I have planted three coneflowers in a spot that gets almost all day sun. No matter how much I watered this weekend, they would wilt after an hour or so. I'm thinking of moving them and replacing with some sedum? Any other suggestions for heat and sun hardy plants?
Thanks
Muddbear
What Perennial Can Take the Most Sun?
I have noticed that some plants just do that, it is a survival mechanism, and does not necessarily mean they need more water, they are conserving when they do that. I've also noticed that the more established they become, the less it is apparent. If they pop back after some shade or overnight, I think they'll be fine, coneflowers grow in fields naturally, they just need some time to spread their roots, so to speak. My coneflower and rubeckia have done the same thing, and now are doing better.
Yes there are plants that wilt and act as if they will die every day and then act like there was never a problem by morning. Sedum are pretty tough alright - not really a flower if that matters. Boy, 3b - not sure what is hardy there.
no clue about your zone but crash is absolutely right. i just planted some more gaillardia and some sea holly and verbascum and i will water young ones every day for a couple of weeks, but never more than once a day. by the end of the day, they are wilted but fine in the morning and i water again. once they are established, just the normal watering is fine. these plants don't care much for water.
Plants for the sun and heat?
Sunflowers. There are quantities of new ones on the seed racks, and there are even some perennial ones. One of my favorites is the Mexican Sun Flower. Orange, daisy flowered. and Teddy Bear, which has a new baby sister, Honey Bear. These are yellow=gold and fuzzy.
Especially when things are newly planted a lot of plants will wilt during the heat of the day, even ones that would love full hot sun once they're established.
Thanks everyone. Last evening when I got home, they seemed fine, even in the heat and sun. I think the temp was about 86 yesterday. I think I will leave them there. They are quite new and perhaps they just need to be a little more established. I've never had a problem with coneflowers in the dry hot sun before, so I was a little concerned about these.
Big City Al, I don't have much of a problem growing anything in zone 3b. Lots of zone 4 and 5 minimum stuff survives and thrives here. Depends on if we get a lot of snow cover. Last year, I lost a few things because of extreme cold, combined with little snow cover early. I agree about the sedum, not really much of a flower, but their chubby, succulent leaves are great aren't they? Love the black jack sedum!
Thanks everyone!
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/SXS.html
Here is a collection of six flowering sedums from Bluestone Perennials.
We call these midday wilters "drama queens." Sedum is a great choice.
Drama queens! Zeppy, that's so funny because it is exactly what it looks like.
I don't know about 'the most' sun, but I have valerian & hypericum planted in a south facing bed, that rarely gets watered-the St. Johns Wort (their 2nd year) are getting quite large & the valerian bloomed for at least a month, I need to go out & deadhead it, the foliage is silver & attractive, even while not in flower...
Lots of alpine plants can take all-day sun. Here's a picture of my gravel bed, which gets no shade at all. This shot was taken in spring, when the phlox and aubrieta were blooming. I have a more current pic, which I'll post in a moment - I'm on dial-up, so I need to re-size the pic for transmission or it'll take all night.
Here's more sun-loving alpines. In winter the temperature can dip to minus 20F, but we usually have some snow cover. I'm amazed at what survives!
One of my all time favorites is the large flowered Tickseed Coreopsis, they're pretty, flower like crazy all season, tough rugged, hardy to zone 4. I think sometimes they require nothing! LOL . Maybe some deadheading, Maybe you could try some daylilies for you zone, muddbear.....June, that alpine garden is beautiful!
Lovely! That flax over on the left?
Coreopsis is another great choice. Shasta daisies do well in sun for me, and early in the spring I love nigella (love in a mist).
Thanks for all the great responses, everyone. Have a great day!
If last but not least, how about a red blooming red yucca?
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3603168
May be a zone challenge for 3b.
If you have room to allow spreading, Achillea millefolium 'The Beacon' and Verbena bonairensis is a good sun loving choice.
muddbear,
Back to the coneflowers, for the most part, I think you have the winner. Onece they get settled they shouldn't get so weepy.
I have a row of coneflowers in front of my orchid house, full sun, from rise to sunset. I planted them a year ago. This year, they have grown lots, putting out a gazillion blooms and all this in a drought with temps up to 96 and lows only in the 70's.
These are excellent plants for the conditions you speak of. There actually are a lot of perennials that are full sun lovers and very drought tolerant, meaning, they don't fuss for heat and dry. Cones, and rudbeckias are a couple as well as gaillardias, blanket flowers. There are so many hybrids out there, you can get all these in talls, shorts, and many colors.
Molly
:^))))
Mudbear, I forgot to mention perennial Salvias. There are some terrific German hybrids, such as Salvia x 'May Night' ('Mainatcht'), 'Blue Hill' (Blauhugel'), and 'East Friesland' (Ostfriesland'), in shades of violet-blue, and species such as Salvia trannsylvanica, all of which should be hardy in your Zone.
I second the salvias. I have a bed that gets full sun all day and have different salvias in the bed. They are also somewhat drought tolerant. Bloooms alll summer.
Muddbear: How far north do you live? I ask because my mother in Michigan grows plants like hostas and astilbe out in mostly full sun. Here in Virginia I grow purple coneflower in full sun and they seem to do fine. Once your coneflowers are established they will require almost no maintenance.
- Brent
Brent, I live in Minocqua, WI. Zone 3B. I have a lot of astilbe that grow in full sun and do very well.
I am happy to report that said coneflowers are now behaving grandly!!!!!!!!
If you are still looking for "suggestions for heat and sun hardy plants" I would say that in your area you can grow a lot of things that require partial shade in southern parts of the country. The "full sun" in Wisconsin is not the same "full sun" of Virginia which is not the same "full sun" of Alabama. The zone 6/7 line runs through my county, but the summer sun on the southern edge of zone 7 in Georgia is much more intense than here in Virginia.
BTW, have you seen any of the books by "The Renegade Gardener" (Don Engebretson)? I have not seen any of his "for Minnesota and Wisconsin" books myself but I do like the info on his website: http://www.renegadegardener.com/
- Brent
So cool muddbear! Mine have all decided to straighten up and fly right too! LOL
Brent, I agree. Full summer shade in northern Wisconsin is like an Alabama winter!