Are you looking for the best flowers that even flourish in the heat waves and can even tolerate the temperature range of 100 F (38 C)? Well, here they are–the Best Flowers for Full Sun, and some of these flowers are very drought tolerant as well.

Here are the best flowering ground cover plants

Best Flowers for Full Sun

1. Pentas

Botanical Name: Pentas lanceolata

USDA Zones: 8-11

Beautiful pentas attract pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and sunbirds due to the nectar. This is a tough, heat-tolerant plant that you can grow in containers.

2. Lantana

Botanical Name: Lantana camara

Lantana is a common tropical and arid climate flower that blooms year-round in bright colors like red, yellow, orange, white, or pink and thrives in neglect and heat.

Check out the best types of lantana here.

3. Plumbago

Botanical Name: Plumbago auriculata

USDA Zones: 8-12

Plumbago is a beautiful vine-like African native shrub that thrives with minimal care in the subtropical or tropical heat. Its sky-blue flowers appear almost year-long in the right climate.

4. Moonflower

Botanical Name: Ipomoea alba

The spectacular display of large and fragrant pure white flowers resembles morning glory and opens in the evening. It flowers year-round in subtropics but if you live in a temperate region, grow it as annual.

5. Hibiscus

Botanical Name: Hibiscus

USDA Zones: 9-11

Hibiscus is low maintenance, can be grown in pots easily, and is available in myriads of colors and for both temperate and warm climates!

Discover the Different Varieties of Hibiscus here.

6. Moss Rose

Botanical Name: Portulaca grandiflora

USDA Zones: 2 to 11 (as an annual)

With amazing needle-like foliage and bright and colorful small flowers, Portulaca plants are worth a place in your container garden, in hanging baskets, or in window boxes whether you live in the tropic or in the temperate zone!

7. Blanket Flower

Botanical Name: Gaillardia

USDA Zones: 7-11

Also known as the blanket flower, gaillardia is a heat-resistant and drought-tolerant plant that belongs to the sunflower family. The blooms look so attractive and become excellent cut flowers.

8. Powder Puff

Botanical Name: Calliandra

Basically, a small tree that is famous for its puffy flowers that attract wildlife, you can also grow Calliandra in a large pot, especially in the colder zones, below 9, to overwinter it indoors as this magnificent plant can’t survive harsh freezing winters.

9. Verbena

Botanical Name: Verbena

USDA Zones: 4-11

There are more than 250 species of verbenas that can be grown in a variety of climates. Almost all varieties require the sun to thrive and bloom prolifically.

10. King’s Mantle

Botanical Name: Thunbergia erecta

Also called bush clock vine, it is a shrub that is native to Africa. This prolific year-round bloomer comes in shades of violet, purple and yellow.

11. Brazilian Jasmine

Botanical Name: Mandevilla sanderi

USDA Zones: 6-12

Grow Mandevilla as annual in cooler climates; it is a fast-growing and heat-resistant tropical climber that blooms heavily: flowers are pink, white, or red in color.

12. Bottlebrush

Botanical Name: Callistemon

With its brush-like puffy flowers that appear throughout the year, the bottlebrush is without a doubt one of the best large flowering shrubs. If grown in a cooler zone, bring the bottle brush plant indoors before the first frost to overwinter it.

13. Marigold

Botanical Name: Tagetes

USDA Zones: 2-11 (as an annual)

Marigolds love the sun and heat, so keep them in a spot that receives full sun, and they’ll bloom heavily. With the choices available, you can grow marigolds either as annual or perennial.

Find out types of marigolds and how to grow them in pots here

14. Angelonia

Botanical Name: Angelonia angustifolia

Due to the shape of the flowers, it is often called summer snapdragon. This lovely heat-resistant plant is usually grown as an annual, and the flowers are available in blue, green, orange, pink, red, white, and yellow colors.

15. Geranium

Botanical Name: Pelargonium

USDA Zones: 5-12

You can not exclude geraniums from the list of heat-tolerant flowers. Geraniums are perennial in the tropics and bloom a lot! Grow these old traditional flowers in containers, borders, and beds.

Have a look at the 24 Fanciest Types of Geraniums here

16. Canna Lily

Botanical Name: Canna indica

Cannas require warmth, full sun, and moist soil to thrive. Depending on the variety, cannas can grow between 1 to 8 feet tall and comes in the shade of red, orange, and yellow colors.

Check out the best canna lily here

17. False Heather

Botanical Name: Cuphea hyssopifolia

We usually grow them as annuals, but in frost-free climates, they are suitable plants for the warmer regions.

