The temps have soared here in the Ohio Valley this summer, and we've had little rain. Much worse than usual. As I look around my yard, the sun-tolerant coleus look better and healthier than most plants.




Karen

For drought nothing beats Vinca as an annual . I almost never have to water them and they just keep on producing like nothing is wrong.

My next door neighbor's vinca turned yellow, and look sick. They're not quite dead, but circling the drain. The western part of my county has gone from severe drought to extreme. Even vinca aren't faring well.

A few casualties in my yard
corydalis


salvia nemorosa


an old, established astilbe


this gaura is struggling


And I've watered a lot. I had to to work up that $400 water bill

Karen

This has been such a hard gardening year for so many of us. That said, these are the plants which have performed in the extended heat and drought (with supplemental waterings from the hose), although in many cases length of bloom was cut short compared to previous years:

Verbena bonariensis
Patrinia scabiosifolia
Crambe maritima
Agastache 'Blue Blazes'
Agastache 'Golden Jubilee'
Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
True lilies (especially Lilium regale, Lilium henryi and the OT types)
Hemerocallis citrina 'Yao Ming'
Veronicastrum 'Fascination'
Hibiscus 'Summer Storm'
Hibiscus 'Plum Crazy'
Various sedums
Calamintha nepetoides

I also have many asters and late blooming hardy chrysanthemums (the old-fashioned Korean types) that are growing quite well and are not yet forming buds. I am looking forward to the late show after this exhausting season!

The lilies in the photo below remained blooming for only 1.5 weeks in the heat compared to a solid 2-3 weeks in "normal" years. But they were wonderful and so fragrant while they lasted! This is LO lily hybrid 'El Condor'.

Perenial Hibiscus
Buddleia
Black Eyed Susan
Purple Coneflower


These are mine.

Interesting about the coleus. I always thought they were shade plants that likes moisture.

Some are for shade, Dianne. Most of the seed varieties are. But there are a lot of cutting-grown ones that are very sun tolerant, and they don't need all that much water. A good reputable vendor will tell you which are sun tolerant.

I've bought most of mine from Rosy Dawn, gotten some in trade, bought a few locally
http://rosydawngardens.com/col...

Now I start cuttings from mine in fall, and winter them in the house under lights.

Karen

Achillea, definitely, and sedums. They have some beautiful new ones of both.

I have had lots of luck with Nierembergia. It's a perennial for me.
Photo is Nierembergia with lobelia on top. It bloomed all summer.

Very pretty!

My two favorite heat and drought tolerant plants are:

Yucca 'Color Guard' and Delosperma cooperi

Nothing came close to them for me. Both are actually looking ok in the winter too which makes them doubly good!