There’s nothing as beautiful as a garden overflowing with gorgeous flowers that can withstand the summer heat, from the captivating smell to beautiful flowers. Whether you are putting your house up for sale or you want to make it more welcoming, flowers are a welcome benefit.
They give life to the garden and attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Furthermore, when choosing which flowers to plant, take note of the amount of sunlight the area gets so you can choose the flowers best suited to that area.
Also, refer to the USDA plant hardiness zones to ensure you select long-lasting options for your particular region. With a little bit of planning, you can have blooms from early summer through until the first fall frost just by choosing a few plants from each of the lists below. From Mandevillas to Lavenders to Rose Sharon to Sunflowers, here is a list of summer flowers to plant in your garden.
50 Summer Flowers To Plant In Your Garden
1 . Plumeria
Plumeria (Plumeria spp), also known as Frangipani and Lei Flowers, is a genus of flowering plants in Apocynaceae. Plumeria flowers are small trees that are native to tropical regions and are used in the making of traditional Hawaiian Leis.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-12
Color Varieties: Red, Yellow, Pink, and Sunny Orange.
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-draining Soil
2. Sunflowers
No other flower says summer like a field of sunflowers. These flowers are iconic and easy to grow and are often cultivated as ornamentals for their spectacular size, flower heads, and edible seeds.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-9C
Color Varieties: Gold, Cream, Rose, Pink, Chocolate, and BrownS
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Nutrient-Rich Soil
3. Marigold
Marigolds are one of the most common and reliable flowers that spice up your garden. Their cheerful flowers with warm colors and Fein-like foliage are true annuals that complete their life cycle in a single growing season. Aside from blooming non-stop all summer, Marigolds are often cultivated to deter pests that attack other plants.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-11
Color Varieties: Yellow, Orange, White, Red, Gold, and Bicolor
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Evenly Moist and Well-drained Soil
4. Dahlia
Dahlias are often referred to as the stars of the summer garden. They are late bloomers, and rewarding flowers bloom from mid-summer through the first frost.
Dahlias are grown from tubers or seeds and can be planted in containers, borders, or mass in the landscape. With proper care and maintenance, Dahlia flowers and their tubers can last for generations.
USDA Growing Zone: 8 and warmer
Color Varieties: Peach, Red, Lavender, White, Yellow, Orange, Pink, and Bicolor
Sun Exposure: Direct Sunlight
Soil Type: Loosened and Well-drained Soil
5. Daffodils
Daffodils, also called Common Daffodil it Trumpet Narcissus, are hardy and easy perennial and among the most popular of all spring-flowering perennial bulbs in growing regions of North America. These flowers are the official flower of Wales and are traditionally worn on St David’s Day (March 1st) as this tends to be the time of the year Daffodils start.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-8
Color Varieties: White, Pink, Orange, and Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Rich, Moist, and Well-drained Soil
6. Blanket Flower
Blanket Flower is a heat-loving flower renowned for its long-lasting, colorful molds of bright, single, or double daisy flowers that attract butterflies. The flowers are fast growers that grow up to about 24 inches in height with about a 20-inch spread.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-10
Color Varieties: Yellow, Orange, or Peach
Sun: Full Sun
Soil Type:
7. Roses
These perennial flowering plants add dramatic flair to your garden with attractive flowers, emitting beautiful positive feelings. Roses are often referred to as one of the oldest flowers, and it has been used for several purposes.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-10
Color Varieties: White to Yellow, Pink, Purple, Orange, and Red
Sun: Full Sun
Soil Type: Rich Loamy, Well-drained Soil
8. Perennial Hibiscus
This North American native, also known as Rose Mallow, is easy to grow and stunning. Planting this flower is a great way to bring the colors of the tropics to your garden bed.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-9
Color Varieties: Red, Pink, Lavender, and White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
9. Musk Rose
This summertime favorite is a specie of rose that has been long in cultivation. It is known for its sweet, spicy smell alongside its fruity notes, which resemble meadow honey. Musk Roses are more beautiful in their scent, which travels far and is most potent at dusk.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-9
Color Varieties: Pink, Yellow, White, Peach, or Apricot
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Sun
Soil Type: Rich, Fertile, Moist, Well-drained Soil
10. Daylily
This mid-late summer perennial blooms are long-lived and easy to grow, though harsh and tolerant of neglect. These flowering plants are ideal for borders and edging and are unaffected by high temperatures.
