Heat-Tolerant Plants for Pots

Pots

• When selecting an appropriate pot, consider several factors. Consider the plant’s growth habit and mature size. Select containers one to two times larger than the root ball. Taller plants require larger containers than shorter varieties. Larger containers keep plants from tipping over due to being too heavy on top. Trailing types work well in hanging baskets, as well as potted and placed on a wall, ledge, trellis or arbor. Plastic pots retain the soil’s moisture longer than containers made of wood, unsealed ceramics or clay. Use a potting mix that drains well. Some mixtures offer the extra bonus of moisture control. It keeps the soil moister longer than regular blends. This cuts down on water needs.

Succulents

• Succulents tolerate heat as well as drought. Choices are vast, with plants having an upright or trailing habit. Gardeners should grow most succulents in sunny locations and water when the pot’s soil is dry. Aloe vera has a clumping, upright habit with fleshy, spined leaves. Winter throughout spring, a tall spike filled with yellow, tubular flowers blooms. It prefers sandy, well-drained soil. Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) performs as a flowering annual. It blooms all year with roselike flowers. Its trailing habit makes it a good choice for hanging baskets.

Annuals

• Annual heat-loving plants include natives as well as domesticated hybrids. Potted flowering types work well in brightening up any landscape location. Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora), also called tickseed, is a fast-growing, North American native wildflower. The plants tolerate heat, drought and poor conditions. It has green, lancelike foliage with thin stems. Flowers are yellow and daisylike. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) encompasses more than 20 species of annually blooming plants, according to Floridata. Flowers bloom in a rainbow of colors. Depending on the variety, plants grow 6 inches to 2 feet tall. Regular watering promotes the best growth and flowers.

Perennials

• Gardeners have choices in evergreen, deciduous and flowering perennials that tolerate heat and potted growth. Many heat-loving perennials prefer warm growing conditions and require protection during cold winters. Hawaiian or Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis) performs well in year-round, warm climates. It is trainable as a flowering shrub or tree. The plant has dark green foliage and blooms in a vast array of colors, depending on the cultivar. The large tropical flowers attract butterflies. Plant the hibiscus in acidic potting mixes and situate the pot in full to partial sun. Water plants regularly. Frangipani (Plumeria spp.) is a heat- and drought-tolerant, small tropical tree. It grows well in containers. Limbs are thick and stocky. The large oval leaves are leathery. Depending on the cultivar, flowers bloom in various colors and are fragrant. It grows best in rich potting mixtures and located in full sun.