Texas is well-known for its long and sunny summers, which makes maintaining a garden in the state a bit tricky.
In the middle of the heat wave, some plants, flowers, and vegetables may die off, while some may continue thriving.
Whether you are an experienced gardener or a newbie wanting to elevate your landscaping, here are some of the low-effort, low-maintenance, and easy-to-grow flowers to plant in your Texas garden.
Get inspired and start planting.
Top Picks Of The Best Flowers To Plant In Texas
Are you looking to plant flowers that will thrive in Texas’ sizzling summer temperatures?
Here is a vast selection of beautiful, heat-tolerant flower varieties for you. We have ten fantastic heat-tolerant flowers for your flower beds and container gardens.
Texas’ warm-season temperatures are tough. So, these flower options are ideal for planting in the state.
These flowers add an instant impact of color and lush foliage to your garden or yard all season long.
1. Firecracker Fern
Firecracker Fern (Russelia equisetiformis) is also known as the fountain plant, coralblow, coral fountain, coral plant, firecracker plant, or fountainbush.
It earned its name from its impressive look, which looks like a bush set ablaze.
Although this flowering plant is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Central America, it also adapts well to Texas climates for several reasons, thanks to its long blooming period and heat tolerance.
This low-maintenance plant thrives in dry, hot conditions and, once established, requires only occasional watering.
This fern has a versatile growth habit that makes it ideal to serve as ground cover, erosion control, or a colorful addition to containers. The evergreen leaves also provide year-round greenery.
Firecracker Fern features clusters of bright red tubular flowers, making the plant an amazing option for continuous colour and visual interest from late spring to frost. It is deer-resistant, but attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
This flower thrives in full sun to partial shade and can grow up to two to three feet. The best time to grow Firecracker Fern is spring or fall.
2. Evergreen Wisteria
Evergreen Wisteria (Millettia reticulata or Millettia taiwaniana) is not a true wisteria. However, this beautiful vine is called ‘wisteria’ because of its climbing habit and similar appearance.
It is native to East Asia but can thrive in the Texas climate because of its ability to withstand the hot temperatures and retain its foliage year-round.
This plant requires minimal maintenance and is tolerant of various types of soil. Evergreen Wisteria’s versatile growth habit, persistent greenery, and fragrant blooms make it an attractive addition to your garden or yard.
You can also use it for your fences, pergolas, arbors, or as ground cover.
Whichever way you choose to use Evergreen Wisteria, it offers both practical benefits and aesthetic appeal, which makes it an excellent choice for gardens in Texas.
Moreover, this plant not only attracts pollinators but also helps stabilize the soil. This plant can grow up to 15 to 30 feet; it loves full sun to partial shade, and should be planted in spring or fall.
3. Pride Of Barbados
The Pride of Barbados plant (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is a tall, beautiful, low-maintenance plant that requires only a little watering.
This very easy-to-maintain plant simply needs soil with good drainage and an area with high humidity and heat.
This plant can blossom either seasonally or throughout the year, depending on the severity of the winter season.
Pride of Barbados has fiery red and yellow flowers that keep deer away but attract beneficial butterflies and bees. It is a stunning plant that brings the most beautiful blooms to your garden in the summer season.
This plant can grow up to eight to 12 feet; simply plant it in spring to early summer and give it access to full and direct sunlight.
4. Duranta
Duranta (Duranta erecta) is a stunning flowering plant that grows very rapidly and loves showing off its beautiful bright flowers.
Duranta is a large shrub and comes in different strains. While some strains of Duranta can grow up to 15 feet tall, some stay as short as three to four feet tall – the dwarf Duranta.
These flowering plants have pretty flowers with colours ranging from blue to purple. These attractive colours make Duranta perfect as an accent plant in your yard or garden.
This plant can be planted in any season and loves full sun, though it can also bloom in shade. It is one of the brightest and prettiest low-maintenance plants to grow in Texas and requires less watering.
However, it can attract bees to your garden.
5. Mexican Bush Sage
The Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) is a perennial plant native to Mexico. It is highly drought-tolerant and can withstand the summer drought.
The best time to plant the Mexican Bush Sage is springtime or summertime. All this plant needs to thrive and look gorgeous is to plant it in garden soil with good drainage, and give it moderate watering.
During the winter, the Mexican Bush Sage looks lovely, green, and fluffy.
During the summer heat, this plant produces long, purple flowers that bring a whole new look to your landscape. This plant prefers full sunlight and can grow up to three to four feet.