Daylilies are a wise choice for novice gardeners and are a great addition to the garden. The flowers are round in every color of the rainbow, some with ruffled or double petals.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-9
Color Varieties: Yellow, Palest Lemon, Gold, Orange, Maroon, Wine-Reds and Tomato Red
Sun: Full Sun
Soil Type: Slightly Moist, Well-drained Soil
11. FanFlower
Also Known as Beach Naupaka, Fan Flower is an excellent warm-weather primarily perennial grown as an annual flower. It is a sprawling plant with oval or lance-shaped leaves that produces a non-stop display of dark blue fan-shaped flowers from early summer to frost.
USDA Growing Zone: 9-11
Color Varieties: Blue, Purple, Pink, Or White
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Average, Well-drained Soil
12. Peony
This flowering plant is an excellent addition to your garden. Peonies offer big, fluffy, fragrant flowers in a wide range of colors, forms, and long-lived sizes and have a history of popularity as a garden plant.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-8 depending on the variety
Color Varieties: White, Pink, Red, Coral, Maroon, and Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
13. Black-Eyed Susan
This flowering plant is a member of the Aster family Asteraceae. It is a tender perennial grown as an annual in cooler zones. This flower is native to the central United States and can flower in its first summer. However, it can take a couple of years to reach full height.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-7
Color Varieties: Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
14. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssum is a low-growing plant that is an excellent addition to annual flower beds or containers. It is also a ground cover plant with tiny white, pink, cream, or purple flowers that are grown in most regions of the United States. Sweet Alyssum is also used to fill up cracks in walkways, and a welcome benefit of this beautiful flower is that they boast a honey-like fragrance.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-9
Color Varieties: White, Pink, and Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil, Moist Soil
15. Sneezeweed
Sneezeweed is a genus of annual herbaceous perennial plants in Asteraceae. They are also known as Helen’s flower, bitterweed, autumn sneezeweed, and false sunflower. Though it can make a great addition to your garden, the only disadvantage of this plant is that it can be detrimental to the health if consumed in large quantities.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-8
Color Varieties: Yellow, Gold, Orange, Coppery Brown, and Red
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining Soil
16. Salvia
Salvia is one of the easiest flowers to grow, with its colorful spines of densely-packed flowers with tubular blossoms, a-top square stems, and velvety leaves attract hummingbirds and flowers. Salvia looks suitable to ass height to containers or as the middle of a border planting.
USDA Growing Zone: 5,6,7,8,9,10
Color Varieties: Blue, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
17. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum Often referred to as the flower for the superstitious, is a flowering plant planted for its spectacular blooms that comes in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. They are also known for their showy flowers that appear in late summer.
A welcome benefit of Chrysanthemum is that If you plant it in the fall, you will enjoy them for the season when you see them at nurseries, but the plant won’t have time to get established before winter.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-9
Color Varieties: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Maroon, Bronze, and White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained Soil
18. Fuchsia
Also called Mother’s day Favorite, Fuchsia is a delicate dangling flower in various colors, sizes, and forms. Fuchsias are great for hanging baskets with elegant drooping flowers like crystals on a chandelier.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-11
Color Varieties: Red, Pink, White, and Purple
Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained Soil
19. Purple Coneflower
Purple Coneflower is a popular perennial with smooth stems and long-lasting lavender flowers. The purple Coneflowers are native to Eastern North America and are cultivated in a wide range of colors.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-8
Color Varieties: Purple, Pink
Sun Exposure: Full Sun To Partial Shade
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
20. Zinnia
Zinnia flowers are an annual and long-lasting addition to your garden. They grow for one season to produce flowers and can bring an explosion of colors wherever they go.
Zinnia flowers are extra-bright with sturdy stems and huge blooms that are a must-have for any garden border. A welcome benefit is that Zinnia attracts pollinators and blooms until frost.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-11
Color Varieties: Pink, Purple, Yellow, Orange, Lavender, White, Red, and Green
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-draining
21. Mandevilla
If you want to add a pop of color to your garden, you should go for Mandevillas. This set of beautiful flowers is a classic tropical vine, popular in landscapes, pots, patios, and porches. Mandevilla Flowers come in various colors ranging from rich jewel-tone colors, and they are often attracted to hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, etc.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-11
Color: Pink, Red, White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained Soil
22. Tiger Flower
Tiger Flower is a hardy plant native to Mexico and cultivated in a garden worldwide. It has striking blossoms that last only a day, but each plant produces several blooms.
USDA Growing Zone: 8-10
Color Varieties: Pink, Red, Yellow, and White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type
23. Bougainvillea
This flowering plant is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to Nyctaginaceae. It is a vibrant blooming vine that can withstand heat and drought. The blooms come in various colors ranging from red, orange, white, pink, and yellow.
