Florida can be a challenging environment to grow plants, especially during the summer. Its harsh sunlight, scorching heat, suffocating humidity, and rainstorms make it a climate unsuitable for many garden favorites. Plants that can live in Florida sometimes require a lot of attention to prevent them from looking scraggly and pitiful, especially if you have a flowerbed that is in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day.
Despite these challenges, there are several plants that thrive in Florida’s tropical climate; we’ve listed them below.
1. Coreopsis
Coreopsis, or tickseed, is Florida’s official state flower. This plant’s flowers blossom in colors of yellow, gold, orange, red, and pink. Some tickseed plants bloom throughout the spring, while others may only bloom from April to October. Coreopsis plants are drought tolerant and will attract butterflies.
Tickseed plants prefer full sun or light shade and must be planted in well-drained soil. They thrive in pots and flower gardens and are low maintenance. Most coreopsis varieties are perennials in North Florida but annuals in Central and South Florida.
2. Agastache ‘Summer Sunset’
This plant can grow up to 18 inches tall and produces sunset orange-colored flowers that remain vibrant despite Florida’s summer heat. When crushed, the flowers release a pleasant aroma. They grow best in full sunlight and in medium moisture, well-drained soils. This plant is highly drought-resistant once established and is typically free of disease. Summer sunset plants enhance flowerbeds, landscaping borders, and all types of gardens year-round.
3. Abelia
This semi-evergreen shrub has straight and gently arching stems with glossy dark-green leaves. It can grow to be 3 to 5 feet tall and is covered with large clusters of lilac-pink funnel-shaped blossoms from early summer until early fall autumn.
This shrub thrives in full sun to partial shade and should be planted in medium-moisture, well-drained soil. This low-maintenance plant is disease and pest-resistant to pests and disease. Abelia shrubs make good specimen plants and are also great when planted in small groups and in pots.
4. Abutilon ‘Lucky Lantern Red’
Abutilon ‘Lucky Lantern Red’ is a semi-evergreen shrub with maple tree-like leaves. It produces large bright red bell-shaped flowers and grows best in rich, well-drained soils. This shrub also thrives in full sun or partial shade and can grow to be 12 inches tall.
Abutilon’s bright red flowers bloom from summer until the first freeze and are known to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Since Florida’s climate is warm year-round, this shrub’s colorful flowers are on constant display. It’s also heat and drought-tolerant. Abutilon plants make lovely additions to ornamental pots, flowerbeds, landscaping borders, and hanging baskets.
5. Lavandula Phenomenal
Lavender phenomenal has a high tolerance for heat and humidity. This plant can grow up to 48 inches tall and produce purple flowers that can grow up to 30 inches long. Lavandin plants blossom later than other types of Lavandula angustifolia, but they grow larger and produce more flower spikes. The fragrance emitted by the leaves and blossoms of this plant can be intense.
6. Achillea ‘Walther Funcke’
Achillea ‘Walther Funcke’ grows up to 2 feet tall and produces clusters of brick-red and honey-colored blooms. It’s disease-resistant and thrives in full sunshine and dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil. It requires little maintenance and is drought, humidity, and heat-resistant to drought, heat, and humidity, making it an ideal plant for Florida’s climate.
7. Evolvulus ‘Blue Daze’
This flowering plant, which is also known as blue daze, is great as a groundcover. Its blue-tinted flowers look great against its silvery-green foliage. Blue daze grows to a height of 6 inches and a width of 12 – 18 inches.
Blue daze is an ideal choice for Florida gardening because it is drought-tolerant. They also thrive in partial shade, but to enjoy maximum blooming, you should apply fertilizer and plant it in full sun.
This plant blooms year-round and makes a great addition to all gardens, landscaping borders, and flowerbeds.
8. Pentas Lanceolata
Pentas lanceolata, or the Egyptian star flower, is a tropical perennial commonly cultivated as a summer bedding annual or as a houseplant. This plant produces pink, crimson, lilac, or white star-shaped flowers that grow in clusters up to 4 inches in diameter. Egyptian star flowers thrive in full sun and well-drained, rich, moist organic soil. For best results, plant the Egyptian star flower in full sunlight and water on a regular basis during the growing season. This plant’s flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds and make an excellent accent to flowerbeds and landscaping borders, Mediterranean-themed gardens, and containers.
