The Texas heat has returned and with it different precautions that must be taken regarding your lawn. If you’re like us then you like to keep your lawn looking bright and healthy year round and one way of doing this is by picking the correct plants that will flourish in your environment during the summer. Climate and soil conditions should always be taken into consideration and an easy way of doing this is by knowing your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.
For those who don't know, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is a geographic area that is defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature. This is an important factor relevant to the survival of many plants. The following image breaks down Texas with its designated Hardiness Zone areas.
Now that you know your hardiness zone, here are six plants that we love at Complete Landscapes during the summer! All six plants are heat and drought tolerant and we've included what hardiness zones they work best in so you know if they're the right fit for your lawn.
WHALE TONGUE AGAVE
zone: 7,8,9
The Whale Tongue Agave (Agave Ovatifolia) is a perennial succulent made up of round rosette’s of thick, broad, slightly cupped, gray to powder-blue leaves. The leaves are lined with small teeth along the edges and tipped with a long terminal spine. This low maintenance plant grows up to 3-4 ft. tall (90-120cm) and 4-6 ft. wide (120-180cm). It grows easily in well-drained soil and in full sun to light shade. Once it’s been planted it can tolerate droughtness but can grow much larger with proper irrigation. We advise to plant it away from any pathway that is regularly walked on as it’s needle-sharp spines can harm people or pets.
RED YUCCA
zone: 6,7,8,9
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe Parviflora) is a perennial succulent that has a rosette of thin, arching, sword-like, blue-green leaves. Unlike other yucca’s, this kind is spineless and has fibrous threads along it’s edges. During the cold weather or a drought, the leaves take on a purple or reddish-bronze tint. During the summer, slender branched stalks formed of bell-shapped coral red to pink flowers grow out of the leaves. These stalks grow through late spring, midsummer, and sometimes into fall. The Red Yucca can grow up to 3-5 ft. high (90-150 cm) and 4-6 ft. wide (120-180 cm) and is very drought tolerant. It grows best in sandy, dry, sharply drained solid and full sun.
MOSS ROSE
zone:6,7,8,9
The Moss Rose (Portulaca Grandiflora) is an annual plant that is covered with brightly colored, single, semi-double, or double, ruffled flowers. They are available in pink, violet, white, red, salmon, orange, and yellow. This rose needs good drainage and hot/dry conditions to survive. It can grow up to 3-6 in. tall (7-15 cm), spreads to 10-15 in. (25-37 cm), and quickly forms a dense mat. This plant blooms from late spring to winter and its flowers open their petals when the sun hits them directly and close at night or when it's cloudy.
ORANGE BULBINE
zone: 9
The Orange Bulbine (Bulbine Frutescens) is an easy to care of plant made up of dense rosettes of linear, fleshy green leaves. When they bloom, long racemes of small, yellow or pale orange flowers with frilly stamens are borne above the leaves. They grow up to 12-18 in. tall and wide (30-45 cm). It performs best in full sun, light shade, dry to moist, well-drained sandy loam. This plant become drought tolerant once established but its still advised to have good irrigation as it helps it grow stronger.
LANTANA
zone: 6,7,8,9
Lantana plants are low-maintenance perennial plants that thrive in hot, sunny locations. They can grow up to 6 ft. tall (180 cm), or have a spreading or trailing habit. This plant grows colored flowers that bloom in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. The leaves of this plant are coarse and lightly toothed with a rough texture. When it’s crushed it has a fruity or citrusy scent, this smell can be stronger in the evenings.
DRIFT ROSE
zone: 6,7,8,9
Drift Roses are a cross between full-sized groundcover roses and miniature roses. They are very low maintenance and thrive in the warmer seasons. These roses bloom in bushes and grow to be about one foot in height and two feet in width. They come in different shades of pink, yellow, orange, red and white. They also come in different shapes depending the shape of the blossoms. The most common types of drift roses are double blossoms, semi-double blossoms, and cuplike blossoms. This plant is very drought and heat tolerant but during the summer it does require good irrigation to flourish properly.
All six of these plants are great and would look amazing in your lawn but there are many other gorgeous plants that work well in the summer time. Here at Complete Landscapes we have a team of experts that are ready to help you find the right plants to keep your lawn looking fresh all summer long!