What's Flowering in Charleston? Long Lasting Summer Blooms!

How are you beating the heat this month in Charleston? Summer is in full swing and one of the hardest parts of a summer in the south is keeping your garden lush and beautiful through the heat! Instead of fighting the sun this season, incorporate plants in your garden that thrive in our extreme conditions. Today, let's talk about long lasting summer blooms that flourish in Charleston's summer heat!

In "Summer Container Gardens in Charleston" we gave you three quick tips for designing happy and healthy container gardens this season and those same ideas can be applied to your landscape! Incorporating drought tolerant plants and utilizing funky foliage is the key to designing an interesting garden through this hot season, but it's still possible to prioritize flowers! If you need blooms in your garden, ensure you're planting flowers that bloom all summer long, not sure in the spring.

Summer blooming trees and shrubs:

• Crape Myrtles are in full bloom and a staple in Charleston

• Hydrangeas are perfect for those shady spots that need a pop of color this season

• Oleander is our go-to shrub for heat tolerant, drought tolerant, and salt tolerant blooms

• Buddleia or Butterfly bush provide blooms all season for pollinators

Summer blooming perennials and annuals:

• Swamp hibiscus are native and are covered in showy bold bloom through the summer

• Joe - Pye weed is another native the blooms all summer long

• Lantana come in multiple colors and growth habits, plus they are drought tolerant once established

• Echinacea or Cone flowers are classic, resilient bloomers perfect for the south

• Portulaca and Sedum are very drought tolerant and bring blooms and interesting succulent foliage

• Vinca and Penta are our favorite summer annuals for container garden and bold color through the heat

If you're hoping to refresh your space this season, consider incorporating these options into your landscape and containers for flowers through our intense Charleston summers!