Heat-Tolerant Annual and Perennial Flowers

If your yard gets lots of direct sunlight, keeping your flowers hydrated consistently may be trickier than for the folks across the street with a North-facing yard. Some flowers might even wilt in the sun if it gets too hot out there! Growing heat-tolerant flowers is a great way to make summer gardening stress-free. They can handle high temperatures and direct sun without getting scorched, and they don’t mind brief periods of drought, so it’s not the end of the world if you forget to water them for a few days. Here are four heat-tolerant annuals and four heat-tolerant perennials that will thrive all summer long, rain or shine. 

What Are the Most Heat-Tolerant Annuals?

Annual flowers explode into bloom in summer, soaking up all that sun to produce the most vibrant, voluminous blooms possible. However, some are more tolerant to high heat than others! Here are our favourite varieties for Abbotsford. 

Celosia

These tufted cuties come in a whole crayon box of colours—we love the way their signature blooms light up the landscape like little torches! They’re one of the best heat-tolerant annuals for containers, always bringing style, attitude, and personality to your scenery. Plant a multi-coloured mix for a high-impact display!

Superbells

This cousin of the Petunia, also known as Calibrachoa, forms a fluffy cloud of jewel-toned flowers that spill down the sides of its container, making it perfect for hanging baskets. There are so many spectacular colours to choose from, and they’re wonderfully low-maintenance. There is no need to deadhead the spent blooms—this plant is self-cleaning and will keep blooming on its own. 

Marigold

The sunny golden blooms of the Marigold hold special cultural significance in India and Mexico—if they can handle the temperatures there, they’ll have no trouble blooming brightly here in Abbotsford! On top of being so delightfully vibrant and cheerful, Marigolds have natural pest repellent properties, so placing them in containers around the patio will help keep annoying bugs away. 

Lantana

The pink, orange, and yellow flower clusters on this fabulous annual remind us of Canada Day fireworks! Beautiful on their own, or to add texture and colour to mixed containers, Lantanas never fail to put a smile on our faces. They thrive in high heat, so while you’re slathering on the SPF and staying cool, these beauties will remain flawless. 

What Are the Most Heat-Tolerant Perennials? 

Want reliable, heat-tolerant flowers that keep coming back with even more vigour and volume than before? These hardy perennials will be right at home in your sun-drenched garden. 

Echinacea  

A favourite among local pollinators like bees and butterflies, Echinacea, or “Coneflower,” is a native perennial of British Columbia, so it naturally thrives in our Canadian coastal climate. The most common varieties are purplish-pink with rounded orange centres, but there are always interesting new cultivars released each year, boasting unique colours and ombré tones. 

Sedum

This succulent groundcover is such a unique plant, perfect for filling in gaps in the garden or rocky terrains. Their fleshy foliage can come in classic green, warm red and gold tones, or even cool teal blues and purples! We particularly love “Autumn Joy”—it blooms well into fall after most of your summer flowers have since faded.  

Gaillardia

Also known as Blanketflower, these daisy-like perennials flaunt fiery sunset tones like rich reds, oranges and golds. They bloom for an incredibly long time, continually producing flowers through summer and fall, making them a top favourite for low-maintenance gardens. 

Daylilies

A tough-as-nails perennial plant that’s perfect for city life, Daylilies are heat-tolerant, pollution-tolerant, and so easy to grow! Their foliage grows densely and lush, making a fantastic border plant. When they get too crowded, dig them up, divide them at the roots, replant the new divisions elsewhere, or share them with a neighbour to make their day! 

Explore more heat-tolerant flowers for sale in Abbotsford by visiting Windsor Greenhouse. We have a stunning selection of annuals and perennials for containers and garden beds—feel free to ask us for suggestions on what’s new and exciting!