelonia is that excessive irrigation will diminish the floral display, leading to more muted flower colors,” notes Abdi. “Flowers come in blue, pink, purple, white, and combinations.” They add height and movement to gardens with their upright nature.
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03 of 09
Marigold
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Marigold (Tagetes) is so much more than a beautiful annual. “Marigolds are the workhorses of the summer annual world,” says Tabar Gifford, master gardener and partnership cultivator at American Meadows. “They are one of the best companion plants in the garden—their roots and scent help deter a range of common pests, which makes a July planting a smart ecological investment as the season gets into full swing.”
Plus, they thrive in summer heat. “A July sowing or transplant establishment gives them the full force of summer warmth to get rooted and blooming, and they will continue right through to hard frost,” Gifford adds. Deadhead marigold regularly throughout the growing season to maximize bloom production.
04 of 09
Pentas
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Invite bees and butterflies into your summer garden with pentas (Pentas lanceolata). “Pentas produces clusters of star-shaped flowers that add color to summer flower beds, drawing interest from people and pollinators,” says Abdi. “Red, pink, and white flower colors stand out against the green foliage, with the red being particularly popular to hummingbirds.” Once established, pentas is fairly drought-tolerant and needs minimal maintenance.
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05 of 09
Sunflower
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Few annuals are more iconic than the sunflower (Helianthus annuus). “Modern varieties offer an enormous range of forms, from single-stem cutting types to multi-branching pollinators, and colors spanning pale lemon through deep burgundy,” says Gifford, adding that the upright stems range from compact 2-foot branching varieties to towering 10-foot giants.
Direct sow seeds in full sun and well-draining soil. A July sowing of sunflowers is a strategic late-season play. “They germinate in a week and grow quickly in summer warmth, delivering blooms in late August and September—when the garden is often at its most tired,” Gifford says.
06 of 09
Evolvulus
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A member of the morning glory family, evolvulus (Evolvulus spp.) is a striking annual in a full sun garden. Abdi says he especially loves the Blue My Mind variety, which produces a spreading mat of foliage speckled with blue flowers. “Not only is this plant drought tolerant once established, but it does not need much (if any) maintenance during its blooming season,” he says. “While this may be a perennial in warmer zones, it is commonly used as an annual in most cases—either to fill up space in beds or containers.”
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07 of 09
Zinnia
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One of the most popular full-sun summer annuals, zinnias (Zinnia elegans) are known for their bold, daisy-like blooms that come in nearly every color imaginable. “Plants range from 12 to 40 inches tall depending on variety, with a cheerful, full-garden presence that looks equally at home in a border, a cutting garden, or a container,” says Gifford.
Zinnias thrive in full sun and the heat of July. “They germinate in just five to seven days and begin blooming in six to eight weeks, which means a July sowing delivers a full flush of color by late August and keeps going right up until frost,” Gifford says. “They thrive in the heat, growing faster and more vigorously in warm conditions than any other time of year.”
08 of 09
Sulphur Cosmos
Sulphur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) produces bright, daisy-like foliage in shades of orange, gold, and yellow. “Unlike the taller, pastel-toned regular cosmos, sulphur cosmos stays more compact at 18 to 36 inches and delivers a warmer, more saturated color palette,” says Gifford. “It has a cheerful, sun-drenched quality that reads beautifully against dark foliage or silvery companions.”
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This variety is even faster to bloom than regular cosmos, often flowering within six weeks of sowing. “It is essentially heat-proof and continues blooming prolifically even in sweltering conditions that would slow other annuals down,” Gifford says.
09 of 09
Mexican Sunflower
Despite its name and appearance, Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) is not in the sunflower family. This 4- to 6-foot towering plant produces blazing deep-orange blooms that add drama to the landscape.
“The large, bold flowers are carried on tall, branching stems above soft, slightly fuzzy foliage,” says Gifford. “It’s a statement plant that commands attention at the back of a border.”
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Mexican sunflower is highly drought tolerant once established and flourishes in the July heat. “It sprouts in about a week and reaches its blooming peak in the height of summer warmth,” Gifford says, adding that a July sowing delivers peak pollinator activity during the late summer migration window.
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