Plant a container that won’t suffer during the hot summer days by selecting one of these six handpicked recipes for heat loving plant combos. Choosing heat tolerant plants ensures your accent pot has non-stop flowers and looks great all summer long, even when the temperatures are hot.
Pro Tip: Heat tolerant plants are not necessarily drought tolerant and should still be watered regularly, unless noted otherwise. Plants that are not heat tolerant will fizzle out during hot temperatures, even if they are well-watered.
Cascading Classic
Not all geraniums are heat tolerant, so be on the lookout for the names Caliente®, Calliope® and Fantasia®. If they cost a little more than an unnamed geranium it’s because they withstand soaring summer temperatures. Vinca vine (Vinca major) will grow in hot northern climates, but we recommend substituting dichondra if you live in the South.
Topnotch Succulents
Succulent plants are not only heat tolerant, but also tolerate drought. These are some of the most reliable plants and a great choice for the person who doesn’t want to water their plants each day. To recreate this durable dish garden, choose a shallow decorative container and mix together senecio ‘Blue Chalk’, October daphne, stonecrop ‘Angelina’ and echeveria.
Vibrant Succulents with Flowers
If you want the durability of heat and drought tolerant plants, but with a splash of colorful flowers, then this is the container recipe for you. Combine hens and chicks and purslane together in a shallow container. Add a layer of gravel on the surface of the soil to complete the miniature rock garden look.
Fancy & Functional
This decorative planter is a real looker and provides vegetables to use in your kitchen. The sweet potato vine and salvia add a beautiful touch with their colorful leaves and flowers all season, while the patio-sized pepper and tomato produce a homegrown harvest to eat. Hot, pimento or banana peppers are more heat tolerant than bell peppers. Look for heat tolerant, small tomato varieties, such as ‘Sweet ‘n’ Neat’. A dual-purpose container for people who have a small space to garden and want the best of both worlds.
Single Show-Stopping Plants
Don’t let their delicately textured leaves fool you because foxtail ferns are tough, resilient plants that beat the heat. The distinctive spiky shape of this plant is ideal for featuring on its own in a large planter. What’s more, a foxtail fern pairs perfectly with nearly any color or patterned pot that reflects your personality and home décor.
Bold Nonstop Color
There are no flowers in this combination, which means this spectacular display will never quit on you and keeps its good looks all season long. Croton plants come in various colors and leaf-types that combine nicely with the upright patterned leaves of mother-in-law’s tongue. This bold combo will help create a tropical oasis on your balcony, doorstep or deck.
More Ideas for Heat Loving Plant Combos
Looking for even more ideas of what plants to include in a heat tolerant combination? Search for heat tolerant selections in our Plant Library or consider this list of flowering annuals that hold up well in the hot days of summer:
10 Heat Tolerant Flowering Annuals
- Vinca (Catharanthus)
- Gazania
- African Lily (Agapanthus)
- Lantana
- Hardy Yellow Ice Plant (Delosperma)
- Zinnia
- Dipladenia, Mandevilla
- Marigold
- Flamingo Flower, Jacobinia
- Dusty Miller
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