USDA Growing Zone: 9-11
Color Varieties: Purple, Red, Orange, White, Pink, and Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
24. Rose Of Sharon
This hardy flowering shrub is cultivated for its showy flowers bloom from mid-summer into fall. The flowers have a natural upright vase shape with multiple branches and medium to dark green foliage.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-8
Color Varieties: Pink, Purple, Lavender, Red, Blue, and White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained Soil
25. Cosmos
Cosmos is an essential annual flower with colorful daisy-like flowers that bloom throughout the summer months. They grow in both beds and containers and can reach 6 feet tall.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-11
Color Varieties: Pink, Magenta, Orange, Yellow, Red, and Chocolate
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-draining Soil
26. Lantana
Growing Lantana in your garden is an excellent way to add color and spice. They have coarse scented green leaves that act as a beautiful backdrop to their contrasting flowers. The leaves have a sandpaper-like texture, and the nectar of the flowers attracts several species of butterflies, including the spicebush swallowtail.
USDA Growing Zone: 7a-11a
Color Varieties: Mix of red, orange, yellow, blue, white, purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
27. Sea Holly
Sea Holly is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. It makes a striking addition to the garden and is cultivated for its thistle-like silvery or blue-tinted flower heads adorned with a ruff of showy bracts.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-9
Color Varieties: Blue, Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil: Sandy, Well-drained Soil
28. Canna
This beautiful flower is the only genus of flowering plants in Cannaceae. They are spectacular summer bulbs with paddle-shaped leaves wrapped in ruffles around stems which come in a range of greens, blue-greens, and bronze and can also have variegation and stripes. Furthermore, Canna is also a tropical flower that grows well in containers or landscapes.
USDA Growing Zone: 8-11
Color Varieties: Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink.
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist
29. Queen Of The Prairie
Queen of the Prairie, also called Meadowsweet, is a perennial plant native to the North Eastern, Central United States, and South-Eastern Canada. This kind of flower is known for its stunning pink plumes, which are the highlight of midsummer.
USDA Growing Zone: 3,4,5,6
Color Varieties: Pink
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand
30. Portulaca
Portulaca is a beautiful low-growing ground cover type of plant that is drought and heat tolerant and native to hot, dry plains in Argentina, Southern Brazil, and Uruguay. Portulacas are also excellent for edging beds or slipping into outer corners.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-10a
Color Varieties: Pink, Peach, Yellow, Orange, Red, Fuchsia, Magenta, Lavender, and Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Fertile Soil With Good Drainage.
31. Flowering Tobacco
Flowering Tobacco is a must-have in your garden because this annual plant offers dramatic foliage and sweet-scented flowers in late summer. The plant also features fuzzy, sticky foliage and flower stalks decorated with clusters of blooms.
The flowering tobacco is one of the easiest summer-blooming annuals to grow, either from seed or starts. The bell-shaped flowers are sometimes fragrant and are attractive to hummingbirds.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-11
Color Varieties: Yellow-green, white, pink, red, yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Type: Rich, Moist, Well-draining Soil
32. Angelonia
Though grown annually in a northern climate, Angelonia is a perennial plant with a fruity scent and is exceptionally strong on hot summer evenings. The flowers come in various colors ranging from purple and white or pink.
USDA Growing Zone: 9-11
Color Varieties: White, Pink, Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
33. Coral Bells
Coral Bells are a perennial plant with their foliage as the primary appeal. Their leaves are rounded, lobed, hairy, and evergreen, and the flowers are rich in nectar, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-9
Color Varieties: Red, White, Pink, Orange
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Rich, Moist, Well-drained Soil
34. Petunia
Petunias are among the most popular flowering annuals for adding instant color to your garden. The flowers are bright and lively and scent the air with their lovely fragrance. Petunias are prolific bloomers that can be found in just about every color ranging from pink to yellow to red to orange.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-11
Color Varieties: Pink, Purple, Yellow, Red, Orange, Green
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist Soil
35. Lotus
Lotus is an aquatic perennial which is sometimes mistaken for a Water Lily. The flowers have a long, rich history spanning thousands of years.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-10
Color Varieties: White, Purple, Pink, Red, Blue, and Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Mix of Clay and Sand
36. Pineapple Lily
These beautiful bulbs are tender plants that start as a rosette and do not usually start blooming for a year but annually, it produces pineapple-shaped flowers from July to August. The flowers usually comprise many tiny flowers clustered together in a cone shape.
