Looking for hardy blooms that won’t let a steamy summer get them down? Local experts recommend these top performers to keep your yard looking sublime.
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Angelonia ‘Angelface’ Dark Violet
Sometimes referred to as “summer snapdragon,” this sun-loving stunner blooms in gorgeous hues of white, blue, purple, pink, and raspberry. Some varieties are also sweetly scented. Tammy Behm, Greenscape Gardens & Gifts
Bougainvillea
The more sun and heat the better for these tropical, showy, billowing plants. Bougainvillea feature purple, red, pink, and yellow blooms with a nice texture and are perfect in a large container poolside or on an arbor. David Sherwood, Sherwood’s Forest
Anisodontea ‘Slightly Strawberry’ Cape Mallow
Perfect for containers, Anisodontea forms a nice bushy plant with a light pink flower with a pink throat. It blooms all summer long with no deadheading required. This choice requires full sun. Lizzy Rickard, Bowood Farms
Lantana
Lantana (pictured above) thrives in St. Louis’ hot, dry summers. Blooming profusely all summer long, Lantana is available in several colors but mainly yellows and reds. This hardworking plant is a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds like it, too. Deer and rabbits? No, thank you. Tom Mee, Frisella Nursery
PERENNIALS
Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’
Among the most versatile plants in a landscape, ‘Sun King’ brightens even the darkest corners of shade with golden mounds of elegantly layered foliage. Commonly known as Golden Japanese Spikenard, it’s a lovely larger counterpart to traditional shade plants. Tammy Behm, Greenscape Gardens & Gifts
Siberian Iris
These beauties are among the easiest types of irises to grow and flower in St. Louis. The graceful stems and vertical, neat foliage give them distinction in the garden, even when they aren’t flowering. Mixing a variegated plant or two in a grouping adds interest. Richard Poynter, Poynter Landscape Architecture & Construction
Panicle Hydrangea
Panicle hydrangea has large white flowers in early to midsummer. Unlike its pink and blue counterparts, the panicle hydrangea prefers full sun. In several of the varieties, as the flowers age, they fade to a deep pink. Dwarf cultivars grow 3 to 5 feet, while the full-size versions can reach 6 to 8 feet. Tom Mee, Frisella Nursery
Agave ‘Blue Glow’
This tropical beauty takes full sun and loves the heat. Perfect for containers, this plant needs very little moisture, making it ideal for busy gardeners or travelers. The ‘Blue Glow’ variety forms a nice blue-green rosette with red edges, and it can be moved inside to enjoy during the winter. Lizzy Rickard, Bowood Farms
TREES
Saucer Magnolias
These pretty flowering trees produce multiple stems for year-round interest. They bloom profusely in the spring and provide a nice shady spot for a hammock or to protect your shade-loving annuals. Richard Poynter, Poynter Landscape Architecture & Construction
Chionanthus Virginicus ‘Fringe Tree’
This is an outstanding small deciduous ornamental tree. It gets its name from the clouds of fleecy white softly fragrant flowers that hang like fringe from its branches in late spring and early summer. Fringe trees easily take full sun and St. Louis summer heat. David Sherwood, Sherwood’s Forest
GREEN THUMBS
Nurseries, landscapers, and lawn pros
Allen Outdoor Solutions
4400 St. Vincent, 314-647-4800, allenoutdoorstl.com
Bowood Farms
4605 Olive, 314-454-6868, bowoodfarms.com
Frisella Nursery
550 Highway F, Defiance, 636-798-2555, frisellanursery.com
Garden Heights Nursery
1605 S. Big Bend, 314-645-7333, gardenheights.com
Green Guys
205 Chesterfield Industrial, 636-257-4555, greenguysstl.com
Greenscape Gardens & Gifts
2832 Barrett Station, 314-821-2440, greenscapegardens.com
Hartke Nursery
1030 N. Warson, 314-997-6679, hartkenursery.com
Horstmann Brothers LLC
1601 Dielman Rd., St. Louis, MO 63132, 314-432-0880, horstmannbrothers.com
Marshall Nursery & Landscape Company
1501 San Simeon, Fenton, 636-343-4701, marshallnursery.com
Moynihan & Associates
6651 Dale, 314-645-5200, moynihanassociates.com
Passiglia’s Nursery & Garden Center
1855 Highway 109, Wildwood, 636-458-9202, passiglia.com
Poynter Landscape Architecture & Construction
15815 Jedberg, 636-256-2600, poynterlandscape.com
Rolling Ridge Nursery
60 N. Gore, 314-962-3311, rollingridgenursery.com
Sherwood’s Forest
2651 Barrett Station, 314-966-0028, sherwoods-forest.com
Sugar Creek Gardens
1011 N. Woodlawn, 314-965-3070, sugarcreekgardens.com
Summer Winds Nursery
54 Clarkson, 636-227-0095, summerwindsmo.com
University Gardens
8130 Delmar, 314-863-1700, university-gardens.com
Wiethop Greenhouses
2463 Barrett Station, 314-821-2598; 6129 Lemay Ferry, 314-845-3083, wiethop.com
