Local winter temperatures are also important<\/strong>. Arizona, the sixth largest state by area, covers USDA hardiness zones from 4b ( -20 to -25\u00b0F in the winter) to 10b (minimums of 30 to 40\u00b0F). If you live in Kingman, Nogales, Prescott, or Flagstaff, look for perennials that can survive the cold in your area. <\/p> Since some yuccas can grow up to 20 feet wide, also factor in the plant’s size at maturity<\/strong> versus the space in your garden. <\/p> This being said, let’s take a look at the top plants to grow in Arizona’s heat. We’ve grouped them by type, so you can skip directly to your desired plant category.<\/p> Flowering plants add depth, colors, and energy to arid gardens, and some also look excellent in vases and dry arrangements. Here are a few heat-resistant options that can handle the desert summer with grace and joy.<\/p> From midsummer until late fall, marigolds add festive colors and textures to your garden. They have dense, rounded flowers with many layers of bright-colored petals. They also contain phytochemicals that protect flower beds and vegetable plots from pests. The most common marigolds planted in Arizona are:<\/p> Type: <\/strong>Annuals, perennials.<\/p> USDA hardiness zones: <\/strong>2 to 11.<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Full sun.<\/p> Drought tolerance: <\/strong>Very good.<\/p> Size: <\/strong>6 to 36 inches tall.<\/p> Color: <\/strong>Yellow, gold, and orange to ivory and mahogany. <\/p> Maintenance: <\/strong><\/p> Marigold companions<\/strong>: Salvia, coreopsis, lavender, geranium.<\/p> Plant colorful zinnias along garden beds and borders. Grown in groups, these annual plants with bright, daisy-like flowers add vibrant hues to landscapes and attract useful pollinators. Besides enhancing your lawn\u2019s looks, zinnias also make for excellent cut flowers lasting up to 10 days in a vase. <\/p> Type: <\/strong>Annuals.<\/p> USDA hardiness zones:<\/strong> 2 to 11.<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Full to part shade.<\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Good.<\/p> Size:<\/strong> Six to thirty inches tall. <\/p> Color<\/strong>: Blooms from April to November with white, yellow, orange, and dark red flowers.<\/p> Maintenance:<\/strong> <\/p> Zinnia companions:<\/strong> marigolds, black-eyed Susan, sunflowers <\/p> Plant this fast-growing, easy-to-care-for vine with stunning flowers to create natural, colorful privacy screens. It fills with vibrant hues each summer, provides lovely shade, and is a perennial that returns every year once established. Install near walls and patios and climb it on a trellis or pergola for shade.<\/p> Type: <\/strong>Perennial.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone: <\/strong>9 to 11.<\/p> Sun exposure: <\/strong>Full sun and light shade.<\/p> Drought tolerance<\/strong>: Very good. <\/p> Size: <\/strong>This vine can climb up to 20 – 30 feet with proper support.<\/p> Color: <\/strong>From golden yellow, pink, and red to magenta and purple.<\/p> Maintenance:<\/strong><\/p> Bougainvillea companions: <\/strong>carissa, Texas sage, muhly grass, dwarf oleander.<\/p> Less lush and rich in foliage than the bougainvillea, penstemons conquer your soul with their lovely, colorful flowers. They bloom in early spring, need little watering, and are suitable for xeriscape designs. The most common varieties to grow in the Phoenix area are: <\/p> Type: <\/strong>short-lived perennials, living 2 to 5 years.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone: <\/strong>3 to 9.<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Full sun to light shade.<\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Very good.<\/p> Size: <\/strong>Pestemons range from low-growing ground covers to flower stems reaching 5-6 feet.<\/p> Color: <\/strong>Penstemons bloom in late spring and early summer with white, yellow, orange, pink, and red flowers.<\/p> Maintenance:<\/strong><\/p> Penstemon companions: <\/strong>agave, brittlebush, angelita daisy, marigold, prickly pear cactus.<\/p> Native to Arizona\u2019s low deserts, amaranth can also grow well at higher elevations, adding its shade and tall figure to cactus and rock gardens across the state. It\u2019s a low-maintenance, low-water plant with unique red stems, dark green edible leaves, and bunches of pink and red flowers you can add to dried arrangements. <\/p> Type: <\/strong>Annual.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone:<\/strong> 2 to 11.<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Enjoys full sun but can also tolerate partial shade.<\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Very good.<\/p> Size:<\/strong> It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. <\/p> Color: <\/strong>Blooms white, pink, or red from summer until the first frost.<\/p> Maintenance:<\/strong> Water once a week during summer.<\/p> Amaranth companions: <\/strong>marigold, sunflower.<\/p> Some perennial shrubs are incredibly resilient in Arizona’s low desert heat. They grow deep roots and dense foliage, shading the soil to keep it moist and cool. Shrubs add a green, lush look to your garden and dress up home walls, boulders, patio edges, and walkways. Here are some excellent options for Arizona\u2019s climate:<\/p> You\u2019ll often see colorful clumps of lantana along the sidewalks and roadways of Tucson or Mesa. They\u2019re easy to grow and bloom bunches of small, vibrant flowers from May to October, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds like a magnet. <\/p> Plant type: <\/strong>Perennial<\/p> USDA hardiness zone: <\/strong>8 to 11.