Best Summer Flowering Plants to Add Color to Your Garden
- Hannah O'Connor
- Aug 20, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 20
Summer in Central Texas presents a unique challenge for gardeners: high temperatures, intense sun, and periods of drought can quickly test the limits of your landscape. Yet with the right plant selections, it's possible to maintain vibrant, colorful blooms well into late summer and early fall. Choosing heat-tolerant, drought-adapted plants enhances visual appeal and supports vital pollinators during one of the toughest times of the year.
This guide highlights some of the best-performing flowering plants for Central Texas summers—each selected for its resilience, ornamental value, and ecological benefits.
Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
Why It's Great: This Texas native is a dependable performer in hot, shady conditions where other plants might struggle. Its unusual, twisted red flowers resemble miniature turbans and bloom from late summer into fall. Turk’s Cap provides critical nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees during the hottest months and into the shoulder season. It’s deer-tolerant, tolerant of poor soils, and can be pruned back hard each winter to encourage dense new growth.
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
Esperanza (Tecoma stans)
Why It's Great: Also known as Yellow Bells, Esperanza produces clusters of bright golden trumpet-shaped blooms from late spring through fall. This heat-loving perennial shrub thrives in full sun and lean soils, showing excellent drought resistance once established. Its long bloom time and striking color make it a favorite among pollinators, especially hummingbirds and bees. In warmer winters, it may remain semi-evergreen, but it typically returns from the roots each spring.
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
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Why It's Great: A staple in native and pollinator gardens, Purple Coneflower stands out for its resilience and wildlife value. Large pink to purple ray flowers with spiny, copper-orange centers bloom through summer and into fall. Butterflies are drawn to the blooms for nectar, while seed-eating birds like goldfinches rely on the dried cones later in the season. This plant is well-suited to clay or sandy soils and tolerates heat and drought with ease.
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
Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha)
Why It's Great: Known for its dramatic, fuzzy flower spikes in purple and white, Mexican Bush Sage brings a soft, graceful texture to garden borders. Though not native, it performs exceptionally well in Central Texas and supports late-season pollinators. This sun-loving perennial requires minimal watering once established and blooms consistently from late summer through frost, providing much-needed color in the fall landscape.
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
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Why It's Great: Technically a member of the mint family, Russian Sage produces silvery-gray, fragrant foliage and clouds of small blue-lavender flowers. Its open, airy growth habit adds movement and lightness to the landscape. Exceptionally tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soil, Russian Sage is an excellent structural plant for xeric or low-water gardens. Pollinators are drawn to its long-blooming floral display throughout late summer and fall.
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
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
Why It's Great: A Central Texas native and garden workhorse, Autumn Sage is prized for its continuous blooming and adaptability. Its tubular flowers, which come in a wide range of colors, are a magnet for hummingbirds and native bees. Drought-tolerant and long-lived, it performs best in full sun and well-drained soil, and can be sheared back in winter to maintain a compact shape.
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
Rock Rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)
Why It's Great: Rock Rose thrives in the toughest spots—full sun, rocky soils, and dry slopes—making it ideal for water-wise gardens. This Texas native blooms throughout the warm season with hibiscus-like pink flowers that open each morning and close in the afternoon. It reseeds readily, creating drifts of cheerful blooms that support bees and butterflies throughout the summer and into fall.
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
Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii)
Why It's Great: A favorite among butterfly gardeners, Gregg’s Mistflower is especially attractive to Queen butterflies, which cluster on its fuzzy lavender-blue blooms in late summer and fall. Once established, this native perennial thrives in full sun to part shade and performs best with minimal supplemental water. Its soft, spreading form makes it a great filler in informal beds or wildflower gardens, where it adds a cool-toned contrast to brighter blooms.
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
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Why It's Great: This low-growing native perfectly adapts to hot, dry conditions and rocky soils. Blackfoot Daisy produces a profusion of sweet-smelling, small white blooms with golden centers from spring through fall, often flowering even during drought. Its tidy mounding habit and minimal water needs make it an excellent choice for borders, rock gardens, or xeriscaped areas. Bees are frequent visitors, and the plant’s resilience is ideal for low-maintenance gardeners.
