Colorful plants can thrive in intense heat (but may need some shade)
Kahili ginger loves intense heat and can take some cold. Debbie Arrington
Nobody looks good at 115 degrees. But there are several perennials that thrive in triple-digit temperatures. All they need is some afternoon shade.
You might think that Sahara-like temperatures are only fit for cacti. (Desert plants don’t like this much heat either.) Sacramento’s hottest day ever has me considering what flowers can still bloom in ultra-high heat.
Instead of desolate desert landscapes, our current heatwave has me dreaming about tropical places; a jungle may be incredibly hot, but it’s lush.
My own backyard jungle is holding its own during this heatwave, thanks to afternoon shade and deep watering. Some perennials are even blooming profusely.
My current jungle stars are the kahili ginger and hardy hibiscus. These plants don’t only withstand intense heat, but chilly winter nights that may dip below 30 degrees.
Kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum), native to the southern Himalayas, needs a kiss of cold to bloom. It gets that in Sacramento, producing huge yellow flower stalks in late August. With long red stamens, the feathery flowers get their nickname from the Hawaiian royal standard that symbolized power. The stalks are 6 foot tall, topped with the distinctive blooms. Worldwide, it’s the most cultivated of all ginger varieties.
Hardy hibiscus looks like its tropical Hawaiian cousin but can withstand sub-freezing cold as well as triple-digit heat. The long canes (6 to 8 feet) die back in winter as the plant goes dormant.
New cultivars stay more compact; only 3 to 4 feet tall. On shorter canes, these cultivars bear bigger blooms, often 8 inches across. They’re hardy in Zones 4 through Sacramento’s Zone 9. My favorites are two hot pinks: Peppermint Schnapps and Brandy Punch.
According to perennial specialist Proven Winners, other heat-loving perennials include sedum, caladium, euphorbia, gaillardia, coneflowers, salvia and lantana. Most can tolerate full sun, but do better in Sacramento with a little afternoon shade.
Look around in your own garden. What’s thriving in this heat? You may consider growing more of that plant in summers to come.
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Garden Checklist for week of April 21
This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.
* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.
* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.
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