<\/p> Sun Exposure:<\/strong> Full sun. It flowers less in the shade.<\/p> Drought Tolerance:<\/strong> Good. <\/p> Size:<\/strong> 3 feet tall and 8 feet wide. <\/p> Color:<\/strong> Intense tones of pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, and white.<\/p> Maintenance: <\/strong><\/p> Lantana companions:<\/strong> angelonia, salvia, boxwood, pentas, stonecrop.<\/p> Warning!<\/strong> Lantana is toxic for humans, pets, and livestock. If planted in a home yard, keep away from kids, dogs, and cats. It can cause rashes.<\/p> If you like large, colorful cones of flowers and delicate, feathery leaves, you\u2019ll love the red bird of paradise. Grown as a shrub or small tree, this elegant plant welcomes metro Phoenix\u2019s hot summers with gorgeous, bright blooms. It starts flowering in May and keeps at it until mid-fall. <\/p> Plant type: <\/strong>Perennial.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone:<\/strong> 9 to 11<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Full sun to grow dense and rich in flowers.<\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Very good. <\/p> Size:<\/strong> 6 to 10 feet tall and up to 8 feet across.<\/p> Color:<\/strong> Yellow, orange, and bright red shades.<\/p> Maintenance: <\/strong><\/p> Red Bird of Paradise companions:<\/strong> aloe, yucca, ocotillo.<\/p> Native to the Sonoran Desert, this plant is as hardy as it gets, thriving in the hot summer days with little to no water. Baja fairy duster shrubs have delicate, feathery leaves and almost surreal blooms like powder puff balls. They flower from fall to spring, complementing Arizona\u2019s winter lawns<\/a>. <\/p> Type: <\/strong>Perennial.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone:<\/strong> 9 to 12.<\/p> Sun exposure: <\/strong>Full sun. It handles partial shade and reflected light. <\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Excellent.<\/p> Size<\/strong>: 5 to 6 feet tall and wide.<\/p> Color<\/strong>: Red, rose, or plum flowers.<\/p> Maintenance:<\/strong> Water once every two weeks during summer for more flowers.<\/p> Baja fairy duster companions:<\/strong> lantana, desert marigold, penstemon, blackfoot daisy.<\/p> Also called emu bushes, Eremophila<\/em> plants are native to Australia’s arid and semi-arid zones and are extremely drought-tolerant.<\/p> Used more often as an accent plant, this evergreen has large buds that bloom in elegant lily-like flowers during winter and spring. Its elongated leaves range from deep green to silver-gray, contrasting beautifully with the green of a winter ryegrass or tall fescue lawn.<\/p> Type:<\/strong> Perennial.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone:<\/strong> 9 to 11.<\/p> Sun exposure:<\/strong> Full sun.<\/p> Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Excellent.<\/p> Size:<\/strong> 6 to 10 feet tall and wide.<\/p> Color:<\/strong> It blooms lovely pink, red, and fuchsia flowers from winter to spring.<\/p> Maintenance: <\/strong>Water once a month to keep the flowers blooming.<\/p> Valentine bush companions:<\/strong> muhly grass, desert willow, salvia, palo verde, mesquite, yucca. <\/p> Salvia varieties have fragrant blooms in a variety of colors that seem to float above the rounded shrubs. They are an excellent addition to your wildlife garden corner. A tasty herb to cook with, salvia also looks amazing under your kitchen window and as a summertime drop of color in a rock garden<\/a>. <\/p> Type<\/strong>: Perennial.<\/p> USDA hardiness zone: <\/strong>4 to 10. <\/p> Sun exposure<\/strong>: Full sun. If you live in the Phoenix area or the southern deserts, ensure some shade in the afternoon.<\/p> Drought tolerance<\/strong>: Very good.<\/p> Top Flowering Plants for Arizona\u2019s Hot Climate<\/h2>
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"French](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/French-marigold-flowers-646x485.jpg\")
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Zinnia\"](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Zinnia-646x485.jpg\")
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spectabilis<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Bougainvillea\"](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Bougainvillea-646x485.jpg\")
Beardtongues (Penstemon spp.<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Parry\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Parrys-penstemon-646x485.jpg\")
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Amaranth\"](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Amaranth-646x485.jpg\")
Best Heat-Tolerant Shrubs for Arizona<\/h2>
Common Lantana (Lantana camara)<\/em><\/h3>
![\"Common](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Common-Lantana-646x485.jpg\")
Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Red-Bird-of-Paradise-646x478.jpg\")
Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica<\/em>)<\/h3>
![\"Baja](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Baja-Fairy-Duster-Calliandra-californica-646x430.jpg\")
Valentine Bush (Eremophila maculata <\/em>‘Valentine’)<\/h3>
![\"Valentine](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Valentine-Bush-Eremophila-maculata-Valentine-646x481.jpg\")
Sages (Salvia spp.)<\/em><\/h3>
![\"beautiful](\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Salvia_greggii_1c-646x485.jpg\")