Perennials that are more than
pretty
In the heat of the summer, we're very aware
that some plants take the heat better than others - and that some need more
water than others to stay perky. Mother Nature reminds us
through soaring temps that we need sustainable plants that are heat-lovers,
aren't super thirsty - and also do their job of catering to pollinators who are
active this time of year.
July and early August are prime hummingbird
feeding times. Rufous hummingbirds (the coppery-colored ones with attitude)
are traveling through, and the broadtails, calliopes and black-throated
hummingbirds are preparing to migrate south so need lots of fuel for their
travels. Does your garden offer flowers that will provide them with natural and
more nourishing food than just plain sugar water?
Bees and bumblebees are also most active in the
heat of summer. We need them around to help vegetables and fruits produce
abundant yields, so we need to offer them a wide assortment of summer-blooming
perennial flowers and groundcovers.
Luckily in Colorado, there's a wide range of
perennial flowers that thrive in the extremes of summer, providing color and
wildlife benefits during our hottest, driest months.
Try some of these altitude-hardy plants from
Plant Select® that are native and adapted to the Rockies and southwestern
U.S.:
Hyssops (Agastaches) - pictured above: This group of southwestern
native perennials come in a range of colors and sizes, blooming from July
through early frost. Sunset hyssop (A. rupestris) is one of the most
dependable, and has orange/pink tubular flowers with narrow, blue-green leaves
that smell like root beer when crushed. It grows to about 2' tall and
12-16" wide.
Penstemons: Most penstemons bloom early
in the summer, but Bridges' penstemon (P. rostriflorus) is just getting going
in the heat of summer.
The orangey-red flowers are
narrow and tubular, just perfect for hummingbirds' tongues, and the stems are
wispy and airy. This is a cold-hardy, long-lived summer-blooming penstemon growing
28-32" tall and about 24" wide. As with most penstemons, be sure to
plant Bridges' penstemon in a well-drained soil with moderate to low amounts of
organic matter. 
Orange Carpet®: Another hummingbird
favorite is Orange Carpet® hummingbird trumpet (Zauschneria garrettii), a
selection from northern Idaho that forms a low-growing mat of medium green and
is covered with 2" orange-colored, trumpet-shaped flowers in midsummer.
Very cold hardy and long-lived, Orange Carpet® will spread to 2' wide or more
but is less than 8" tall. This heat-loving groundcover will thrive in most
sunny spots with good drainage. Try planting it on the edge of a rock wall so
it can cascade over the edge.