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
Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)
Why It's Great: Also called Hummingbird Bush, this rugged Texas native lives up to its name. Clusters of narrow, tubular red-orange flowers appear from midsummer into fall, providing a vital nectar source for hummingbirds during migration. It thrives in full sun, resists drought, and easily tolerates poor soils. Cut it back in winter to encourage dense regrowth each spring. It’s a reliable choice for wildlife-friendly, heat-hardy landscapes.
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
Zexmenia (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida)
Why It's Great: Zexmenia is a long-blooming, low-maintenance Texas native perennial that bursts with yellow-orange daisy-like flowers from late spring to fall. Its coarse, hairy foliage helps it retain moisture and makes it unappealing to deer. This native plant thrives in full sun, tolerates drought once established, and supports native bees and butterflies. It’s ideal for naturalistic plantings, cottage gardens, or erosion-prone slopes.
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
Texas Lantana (Lantana urticoides)
Why It's Great: Unlike tropical lantana species, Texas Lantana is a hardy native shrub that thrives in the punishing heat and drought of Central Texas. Its vibrant flower clusters—blending orange, red, and yellow—bloom continuously from spring through frost. Pollinators love the nectar-rich blooms, and birds feed on its small, dark fruits. Best suited to full sun and lean soils, it makes a striking statement in xeric beds and wildscapes.
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
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Why It's Great: Also known as Texas Tarragon, this aromatic herb produces clusters of cheerful golden-yellow flowers in late summer and fall, just as many other plants begin to fade. The foliage has a sweet, anise-like scent and is often used as a heat-tolerant substitute for French tarragon in the kitchen. It prefers well-drained soil, full sun, and moderate water. As both an ornamental and culinary plant, it’s a standout in edible and ornamental gardens alike.
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
Tips for a Summer Garden in Central Texas
Water Wisely
Even drought-tolerant plants benefit from occasional deep watering during extended dry periods. Aim to water early in the morning or in the evening to reduce evaporation loss. Watering deeply but infrequently encourages roots to grow deeper, improving plant resilience to heat stress.
Mulch for Moisture and Soil Health
Apply a 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch such as shredded hardwood, pine straw, or composted bark around your plants. Mulch helps regulate soil temperature, retain moisture, and suppress weed growth. As it breaks down, it also improves soil structure and fertility.
Fertilize with Care
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers in late summer, as they can trigger tender new growth prone to heat damage and pests. Instead, opt for slow-release or organic options like compost, worm castings, or fish emulsion to provide balanced nutrients. This gentle feeding supports healthy root development and flower production without overstimulating growth.
Support Pollinators Year-Round
Choose a diverse mix of native and adapted flowering plants that bloom from spring through fall to ensure a steady nectar supply. Add elements like flat rocks for butterflies to sunbathe on and shallow water sources filled with pebbles to offer safe drinking spots for bees and butterflies.
Prune and Deadhead Strategically
Remove spent blooms (deadheading) from many perennials to encourage extended flowering and a tidier appearance. For woody or shrubby species like Flame Acanthus or Esperanza, light pruning in late summer can stimulate a final flush of blooms—just avoid heavy cuts that could stress the plant or encourage frost-tender growth.
Conclusion
Gardening through the heat of a Central Texas summer doesn’t have to mean sacrificing color or vitality. By selecting plants that are naturally adapted to the region’s climate—such as the vivid Esperanza, the pollinator-magnet Turk’s Cap, or the drought-tough Rock Rose—you can create a landscape that thrives even when temperatures soar. These plants not only provide long-lasting visual interest but also serve as essential habitat and food sources for native pollinators.
Happy Gardening!
Sources
City of Austin Grow Green Program. Native and Adapted Landscape Plant Guide. Guide. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/grow-green
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native Plant Database. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/
Farmer’s Almanac. Best Plants for Heat and Drought Tolerance. https://www.almanac.com/