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Hannah O'Connor

Best Late-Summer Flowering Plants to Add Color to Your Garden

As the summer heat begins to wane in Central Texas, your garden still has the potential to burst with vibrant color. Late-summer flowering plants add visual interest and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, keeping your garden lively as the season transitions into fall. Here’s a list of the best late-summer flowering plants that thrive in Central Texas' unique climate.


1. Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)

Why It's Great: One of the most captivating features of Turk’s Cap is its ability to attract a variety of pollinators, particularly hummingbirds and butterflies. These creatures are drawn to the nectar-rich flowers of Turk’s Cap, making it a valuable addition to any pollinator garden. The blooming period of this plant typically spans from late summer well into the fall season, providing a reliable source of food for these important pollinators during a critical time of the year.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Part shade to full sun

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate

  • Soil: Well-drained soil

  • Maintenance: Minimal; prune to maintain shape if needed


2. Esperanza (Tecoma stans)

Why It's Great: Known as Yellow Bells, the Esperanza plant features vibrant trumpet-shaped flowers that last well into autumn. It thrives in Central Texas with its heat and drought tolerance, making it a low-maintenance and visually striking choice for gardens in the region.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil

  • Maintenance: Cut back after flowering to encourage more blooms


3. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Why It's Great: Purple Coneflower is a hardy perennial that thrives in the hot, dry conditions of Central Texas. Known for its large, daisy-like flowers with striking purple petals and a prominent orange-brown central cone, this plant blooms from late summer into fall. It’s not only beautiful but also beneficial for wildlife, attracting butterflies and bees during the blooming season and providing seeds for birds in the fall.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate; drought-tolerant once established

  • Soil: Well-drained soil; tolerant of poor soils

  • Maintenance: Deadhead spent blooms to encourage more flowers, but leave some seed heads in place for winter interest and to feed birds


4. Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)

Why It's Great: Mexican Bush Sage adds a splash of color with its velvety purple and white spikes. It’s an excellent choice for adding texture and depth to your garden, and it’s highly attractive to pollinators.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate

  • Soil: Well-drained soil

  • Maintenance: Cut back after the first frost to promote bushier growth in spring


5. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Why It's Great: Butterfly Weed is not only beautiful with its clusters of orange and yellow flowers, but it also plays a crucial role in the life cycle of monarch butterflies, serving as a host plant for their caterpillars.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy soil

  • Maintenance: Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering


6. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Why It's Great: Russian Sage is known for its airy spikes of lavender-blue flowers and aromatic foliage. It’s drought-tolerant and thrives in the heat, making it a low-maintenance option for Central Texas gardens.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy or rocky soil

  • Maintenance: Prune back in early spring to encourage new growth


7. Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)

Why It's Great: Autumn Sage offers small, vibrant flowers in shades of red, pink, purple, or white, blooming from late summer through fall. It’s a tough plant that can handle the heat and dry conditions of Central Texas.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate

  • Soil: Well-drained soil

  • Maintenance: Prune after flowering to maintain a compact shape


8. Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)

Why It's Great: Rock Rose is a tough and versatile native plant that offers bright pink, hibiscus-like flowers throughout the summer and into fall. It thrives in the heat and can handle drought conditions, making it a perfect choice for Central Texas gardens.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained soil, can tolerate poor soils

  • Maintenance: Prune lightly to encourage more blooms and a compact shape


9. Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii)

Why It's Great: Gregg’s Mistflower is a magnet for butterflies, especially the Queen butterfly, which swarms this plant when it’s in bloom. Its delicate, fuzzy blue flowers add a soft touch to your garden from late summer into fall.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Part shade to full sun

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate

  • Soil: Well-drained soil, tolerates various soil types

  • Maintenance: Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming


10. Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)

Why It's Great: Blackfoot Daisy is a tough native perennial that produces masses of small, white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. It blooms continuously from spring through fall, providing long-lasting color with minimal care.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy or rocky soil

  • Maintenance: Minimal; cut back in early spring to remove dead growth


11. Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)

Why It's Great: Also known as Hummingbird Bush, Flame Acanthus produces tubular, fiery red or orange flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds. It blooms from late summer through fall and is highly drought-tolerant once established.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained soil, can tolerate poor soils

  • Maintenance: Prune in early spring to encourage bushier growth and more blooms


12. Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida)


Why It's Great: Zexmenia is a native perennial that produces cheerful yellow-orange flowers from late spring to fall. It’s a low-maintenance plant that thrives in the heat and is highly attractive to bees and butterflies.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained soil, tolerates poor soils

  • Maintenance: Trim lightly to keep it compact and encourage more blooms


13. Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)


Why It's Great: Texas Lantana is a native variety of Lantana that produces clusters of orange, yellow, and red flowers from spring through fall. It’s extremely drought-tolerant and thrives in the intense heat, making it a great choice for xeriscapes.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun

  • Water Needs: Low

  • Soil: Well-drained soil, tolerates poor soils

  • Maintenance: Prune lightly to encourage more blooms and prevent legginess


14. Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)

Why It's Great: Mexican Mint Marigold, also known as Texas Tarragon, is a heat-loving perennial that produces bright yellow, daisy-like flowers in late summer and fall. In addition to its ornamental value, its leaves can be used as a culinary herb with a flavor similar to tarragon.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade

  • Water Needs: Low to moderate

  • Soil: Well-drained soil

  • Maintenance: Cut back in early spring to encourage fresh growth


15. Blue Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)

Why It's Great: Blue Mistflower is a fast-growing perennial that produces clusters of fluffy, lavender-blue flowers from late summer into fall. It’s a favorite of butterflies, particularly the Monarch, and adds a cool splash of color to your garden as temperatures start to drop.


Care Tips:

  • Sun Exposure: Part shade to full sun

  • Water Needs: Moderate

  • Soil: Moist, well-drained soil

  • Maintenance: Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering, and cut back in late winter to promote new growth in spring



Tips for a Thriving Late-Summer Garden in Central Texas

  • Water Wisely: While many of these plants are drought-tolerant, they will benefit from deep watering during prolonged dry spells. Water in the early morning or late evening to minimize evaporation.

  • Mulch: Mulching around your plants helps retain moisture, cool the soil, and reduce weeds. Organic mulches like wood chips or straw are ideal.

  • Fertilize Sparingly: Late summer is not the time for heavy fertilization, as it can encourage tender new growth susceptible to heat and pests. Instead, use a slow-release fertilizer or compost to nourish your plants gradually.

  • Attract Pollinators: Plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times to keep your garden buzzing with life. Consider adding a small water feature or a shallow dish of water with pebbles for bees and butterflies to drink from.



Conclusion

With the right selection of plants, your Central Texas garden can remain a vibrant oasis of color even in the hottest months of the year. From the striking blooms of Esperanza to the delicate spikes of Russian Sage, these late-summer flowering plants are sure to enhance your garden’s beauty while supporting local wildlife. By choosing plants suited to the climate and providing them with a little care, you’ll enjoy a stunning, low-maintenance garden all season long.

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