Plants for Those Hot, Sunny Places

What do you plant against a hot southern wall or in a sunny bed...a list of heat-loving plants

Agastache x 'Ava'
Item # 11821 		Agastache 'Ava'
Ava's Hummingbird Mint

each $9.79
3 to 6 plants $9.59
7 or more $9.29
Achillea ageratifolia
Item # 10010 		Achillea ageratifolia
Greek Yarrow

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more plants $7.59
Kniphofia uvaria 'Pfitzer’s Hybrid Mix'
Item # 96491 		Kniphofia uvaria 'Hybrid Mix'
Red Hot Poker

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Chamaebatiera millifolium
Item # 35240 		Chamaebatiera millifolium
Fernbush

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Delosperma Sampler
Item # 99537 		Delosperma Sampler
Iceplant Sampler

Sampler $19.96

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So you have a hot south facing wall or bed that is an inferno. What will survive there besides yucca and a statue? Not that anything is wrong with yucca and statues. But a little planning can turn a hot spot into a thriving spot—with or without yucca and statues.

To be diligent about this, because I know lots of other people have those south and west facing walls, I spoke with David Salman, the president of High Country Gardens and Santa Fe Greenhouses, to find what plants he recommends. Then I toured the grounds here looking for even more. All of the plants listed in the following categories are good for those hot, dry places.

But first, the soil needs a bit of consideration. Amazingly, some plants don’t mind clay, but when transplanting it’s still important to take time to amend it. Mix a third of the clay you dig out of the planting hole with 2/3 compost. This will give clay-loving plants a good start to establish themselves before the roots begin traveling into the clay. If the plants like more loamy conditions, you might want to leave out the clay altogether.

All the plants listed below love the hot sun. These aren’t the only ones.

Low-growing plants

Medium height plants

Tall plants

Shrubs

Vines

  • Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine), 40’, Zones 5-8.
  • Lonicera (Honeysuckle) Zones 4-9
  • Fallopia aubertii (Silver Lace), 40’, Zones 4-8

It’s not impossible to find plants to grow in those glaring hot regions around our houses. It just takes a little bit of poking round the nursery and some experimenting to see what works.