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10 Favorites: Stalwart Plants that Thrive in Hot Gardens

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Feather Grass

10 Favorites: Stalwart Plants that Thrive in Hot Gardens

July 5, 2024

Even in temperate areas, climate change is rapidly forcing us to recalibrate what we grow and how we grow it. For many of us who are dealing with endless heatwaves and drought, that means choosing resilient plants that don’t need cosseting or regular irrigation and can survive baking hot summers and low rainfall. (In many cases, these plants need to be able to cope with cold winters, too.)

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite tough, hot garden go-tos.

Photography by Clare Coulson unless otherwise noted.

Salvia

Above: Most salvias are drought-tolerant and many are hardy, too. Salvia nemorosa varieties offer fantastic presence in borders with their spires of intensely colorful flowers. ‘Caradonna’ is a garden stalwart, with deep indigo flowers on strong stems that will associate well with roses, grasses, and most other perennials. If cut back it will also re-flower later in the season.

Feather Reed Grass

If you need vertical structure, it’s hard to beat Calamagrostis x acutiflora (feather reed grass), which flowers earlier than many other grasses and will maintain its structure through winter, making it an incredibly useful plant to design with. Here, A wall of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ acts as a buffer around a swimming pool in a London garden. Photograph by Clare Coulson, from Garden Visit: At Home with Author Catherine Horwood in a Suffolk Village.
Above: If you need vertical structure, it’s hard to beat Calamagrostis x acutiflora (feather reed grass), which flowers earlier than many other grasses and will maintain its structure through winter, making it an incredibly useful plant to design with. Here, A wall of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ acts as a buffer around a swimming pool in a London garden. Photograph by Clare Coulson, from Garden Visit: At Home with Author Catherine Horwood in a Suffolk Village.

Russian Sage

Above: Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’, at the foreground of this garden, makes a fantastic feature plant at the height of summer with its arching silvery stems smothered in the most beautiful, almost iridescent blue flowers. When mature it looks great as a clump of one or two plants through a border but can also be highly effective as a “river” against clipped evergreens. Old stems can be cut down to a permanent framework each spring. Photograph by Claire Takacs.

Peruvian Lily

Above: The Peruvian lily, alstroemeria, adds pops of color to the dry garden at Beth Chatto in Essex. Most commonly thought of as a cut flower plant as it’s an all too common addition in flower bouquets, alstroemeria can light up borders during the peak summer months. Tall stems are topped with veined flowers in delicious hues.

Tall Verbena

Above: Verbena bonariensis is one of the most used of the verbena family, providing tall stems punctuated with clusters of tiny purple flowers that are beloved by bees and especially by butterflies. It’s incredibly drought-tolerant—as are other popular and much shorter species such as V. hastata and V. rigida. It will also readily self-seed, providing lots of free plants.

Lavender

In a large garden near Grasse, designer James Basson conserves water with a design that includes lavender in large beds of mixed planting. The Provencal stalwart is renowned for its drought-tolerance, but each species varies in its ability to withstand hot and dry conditions. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is particularly drought-tolerant but is only suitable for areas with mild winters. Cultivars most commonly used by designers such as L. angustifolia and Lavendula x intermedia also provide good resistance to hot and dry conditions.
Above: In a large garden near Grasse, designer James Basson conserves water with a design that includes lavender in large beds of mixed planting. The Provencal stalwart is renowned for its drought-tolerance, but each species varies in its ability to withstand hot and dry conditions. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) is particularly drought-tolerant but is only suitable for areas with mild winters. Cultivars most commonly used by designers such as L. angustifolia and Lavendula x intermedia also provide good resistance to hot and dry conditions.

Thyme

Above: All of the Mediterranean herbs make resilient hot garden plants and many bring flushes of fabulous color, too. Thyme makes a fantastic, aromatic ground-cover plant with purple flowers in high summer. Plant a single variety en masse, or choose contrasting cultivars to create a patchwork effect. Photograph by Matthew Williams.

Mexican Feathergrass

Above: Stipa tenissima, planted alongside Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’ and Allium cristophii. In California, Stipa tenuissima may be classed as an invasive plant, but for gardeners elsewhere it’s an invaluable grass for adding incredible movement and texture. The hardy Mexican feathergrass thrives in full sun and works with almost any other plants from colorful perennials, such as the upright spires of verbascums, to clump-forming hardy geraniums or even roses which will rise above its iridescent haze. As it gets more mature the seedheads can be combed out to lighten up the grass and prevent it from matting.

Carthusian Pink

Above: Designer Dan Pearson gathers resilient plants together in a hot courtyard garden, in his Little Dartmouth project in Devon—one of the gardens features in his planting course for Create Academy. Here clumps of Dianthus carthusianorum (Carthusian pink) edge the paths. Spindly stems rise up from neat domes of foliage, producing heads of hot pink flowers in midsummer. It’s another really useful self-seeder that will rapidly colonize a space if given the chance. Photograph by Deborah Panes.

Verbascum

Above: Verbascums do well in dry conditions, making them an obvious choice for gravel gardens, and the intense yellow spires of V. olympicum provide the most dazzling display, sometimes reaching 2.5 meters in height, rising above almost everything else in mixed borders. This hardy biennial plant, like many other verbascums, will also happily self-seed. Its silvery basal foliage is itself an attractive feature—but it’s also attractive to mullein caterpillars, which can be the one downside to this gorgeous plant. In the above image another form of verbena surrounds the base of the verbascum; Verbena rigida is a short form (about two feet tall) with vibrant round flower heads that look great mingled amongst grasses.  

See also:

N.B.: This post is an update; it was first published August 2023.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the favorite stalwart plants?

The favorite stalwart plants for hot gardens include agave, yucca, lavender, sedum, salvia, ornamental grasses, and cacti.

How do agave plants thrive in hot gardens?

Agave plants thrive in hot gardens due to their succulent nature and ability to store water in their leaves. They are drought-tolerant and can withstand high temperatures.

What are the characteristics of yucca plants that make them suitable for hot gardens?

Yucca plants have long, sword-like leaves and tolerate a wide range of temperatures, making them resilient in hot gardens. They can also withstand drought conditions and require minimal care.

Why is lavender a good choice for hot gardens?

Lavender is a good choice for hot gardens because it thrives in well-drained soil and loves full sun. It is drought-tolerant and its aromatic flowers attract bees and butterflies.

What are some popular types of sedum plants for hot gardens?

Some popular types of sedum plants for hot gardens are 'Angelina' sedum, 'Autumn Joy' sedum, and 'Dragon's Blood' sedum. These plants are known for their ability to withstand heat and dry conditions.

How do salvia plants adapt to hot gardens?

Salvia plants adapt to hot gardens by being drought-tolerant and attracting pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. They have vibrant flowers and are relatively low-maintenance.

What types of ornamental grasses are suitable for hot gardens?

Some types of ornamental grasses suitable for hot gardens are Mexican feather grass, fountain grass, and blue fescue. These grasses are heat-tolerant and add texture and movement to the garden.

How do cacti survive in hot gardens?

Cacti are adapted to survive in hot gardens because of their ability to store water in their thick, fleshy stems. They have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss and can tolerate direct sunlight and high temperatures.

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