18. Desert Rose

Botanical Name: Adenium obesum

USDA Zones: 9-12

You can also grow adenium for quick bonsai, it can be planted outside in frost-free zones. Once established, this magnificent plant covers itself with beautiful tubular flowers. In temperate zones, you can grow adenium as a houseplant.

19. Ixora

Botanical Name: Ixora coccinea

Ixora is a perennial tropical shrub that bears flame-like flowers in clusters. You can also grow Ixora in containers providing it full sun and heat.

20. Cock’s Comb

Botanical Name: Celosia argentea

Celosias are generally grown as annual, but they are one of the best flowers for full sun. Growing celosia in containers is a great way to have this unusual flower, grow celosia in your patio or balcony garden.

21. Petunia

Botanical Name: Petunia × atkinsiana

USDA Zones: 5-10

Petunias love sun and heat, they are one the most beautiful and popular annual flowers. However, this frost-tender plant is perennial in warmer climates.

22. Texas Bluebonnets

Botanical Name: Lupinus texensis

USDA Zones: 4-9

Bluebonnets is a state flower of Texas, and it is one of the best flowers for full sun. You can grow it in your container garden too.

23. Princess Flower

Botanical Name: Tibouchina urvilleana

‘Princess Flower’ can be grown as perennial and annuals, both. It looks beautiful with silver and downy flower buds that open in deep purple blossoms atop contrasting velvety green foliage.

24. Salvia

Botanical Name: Salvia

The salvia genus has both annual and perennial species, but annuals are more suitable for container gardening. It comes in deep purple, blue, orange, and red blooms.

25. Ground Orchids

Botanical Name: Spathoglottis plicata

USDA Zones: 10-12

Ground orchid offers colorful clusters of blooms ranging from deep pink to yellow on arching foliage – it can be grown as annuals.

26. Diamond Frost Euphorbia

Botanical Name: Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’

It grows best in the sun but also flowers in partial shade. This tender perennial is planted as an annual in most regions. It has a mounding habit and upright stems and produces white blooms all season long.

27. Bolivian Begonia

Botanical Name: Begonia boliviensis

Bronze foliage species are best for the full sun. The unique serrated foliage and bright fiery red flowers look great in containers and hanging baskets.

28. Scaevola

Botanical Name: Scaevola aemula

This heat-tolerant annual plant is an apt choice for growing in containers during summer. It flowers in blue, pink, white, and purple shades.

29. Million Bells

Botanical Name: Calibrachoa

USDA Zones: 5-11

Million Bells can be grown as an annual in all zones. It grows best in full sun to part shade in moist, rich, well-draining soil. The plant flowers continuously in a rainbow of shades.

30. Bidens

Botanical Name: Bidens

USDA Zones: 6-11

The stunning red and gold blooms of ‘Beedance Painted Red‘ grab attention in containers.  ‘Suntory Lobelia Trailing White‘ and ‘Surfinia Deep Red‘ are also great picks!

31. SunPatiens

Botanical Name: Sunpatiens

Sunpatiens grow very well in containers, even in full sun and partial shade as well. You can grow bright orange flowers of vigorous Clear Orange SunPatiens for natural sunshine in your outdoor spaces.

32. Sweet Alyssum

Botanical Name: Lobularia maritima

USDA Zones: 4-10

‘Snow Princess’ is a heat and sun-tolerant variety and blooms non-stop all summer long. You can grow it as a sun-tolerant plant in containers.

33. Sunflower

Botanical Name: Helianthus annuus

Sunflowers thrive best in places with full sun and flowers during summer or early fall. Varieties like Lemon Queen and Solsation Flame are the best choice for containers.

34. Globe Amaranth

Botanical Name: Gomphrena globosa

USDA Zones: 2-11

The lollipop-like flowers of Gomphrena are loved by butterflies and come in a range of shades from purple, pink, and red.

35. Spider Flower

Botanical Name: Cleome spinosa

Senorita Rosalita cleome a thornless version and looks great in containers. This beautiful annual is easy to grow in a warm location and under full sun.

36. Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa

USDA Zones: 3-11

Roses do well in containers, and you can grow them easily on patio, decks, balconies, and entranceways. The plant prefers 5-6 hours of full sun each day with good air circulation.

37. Bougainvillea

Botanical Name: Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea flowers across the year and you can grow them in pots easily. Place the container where it receives at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight and water when the soil is dry.

38. Yellow Bell Flower

Botanical Name: Tecoma

Tecoma grows best in warm, frost-free climates, under full sunlight. The tubular, pink, red-orange, yellow blooms look beautiful as a climbing vine or as a border plant in containers.

