32 Best Full Sun Plants and Flowers for Your Garden
These beauties can take the heat all summer long.
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You might feel like wilting after a few minutes in the hot July sun, but your garden doesn't have to. Even in the Southwest, where temperatures regularly hit triple digits, it can look lush and bloom all summer. Just as there are evergreens and frost-resistant plants, there are full-sun plants that not only tolerate the heat but thrive in it. In fact, many annuals and perennials are heat-tolerant plants. Annuals' punchy colors will boost your home's curb appeal even during the hottest months, while perennials will bring their beauty to your yard year after year, so a mix of the two is ideal for landscaping.
The key to caring for full-sun plants is sticking to the right watering schedule. In fact, poorly timed or insufficient watering is the most common mistake, says Paris Lalicata, a gardening expert with more than 10 years of experience who's currently working in community education at The Sill. "When plants are getting full sun conditions, they are using a lot of water because they are getting a lot of light energy to create food, and water is part of that process. They can also get warmed up temperature wise by the sun, which makes them use water even more to prevent themselves from overheating (transpiration)," explains Lalicata, who maintains a private garden of 200-plus plants in the northeastern U.S. "Usually, it's ideal to water them in the early morning-evening to prevent water from evaporating." Be especially mindful of perennials, since they require even more water to strengthen their root systems, which is essential if you want them to bloom again next year. Before you plant any new perennials, make sure they can survive the winter in your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.
If you want to grow full-sun plants indoors, you don't have a lot of placement options. "Generally, the only window that provides 'full sun' indoors is a clear, unobstructed, south-facing window," Lalicata explains. "If you do not have the means to provide full sun conditions in your home, then you should highly consider incorporating a grow light over your plant." A grow light is a fine replacement for natural light, especially in the winter months, she says, adding that modern grow lights are designed to stimulate plant growth and mimic sunlight. You do need to measure your grow light to test how bright it is, though. Full-sun plants like to get 800 to 1000 foot-candles (yes, that's the unit of measurement for light intensity), an amount similar to direct sunlight.
Outdoors, however, you've got lots of options. Just remember that heat-tolerant plants dry out more quickly in pots (including window boxes and hanging baskets) than they do in in-ground flower beds. Porous materials like as terra cotta or coco fiber matting also dry out faster than less permeable containers made of plastic or composite materials. As your plants thrive and mature, they'll also drink more water faster. In extreme heat, you may need to water your containers twice a day.
Read on to find the best full-sun plants and flowers for your garden.
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