Shown in photo: yarrow. Be sure to get the kind that doesn't spread (invasive).
Colorado's hot summers, intense sunshine, low humidity, and drying winds can be tough on flowers.
Choosing heat- and drought-tolerant varieties is one of the best ways to keep your landscape colorful even during extended heat waves.
Top Wilt-Resistant Flowers for Colorado
Other Excellent Choices
Tips to Reduce Wilting
Even heat-tolerant flowers appreciate a little help during extreme weather:
Best for Containers
If you're filling patio pots or hanging baskets, these flowers hold up particularly well in Colorado heat:
Colorado Gardening Tip
Even drought-tolerant flowers need regular watering while they establish their root systems. After the first year, many of these plants become remarkably resilient, providing season-long color with relatively little maintenance.
For reliable summer color that can handle Colorado's challenging conditions, blanket flower, Russian sage, coneflower, salvia, zinnias, and lantana are among the very best choices. They combine exceptional heat tolerance with long bloom periods, making them standout performers in both home gardens and professional landscapes.
Top Wilt-Resistant Flowers for Colorado
- Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) - One of the toughest perennials for Colorado, blanket flower thrives in full sun, poor soils, and hot, dry conditions. It blooms from early summer into fall with cheerful red, orange, and yellow flowers.
- Russian Sage - A favorite for Colorado landscapes, Russian sage produces airy lavender-blue flower spikes from midsummer into fall. It thrives in heat, tolerates drought once established, and attracts bees and butterflies.
- Lantana - Although grown as an annual in most of Colorado, lantana loves hot weather and often blooms more profusely as temperatures rise. Its colorful flower clusters attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Zinnias - Few annuals perform as well during hot summers as zinnias. They bloom continuously in shades of pink, orange, red, yellow, white, and purple, and they're excellent for cutting gardens.
- Salvia - Both annual and perennial salvias tolerate heat exceptionally well. Their vibrant blue, purple, red, or pink flower spikes provide months of color while attracting pollinators.
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) - This hardy native perennial is well adapted to Colorado's climate. Once established, it tolerates drought and continues blooming through much of the summer.
Other Excellent Choices
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Penstemon
- Coreopsis
- Catmint (Nepeta)
- Sedum ('Autumn Joy' and other upright varieties)
- Verbena
- Lavender
- Ice Plant (Delosperma)
- Portulaca (Moss Rose)
- Angelonia
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Cosmos
- Succulents (some have beautiful flowers)
Tips to Reduce Wilting
Even heat-tolerant flowers appreciate a little help during extreme weather:
- Water deeply rather than lightly every day.
- Add 2–3 inches of mulch to keep roots cool.
- Water early in the morning.
- Group plants with similar water needs together.
- Give newly planted flowers extra attention during their first growing season.
- Avoid fertilizing during prolonged heat waves, as it can encourage tender new growth
Best for Containers
If you're filling patio pots or hanging baskets, these flowers hold up particularly well in Colorado heat:
- Lantana
- Portulaca
- Angelonia
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Calibrachoa (with consistent watering and fertilizer)
- Geraniums
Colorado Gardening Tip
Even drought-tolerant flowers need regular watering while they establish their root systems. After the first year, many of these plants become remarkably resilient, providing season-long color with relatively little maintenance.
For reliable summer color that can handle Colorado's challenging conditions, blanket flower, Russian sage, coneflower, salvia, zinnias, and lantana are among the very best choices. They combine exceptional heat tolerance with long bloom periods, making them standout performers in both home gardens and professional landscapes.