The Plants You Want in Your Garden During a Heatwave

This season add sun-loving, drought-tolerant plants that actually can take the heat.

Trueform Waterwise Garden Drought Native Plants

Thomas J. Story

Written by Kristin Guy May 6, 2025

When May rolls around in the West, the thermostat starts to climb… and fast. If you’ve ever found yourself standing over a wilting garden wondering what went wrong, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to fight the heat, you can plant with it.

Smart gardeners know that the secret to a thriving summer garden isn’t more watering sessions—it’s choosing plants that actually want the sunbaked days ahead. Whether you’re a beginner filling your first front yard, or an experienced grower tired of playing triage every July, it’s time to invite a few tough, beautiful players to your garden party. Think plants that embrace the heat, laugh at drought, and still manage to look absolutely stunning while doing it.

Here’s your invitation to level up your garden’s resilience and enjoy a whole lot more beauty with a whole lot less stress. Read on for our starter pack plant palette, plus tips on how to incorporate them into the garden with growing success.

Smarter Plant Swaps for a Tougher Garden

When you’re rethinking your garden for heat and drought resilience, a few simple plant swaps can make all the difference. Instead of struggling to keep a traditional lawn green through the summer, try replacing it with woolly thyme or creeping germander—both form low, fragrant mats that hold up beautifully to foot traffic and heat. Love the look of colorful blooms but tired of thirsty roses? Swap them for a vibrant mix of salvias and penstemons, which deliver months of flowers with a fraction of the water and maintenance. In scorching hot areas, hibiscus and bougainvillea might wilt or demand heavy watering; but Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum) thrives instead, offering bursts of purple or pink blooms when the temperatures soar. Even when it comes to filling in bare spots, trading bedding annuals for a showy patch of California fuchsia will not only save you watering stress—it’ll also attract hummingbirds and bring a wild spark of summer color.

Vibrant Perennials

Perennials are the backbone of any low-water garden, coming back stronger year after year even after the hottest, driest summers. These selections thrive in full sun, attract pollinators, and offer long-lasting color without constant pampering. Plant them once, then sit back and let them shine.

1. Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)

These native beauties bloom in vibrant spikes of pink, purple, or red, thriving on neglect once established.

2. Salvia (Salvia spp.)

Few plants offer as much flower power for so little water; salvias bloom for months and lure in bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

3. California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum)

A hummingbird magnet with fiery orange-red blooms that blaze through the hottest months with barely a drop of extra water.

4. Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata)

This cheerful perennial dots landscapes with sunny yellow blooms and shrugs off intense desert heat like a pro.

5. Rocky Mountain Beardtongue (Penstemon strictus)

Native to the Intermountain West, this deep blue-purple penstemon can handle both cold snaps and scorching sun.

Structural Shrubs

Think of shrubs as the living architecture of your waterwise garden—providing year-round structure, seasonal color, and crucial habitat for wildlife. These tough picks don’t just survive in the heat; they add dimension, movement, and beauty with very little input once they’re established.

6. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Nicknamed “California Holly,” this native shrub offers white flowers in summer and brilliant red berries in winter, all while thriving on minimal water.

7. Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa)

A Southwest standout, this airy shrub dazzles with delicate white flowers followed by fluffy, pink seed heads that catch the light beautifully.

8. Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens)

Sometimes called “barometer bush,” this shrub bursts into bloom right before rainstorms and loves the hottest, driest spots in the yard.

Creosote Bush Larrea Rridentata Spiked Wattle

9. Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)

An iconic scent of the desert after rain, this ultra-resilient native forms a hardy evergreen skeleton that thrives for decades.

10. Encelia (Encelia californica)

Known as the California brittlebush, this shrub keeps slopes and sunny spots lively with golden blooms that feed native bees.

Ground Covers and Sprawlers

Ground covers are the unsung heroes of the drought-tolerant garden, filling in space, suppressing weeds, and keeping soil cool with almost no effort. These heat-loving selections stay low, spread gently, and add a soft, natural carpet effect that works beautifully in any sunny spot.

11. Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)

A soft, fuzzy mat that tolerates foot traffic, drought, and full sun—perfect for tucking between stepping stones or cascading over walls.

12. Creeping Germander (Teucrium cossonii majoricum)

Dense, evergreen, and lightly fragrant, this Mediterranean native weaves through dry gardens with tiny purple flowers and silver foliage.

13. Verbenas (Glandularia spp.)

This hardworking ground cover throws out vibrant, butterfly-attracting blooms spring through fall, thriving in tough soil and extreme heat.

14. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Western selections)

Native forms of yarrow are resilient spreaders with feathery foliage and flattened clusters of flowers that can handle both drought and occasional foot traffic.

15. Sundrops (Calylophus hartwegii)

This cheerful desert native sprawls low to the ground with bright yellow flowers that open in the late afternoon and glow through the evening. It’s incredibly heat-tough, drought-hardy, and makes a fantastic sunny ground cover without getting out of control. Plus, it’s native to the Southwest and adaptable to other dry regions.

How to Build a Drought-Tough Garden That Still Feels Lush

A heat-hardy garden doesn’t have to feel sparse or dry—smart design can keep it rich with texture, color, and layers. Start by mixing leaf shapes and textures: Pair the soft, silvery foliage of creeping germander with the upright, architectural spikes of red yucca for a contrast that feels intentional and stylish. Play with bold colors, too—think of a desert sunrise palette by combining the golden blooms of California sunflower, the hot pinks of penstemons, and the deep purples of salvias. Layer your plants in height for a fuller, more naturalistic look: Use shrubs like toyon or Apache plume as your anchor plants, then underplant with low-growers like verbena and woolly thyme. And remember, mass plantings make tough plants look even more impressive—group them in clusters of three to five rather than scattering single specimens. The result feels both lush and low-maintenance, a perfect match for Western landscapes.

The Plants You Want in Your Garden During a Heatwave