6. Gold Star Esperanza
Gold Star Esperanza (Tacoma Stans) is a heat-loving plant that can easily thrive in the hot Texas climate. It produces a cluster of stunning, trumpet-shaped yellow flowers from late springtime until fall, which can be a beautiful addition to your garden.
To thrive, Tacoma Stans wants full sun exposure. More so, this plant can also grow up to 4 feet tall under normal growth conditions, and the best time to grow Tacoma Stans is springtime.
Mind you, Gold Star Esperanza’s bright flowers attract small wildlife. So, you would always find birds or butterflies perching on the blooms. However, the plant tends to repel Texas deer.
So, planting Gold Star Esperanzas in your yard or garden can potentially protect the rest of your plants from deer damage.
7. Butterfly Deep Pink Pentas
Just as its name depicts, Butterfly Deep Pink Pentas (Pentas lanceolata) attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, bringing the fun associated with having wildlife exploring your yard.
Butterfly Deep Pink Pentas prefers full sunlight exposure, but can also do well in a partly shaded area.
During spring to late fall, this plant produces amazing bright pink flowers that you would admire for months. Like most other plants on this list, this plant is heat-tolerant.
Beyond that, it is also pest- and soil-tolerant, which makes the plant easy to manage. That means you need not worry about the type of soil you plant your Butterfly Deep Pink Pentas or the impact of pests on it.
The best time to plant Butterfly Deep Pink Pentas is springtime, and it can grow to about 24 inches tall.
8. White Stream Lobularia
White Stream Lobularia (Lobularia maritima) is a heat-loving plant. Amazingly, it is both heat and cold-tolerant. This ball-shaped plant produces lovely scented flowers all summer long.
If you would like to see bright white flowers during the time when other flowers seem to be withering in the Texas dry heat, try White Stream Lobularia.
This plant loves full sunlight and is best grown during early spring. Under ideal conditions, this low-maintenance plant can grow up to four to six inches.
Although White Stream Lobularia is a bit drought-tolerant, it still needs moderate watering.
There are other Lobularia species with different flower colours, such as red, green, etc.
9. Brazilian Red Hots
Here is another low-maintenance, lovely perennial you can plant in Texas. Brazilian Red Hots (Alternanthera dentata) prefer partial shade and can grow up to about 24 to 36 inches under ideal conditions.
This plant grows quite quickly and produces lovely flowers that come in both red and purple colours. The best time to grow this plant is early spring.
This will enable it to last strong enough all through the hot Texas seasons. This plant needs only moderate watering throughout the year.
If you need a touch of red or purple in your Texas garden during the long summer days, Brazilian Red Hots is ideal for you.
10. Hibiscus
Hibiscus plant (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) can be planted at any time of the year. It comes in several colours and varieties, so you can choose the one that best complements the landscape of your home.
This plant can grow from two to ten feet and thrives in full sun with evening shade. Amazingly, Hibiscus can bloom all through the year, showing off its gorgeous flowers in all four seasons.
Being a versatile plant, you can plant Hibiscus in your garden beds, hanging pots, or small window planters.
Related: How To Build A Raised Garden Bed
Hibiscus flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, which helps pollinate other flowers in your garden.
Now you have a list of our best flowers that will keep the Texas garden colorful all year round, from the off-season to the height of bloom.
Let’s briefly discuss the tips for successful summer gardening in Texas, if you aren’t living in Texas but need the best flower plants for your home garden in 2025.
Look at this article for more info: Best Flower Plants for Your Home Garden
Although most flowering plants discussed above are low-maintenance plants, taking care of them during the summer is very important.
Regular watering for both new and established plants is essential. Also, make sure that you follow the basic requirements that your chosen flower needs to thrive, such as plant food, soil conditions, etc.
Related: Plant food and fertilizer
If you have any questions, make sure to ask us in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the best flowers to plant in Texas?
Some of the best flowers to plant in Texas include Firecracker Fern, Evergreen Wisteria, Pride of Barbados, Duranta, Mexican Bush Sage, Gold Star Esperanza, White Stream Lobularia, Brazilian Red Hots, Hibiscus, Lantana, Zinnias, Salvia, Pentas, Purslane, and Marigolds.
What native Texas flowers should I plant?
Plants that are native to Texas and adapt well to its climate include Bluebonnets, Texas Sage, and Salvia farinacea.