39. Dwarf Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera xylosteum

USDA Zones: 3-10

Dwarf honeysuckle thrives well in full sun and produces yellow-tinged blooms from early spring to late summer. It’s pretty easy to grow in containers.

40. Bleeding Heart Vine

Botanical Name: Clerodendrum thomsoniae

The plant requires direct sun to flower well. It flowers during spring and summer and produces clusters of star-shaped flowers.

41. Oleander

Botanical Name: Nerium Oleander

USDA Zones: 8b-12

This tough ornamental shrub produces large clusters of pink, red, yellow, or white, single or double bloom all year round. It is drought tolerant and can easily live happily in temperatures over 100 F (38 C).

Note: Though oleander blooms are quite pretty and some varieties even fragrant but keep in mind that all parts of the plant are quite toxic to humans and pets due to two strong cardiac glycosides: neriine and oleandrin. Even a small amount of consumption can be fatal.

42. Arabian Jasmine

Botanical Name: Jasminum sambac

Arabian Jasmine, which is also the state flower of the Philippines, is loved for really fragrant white blossoms that fade to pink with age and contrasting glossy, deep green oval foliage. The flowers occur all summer long and proceed to bloom year-round in warm climates.

43. Vinca

Botanical Name: Catharanthus roseus

Also known as Madagascar Periwinkle, this is undoubtedly one of the most productive bloomers on this list. It tolerates heat and scorching summer sun and doesn’t mind if you miss watering it occasionally.

  • Pattie

  • June 18, 2017 At 11:53 pm

  • Cannas! My favorite, and they thrive in the hot desert southwest, with very little work. Yet, I rarely see them for sale with other plants. In fact, here in Las Cruces, NM, I’ve seen a lot of “hostas” in the stores, which is unimaginable to me that they would survive here.

  • Reply

  • Bonnie

  • March 12, 2020 At 10:47 am

  • I’m from El Paso. They will thrive in the shade. I keep mine in a pot on the porch that gets only morning sun.

  • Reply

  • Bayougurl

  • March 20, 2018 At 12:01 am

  • GREAT INFO! I was searching for heat-tolerant plants that can survive the brutal Houston, Texas climate. Any other suggestions out there from you H-Town folk>

  • Reply

  • Kyle Goodman

  • April 8, 2019 At 5:31 am

  • Try red Malva spinach

  • Reply

  • Kyle Goodman

  • April 8, 2019 At 5:32 am

  • Malbar spinach

  • Reply

  • Deborah

  • September 3, 2019 At 11:20 pm

    1. Ice Plant. 2. Sedum — many flowering varieties (I especially like Sedum “Autumn Joy” and Monarch Butterflies go crazy over it). 3. Purslane (aka Portulaca oleracea). This is not the double-flowered variety with the needle like leaves on this list. It is the single-flowered variety with rounded leaves. I actually think it is prettier than the variety on this list, and it comes in a variety of vibrant colors. We have it in window boxes in full sun and horrible heat in southern Louisiana. Nothing else would do well in those window boxes, but we barely do anything at all to this purslane and it thrives. We water it about once a week. Here are photos of just some of the colors it comes in. http://www.costafarms.com/plants/purslane

  • Reply

  • Diane

  • April 9, 2018 At 3:43 pm

  • When I libed in Houston I had TONS of the light green leaded begonias. Of course i had them in full shade, but they really thrived in their pots. Red, pink and white. Unfortunately, someone came up the apartment stairs and stole them all!!!!

  • Reply

  • Be Yeo-Bradshaw

  • September 2, 2018 At 10:27 am

  • Most of these plants are weeds here in Australia’s harsh climate. Can’t we have a website with Australian HEAT tolerant plants. Y is it always American plants that pop up?

  • Reply

  • Maggie Bartle

  • September 30, 2019 At 6:55 pm

  • Hi Be Yeo-Bradshaw,

  • You were asking about websites with Australian HEAT tolerant plants. I found you some. Here they are

  • https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au › tubestockplants › fullsun

  • https://www.bestplants.com.au › uses › full-sun

  • https://www.homestolove.com.au › plant-guide-heat-tolerant-flowers-9454

  • https://www.lifestyle.com.au › plant-guide › plants-for-hot-overhead-sun

  • https://www.hoselink.com.au › blogs › gardening › drought-tolerant-plants.

  • I hope these help you find what you’re looking for. good luck and happy plant finding.

