The Best Flowers for Full Sun

All flowers need light, but some can't take long hours of direct sun, especially when the temperatures rise or the weather turns dry. But when you grow sun-loving perennials, you can have flowers with staggered bloom times for season-long color, and you won't have to worry about watching them wilt or die in the heat of the day.

This border combines purple fountain grass, hardy hibiscus, black-eyed Susans and other perennial beauties. They thrive in full sun, which means six or more hours of sun each day. If you're short on shade in your garden, look for the best flowers for pots in full sun and enjoy them on a sunny deck or patio. For more color and texture, add some heat-proof annuals or flowering shrubs for sun. Although all of these crave sunshine, don't forget to water them as needed. Read on to find more of the best plants for sun.

Perennial hibiscus fills the summer garden with stunning, dinner plate-size blooms. Usually hibiscus grows 5 feet or more high, but new varieties like Summerific ‘Perfect Storm’ top out at 3 feet, fitting neatly into small gardens and perennial borders. White flowers with a bright red eye and pink edged petals open to a whopping 7 to 8 inches across. The secret to great growth is ample water. Hardy in Zones 4-9.

Give your garden a burst of color with a drift of native purple coneflower. Deer- and rabbit-resistant, this drought-tolerant beauty beckons butterflies, bees and goldfinches, who feast on the spiky seedheads. Plant breeders have worked to improve this flower powerhouse by expanding blossom color and form. Look for coneflower plants in a rainbow of shades, including red, gold, white, orange and pink. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

If you like black-eyed susan, check out Echibeckia. This new kid on the garden block combines the winter hardiness of purple coneflower (Echinacea) with the fast growth and sunny colors of black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia). Flowers stand atop sturdy stems and appear all summer long. Remove spent blooms to keep the blossoms coming. Hardy in Zones 6-10.