We're on round two of stuff we planted not making it, due to either the long freezes or it being hotter than satan's ass crack out there.

Red yuccas got smoked by the freeze (my bad for not protecting better).

This spring the wife brought in a friend who does landscaping, etc.

We have a southern facing front of the house, and the flower bed area gets blasted with full sun until about 7PM during the summer.

We had the following planted on friend's recommendation. All are struggling massively or outright dead and got pulled this morning:

Dead: celosias, lantana, pentas, cora vinca
Struggling bad: bromeliads

What can we plant that can handle this heat, be colorful and attractive now, and that have a reasonable chance of making it through winter if I cover and protect?

TIA.

It may not match your house or hood, but I would look at high desert / xeriscape stuff.

Red Yucca should be ok if you just cover it next time.

I have red salvia next to my pool. It's south facing, getting blasted by the sun and borders the pavers. Looks great with minimal water. Sunshine ligustrum is a shrub that can take the heat as well. There's a nursery in Frisco & Celina called shades of green. Not all of them, but some of the folks there are really good and know what they're talking about. The owner and some of the management are Aggies.

I've planted pentas before and they've done well. In this climate, though, I believe they're considered an annual and not a perennial. I've had red yuccas for years. They survived 2021 when temperatures were below zero and last summer in 108 degree heat.

Do you have irrigation? I'm surprised the pentas died.

I'm convinced I can't kill salvia and lamb's ear. Both are perennials - maybe give them a shot

beatlesphan said:

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Do you have irrigation? I'm surprised the pentas died.

I'm convinced I can't kill salvia and lamb's ear. Both are perennials - maybe give them a shot

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Yep. Planted all this at the end of April. When the heat ramped up I put a watering schedule in that zone to run every other morning.

You may have a soil problem. Did you mix in peat moss or some mulch when you planted?

chick79 said:

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You may have a soil problem. Did you mix in peat moss or some mulch when you planted?

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Used potting soil from Calloway (where we got plants from), dug hole and filled with that before planting. Mulch over the dirt and then finished with black tejas rock (what our beds are landscaped with).

Came across something about we might be cooking the plants with the rock top coat and radiant heat, not sure what to think of that one.

Yeah my guess is the rocks cooked em. Might still be able to do rocks but up the watering.

Zinnias are another plant that absolutely love the heat.

The rocks did them in. I had a similar situation several years ago.

Well, bummer.

Did y'all throw in the towel on the rock landscaping?

If not, what did you settle on that can handle that setup? In addition to what beatlesphan mentioned with additional watering.

The only things I've seen reliably able to tolerate on southern facing flower beds is native plants. Not sure why more folks don't go that route for plant selection - no watering needed, comes back every year, promotes pollinators, and looks great.

Usually the only problem I have with native landscaping once it's established is that you have to thin out the plants because they do too well - even on the southern aspect of houses.

I'm an ecologist and deal with native plantings on a large scale, but love to dabble in landscaping. Would be happy to advise at no charge - love helping. Can send some photo examples of what it could look like too.

What I have had luck with over my many years in DFW climate are the following:

Juniper
Texas purple sage
Nandina
Crepe Myrtle
Abelia
Boxwood
Japanese Yew
Red yucca
Japanese black pine

Most are pretty drought tolerant and do not require alot of maintenance.