  • Maggie

  • Reply

  • TERRY ROBINSON

  • June 2, 2020 At 1:09 pm

  • Maggie for the win

  • Reply

  • Dani Donofrio

  • February 14, 2019 At 2:45 pm

  • I find the Bottlebrush plant looks like it is having a bad hair day.

  • Reply

  • Maggie King

  • April 3, 2019 At 10:13 pm

  • We live on a brackish bayou on GuCoast MS, and bottlebrush thrives here, even when we flood with the saltwater….we do prune back after blooms…the only thing that did kill off 1 was a very hard freak freeze. ^ months of coastal heat, floods and storms have not killed off this beautiful shrub.

  • Reply

  • Joel Magogwe

  • July 24, 2019 At 11:26 pm

  • Thank you for the information you have shared with us.

  • I love gardening very much and i hooe to learn a lot from you.

  • However, my biggst challenge in Botswana, Africa, is the harsh climatic conditiins. Our summers are extremely hot. I wish i could plant a beautiful garden of flowering plants that can stand aot of heat.

  • Unfortunately our suppliers here only supply flowers tbat need intensive care.

  • Would you be in a position to supply the plants you have suggested to Africa?

  • Reply

  • Marilyn Kay Johnson

  • July 18, 2020 At 3:48 pm

  • Zombies are great. Love the heat. I live a little north if Houston and you can even plant the seeds in the blazing month if July. If you keep th watered they grow well. I have some beautiful Magellan zinnia hybrid only supposed to grow 2 feet tall but mine are 3 to 4 feet tall. Zinnias will fall over eventually in whatever direction they get the most sun.

  • Reply

  • Donna M McCallum

  • October 31, 2020 At 7:07 am

  • Moon Flower (morning glory) is a terrible weed in Washington state. Be careful with that one.

  • Reply

  • Stinne

  • March 27, 2021 At 10:58 pm

  • Lavender is renowned for its healing properties; simply smelling this flower is said to calm one’s nerves. Lavender smells strong, but pleasant. I highly recommend adding this flower to your patio to learn about its benefits and pleasant scent. It needs full sun and well drained soil. Lavender thrives in zones 5-9, but from personal experience, it also thrives (as a perennial) in zone 4. Humidity is not a friend of lavender, but it can be grown in more humid climates. Keep in mind that it won’t grow as well in high humidity as it does in arid climates.

  • Reply

  • Susan

  • June 11, 2021 At 4:10 am

  • Since I moved to Texas, and am not great at gardening, I’ve done a ton of research and trial and error over the years…great flowers for Houston; Lantana, Verbena, Angelonia, Torenia, Cannas, knock-out roses, begonia of any kind, caladiums, vinca, pentas- all of these continue to flower in high heat and make excellent, low maintenance garden containers and beds. (Ferns, too! Especially Kimberly Fern, asparagus fern).

  • Reply

  • Gwendolyn Floccari

  • February 1, 2022 At 12:18 pm

  • Zinnia are great for heat. It gets 100 to 115 here mid to late summer

  • Reply

  • Fatmiri

  • April 24, 2022 At 9:21 pm

  • Faleminderit për informacionin e dobishëm.Por mundë të na informonit,dhe si duhen uijtur.Faleminderit.

  • Reply

  • Bonnie

  • March 12, 2020 At 10:47 am

  • I’m from El Paso. They will thrive in the shade. I keep mine in a pot on the porch that gets only morning sun.

  • Reply

Cannas! My favorite, and they thrive in the hot desert southwest, with very little work. Yet, I rarely see them for sale with other plants. In fact, here in Las Cruces, NM, I’ve seen a lot of “hostas” in the stores, which is unimaginable to me that they would survive here.

I’m from El Paso. They will thrive in the shade. I keep mine in a pot on the porch that gets only morning sun.

  • Kyle Goodman
  • April 8, 2019 At 5:31 am
  • Try red Malva spinach
  • Reply
  • Kyle Goodman
  • April 8, 2019 At 5:32 am
  • Malbar spinach
  • Reply
  • Deborah
  • September 3, 2019 At 11:20 pm
    1. Ice Plant. 2. Sedum — many flowering varieties (I especially like Sedum “Autumn Joy” and Monarch Butterflies go crazy over it). 3. Purslane (aka Portulaca oleracea). This is not the double-flowered variety with the needle like leaves on this list. It is the single-flowered variety with rounded leaves. I actually think it is prettier than the variety on this list, and it comes in a variety of vibrant colors. We have it in window boxes in full sun and horrible heat in southern Louisiana. Nothing else would do well in those window boxes, but we barely do anything at all to this purslane and it thrives. We water it about once a week. Here are photos of just some of the colors it comes in. http://www.costafarms.com/plants/purslane
  • Reply