USDA Growing Zone: 6,7,8,9
Color Varieties: Green, Purple, Pink, White
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Type: Loamy, Well-drained
37. Caladium
Caladiums are among the most popular foliage plants for shady or semi-shady gardens. They are commonly grown for their lush multicolored leaves without frost tolerance. A welcome benefit of the Caladium is that it can be brought indoors in the fall to enjoy as a houseplant.
USDA Growing Zone: 8-12
Color Varieties: Green, Pink, White, Red
Sun Exposure: Direct Sun
Soil Type: Rich, Well-drained Soil
38. Yarrow
This Herbaceous flowering plant is planted for its showy flower heads composed of tiny, tightly-packed flowers rising above clusters of front foliage. The flowers add instant color to your garden and come in a range of yellow, red, pink, or any shade in between.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-9
Color Varieties: Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Well-drained
39. Veronica
Veronica, also called Speedwell, is a tough ornamental that is carefree and easy to grow with long spikes of small petals in Purple, Blue, Pink or White.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-8
Color Varieties: Purplish-blue, Pink, White
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
40. Gloriosa Daisy
Gloriosa Daisy is an annual or short-lived perennial that adds rich, gorgeous color to the summer garden. Their blooms are rich golden, orange, or mahogany red, and they grow best in various soils with full sun.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-8
Color Varieties: Yellow to gold, orange, and bronzy red
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Average Soil
41. Lilies
Lilies are Perennial plants that have large, brightly colored triangular petals that open wide and curl back to reveal delicate stamen in the center of the bloom. Planting lilies in your garden would be a colorful display of beautiful blooming flowers throughout the summer months.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-9
Color Varieties: White, Yellow, Pink, Red, and Orange
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Rich and Fairly Moist, Free Draining Soil or Compost
42. Shrub Rose
This set of flowers is the easiest to grow and is known for being temperamental and difficult to care for. The flowers come in a wide array of colors, from snowy white to deep purple.
USDA Growing Zone: 7,8,9,10
Color Varieties: Purple, Red, Orange, White, Pink, Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Loamy, Well-drained.
43. Poppy
The poppy is one of the most familiar of all poppies. It is an ancient flowering plant desired by gardeners in various landscape situations.
Their sunny orange blooms are a must-have in your garden as they will add instant color. These kinds of flowers are old-fashioned cottage garden favorites that you would likely see them popping in your garden year after year.
USDA Growing Zone: 2-7
Color Varieties: Orange, Red, Salmon
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Acid or Neutral Soil
44. Lavender
This aromatic plant has a soothing fragrance grown for a wide range of purposes. It also makes an excellent companion for almost anything from roses to cabbage.
USDA Growing Zone: 5a-9a
Color Varieties: Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry, well-draining Soil
45. Begonia
Begonias have tropical and sub-tropical origins and are widely grown in every region as annuals. They are also grown for their foliage and attractive flowers.
USDA Growing Zone: 7
Color Varieties: Orange, White, Pink, Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun Or Full Shade
Soil Type: Light Potting Soil
46. Pentas
Pentas flowers attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds due to the nectar. They are also called Egyptian stars because they develop sparkling star-shaped flowers all summer long in bold hues of red, white, lavender, purple, or pink.
USDA Growing Zone: 10-11
Color Varieties: Purple, Red, White, Pink
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Well-drained Soil
47. Lupines
Lupines are frequently spotted in the wild garden, but you can also grow spiky flowers in your garden. Though short-lived, stems can grow up to 5 feet tall with various colors, including red, white, pink, or purple blooms.
USDA Growing Zone: 4-8
Color Varieties: Red, White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Purple
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Rich, Well-draining Soil
48. Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas have been popular for decades, and for good reasons. They are ornamental garden plants with blooms in various colors ranging from white, pink, maroon, red, and pale green.
Hydrangea flowers are exceptionally in cut bouquets and dried arrangements. They come in sizes ranging from dwarf varieties, which are suitable to small spaces and containers that make a stunning statement in the landscape.
USDA Growing Zone: 5-9
Color Varieties: White, Blue, Pink, Maroon, Red, Purple
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Any Type Of Soil
49. GoldenRod
GoldenRod adds some contrast to your garden with yellow golden spikes. Some consider goldenrod a weed because it proliferates and can overtake your garden if not treated with care.
USDA Growing Zone: 3-9
Color Varieties: Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moist, Well-drained
50. Achillea
This hardy and versatile perennial are as carefree as it gets. Achillea is pest resistant, quick to spread, and a significant pollinator. Since it proliferates, it can be used as ground covers or used to fill up large spaces.