Vincas are Everywhere! (Other Summer Flower Options)
After a springtime of beautiful blooms, the summer heat always comes to kill off the pretty flowers, and only the strongest can survive and bloom brilliantly through the 110+ degree days. Most of the time, companies, communities, and individuals alike opt for the most common “Summer Survivor” – the Vinca.
Now, don’t be dissuaded – Vincas are great! They come in all sorts of colors. You can buy “trailing” Vincas or “upright” Vincas, making them a good choice for at least some of your pots no matter what. They don’t get eaten by rabbits or javelinas or anything else either (because they’re poisonous – don’t keep them in a place where a curious dog or young child might eat them). With all that in mind, it makes sense why you see them EVERYWHERE during the summer. Everybody likes variety though, and there are several other choices of summer annuals you could make to have your summer pots stand out.
Portulacas are an obvious choice. There are hundreds of different species of these trailing, succulent-leaved plants, all of which bloom pretty flowers through all of the summer and usually only begin to die off around the time when you should plant your winter annuals anyway.
The Blue Salvia is a surprisingly strong option. Just like Vincas (and frankly most of these choices) they can be quite thirsty in the summer, but they can withstand the heat perfectly fine as long as they get afternoon shade. They consistently shoot up stalks of blue flowers that hummingbirds go crazy for. Other Salvias may work too, though you’ll likely need more shade and more water to keep them going.
Angelonias are a great choice! They look quite similar to Snapdragons, except they come mostly in cool colors and can last the summer if they get afternoon shade. Speaking of Snapdragons, Dwarf Snapdragons are significantly more resistant to the heat than their full-sized counterparts, so you can grow them all year round and get blooms any time.
Pentas are a classic summer option for any level of sunlight. Planting one on its own in a full-sun pot is not recommended, though. They do much better in groups. They’re very pretty and create large clusters of warm-colored flowers.
Others you might want to try include Gomphrenas, Coreopsis, and Celosia, though they may have a harder time if the nighttime temperature is too high.
A great solution to the relatively small list of annuals would be to use perennials! Euryops Daisies, Lantanas, Moss Verbenas, Fern-Leaf Lavenders, and many others are ones to look into which can last many years. Not only that, but you can get brilliant colors and even summer blooms from cacti and succulents! Many of the hundreds of varieties of Prickly Pear bloom during the early summer. The Baja Ocotillo (Fouqueria macdougalii) is similar to our Ocotillo but it has leaves all year long and blooms all the time. Aloes may not bloom in the summer very often, but their brilliant blade colors can bring an accent to any space.
At ELS Maintenance & Construction, we install seasonal annuals at entrances, monuments, and other locations around communities per contract. If you know of a community or commercial center that needs new landscapers, email [email protected] and we can get started!