GREAT INFO! I was searching for heat-tolerant plants that can survive the brutal Houston, Texas climate. Any other suggestions out there from you H-Town folk>

  • Kyle Goodman
  • April 8, 2019 At 5:32 am
  • Malbar spinach
  • Reply

Try red Malva spinach

Malbar spinach

  1. Ice Plant. 2. Sedum — many flowering varieties (I especially like Sedum “Autumn Joy” and Monarch Butterflies go crazy over it). 3. Purslane (aka Portulaca oleracea). This is not the double-flowered variety with the needle like leaves on this list. It is the single-flowered variety with rounded leaves. I actually think it is prettier than the variety on this list, and it comes in a variety of vibrant colors. We have it in window boxes in full sun and horrible heat in southern Louisiana. Nothing else would do well in those window boxes, but we barely do anything at all to this purslane and it thrives. We water it about once a week. Here are photos of just some of the colors it comes in. http://www.costafarms.com/plants/purslane

When I libed in Houston I had TONS of the light green leaded begonias. Of course i had them in full shade, but they really thrived in their pots. Red, pink and white. Unfortunately, someone came up the apartment stairs and stole them all!!!!

Most of these plants are weeds here in Australia’s harsh climate. Can’t we have a website with Australian HEAT tolerant plants. Y is it always American plants that pop up?

  • TERRY ROBINSON
  • June 2, 2020 At 1:09 pm
  • Maggie for the win
  • Reply

Hi Be Yeo-Bradshaw, You were asking about websites with Australian HEAT tolerant plants. I found you some. Here they are https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au › tubestockplants › fullsun https://www.bestplants.com.au › uses › full-sun https://www.homestolove.com.au › plant-guide-heat-tolerant-flowers-9454 https://www.lifestyle.com.au › plant-guide › plants-for-hot-overhead-sun https://www.hoselink.com.au › blogs › gardening › drought-tolerant-plants. I hope these help you find what you’re looking for. good luck and happy plant finding. Maggie

Maggie for the win

I find the Bottlebrush plant looks like it is having a bad hair day.

We live on a brackish bayou on GuCoast MS, and bottlebrush thrives here, even when we flood with the saltwater….we do prune back after blooms…the only thing that did kill off 1 was a very hard freak freeze. ^ months of coastal heat, floods and storms have not killed off this beautiful shrub.

Thank you for the information you have shared with us.

I love gardening very much and i hooe to learn a lot from you.

However, my biggst challenge in Botswana, Africa, is the harsh climatic conditiins. Our summers are extremely hot. I wish i could plant a beautiful garden of flowering plants that can stand aot of heat.

Unfortunately our suppliers here only supply flowers tbat need intensive care.

Would you be in a position to supply the plants you have suggested to Africa?

Zombies are great. Love the heat. I live a little north if Houston and you can even plant the seeds in the blazing month if July. If you keep th watered they grow well. I have some beautiful Magellan zinnia hybrid only supposed to grow 2 feet tall but mine are 3 to 4 feet tall. Zinnias will fall over eventually in whatever direction they get the most sun.

Moon Flower (morning glory) is a terrible weed in Washington state. Be careful with that one.

Lavender is renowned for its healing properties; simply smelling this flower is said to calm one’s nerves. Lavender smells strong, but pleasant. I highly recommend adding this flower to your patio to learn about its benefits and pleasant scent. It needs full sun and well drained soil. Lavender thrives in zones 5-9, but from personal experience, it also thrives (as a perennial) in zone 4. Humidity is not a friend of lavender, but it can be grown in more humid climates. Keep in mind that it won’t grow as well in high humidity as it does in arid climates.

  • Gwendolyn Floccari
  • February 1, 2022 At 12:18 pm
  • Zinnia are great for heat. It gets 100 to 115 here mid to late summer
  • Reply

Since I moved to Texas, and am not great at gardening, I’ve done a ton of research and trial and error over the years…great flowers for Houston; Lantana, Verbena, Angelonia, Torenia, Cannas, knock-out roses, begonia of any kind, caladiums, vinca, pentas- all of these continue to flower in high heat and make excellent, low maintenance garden containers and beds. (Ferns, too! Especially Kimberly Fern, asparagus fern).

Zinnia are great for heat. It gets 100 to 115 here mid to late summer

Faleminderit për informacionin e dobishëm.Por mundë të na informonit,dhe si duhen uijtur.Faleminderit.

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