Summer is the perfect season to celebrate America’s colors in the landscape. From Memorial Day to Independence Day through Labor Day, gardens accented with vibrant reds, luminous whites, and shades of blues create a patriotic display for your home and summer celebrations.
The Second Continental Congress adopted red, white, and blue as the colors of the American flag in June 1777. Traditionally, red represents bravery, valor, hardiness, and sacrifice; white symbolizes integrity, innocence, purity, and high ideals; while blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
Creating this patriotic color scheme can be a challenge in Florida and throughout the Southeast. High temperatures, humidity, frequent rains, and intense sunlight limit bedding plant choices. Fortunately, several outstanding annuals, perennials, vines, and tropical plants thrive during the hottest months of the year in our color range.
Heat-Tolerant Red Flowers
These reliable performers add vibrant red color even during the hottest days of summer.
New Guinea Impatiens (shade)
Pentas
Wax Begonia
Cora Vinca
Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)
Zesty™ Zinnia
Caladium (shade)
Luna hardy Hibiscus
Red Passion Vine
Heat-Tolerant White Flowers
Bright white flowers provide cooling contrast in the landscape and evening luminosity.
New Guinea Impatiens (shade)
Pentas
Wax Begonia
Zesty™ Zinnia
Cora Vinca
White Morning Glory Vine
White Caladium (shade)
Browallia (shade)
Luna hardy Hibiscus
White Scaevola
Heat-Tolerant Blue Flowers
Blue is the least common flower color, but these selections perform well in warm climates.
Black and Blue Salvia
Torenia (shade)
Blue My Mind® Evolvulus
Blue Morning Glory Vine
Blue Chiffon® or Azurri Blue™ Rose of Sharon
Browallia
Blue Scaevola
Looking Ahead: Keep an eye out for new blue-flowering pentas, introducing Blue Street Art and Phenom Double Blue. Expect to find them in your local garden center for the 2027–2028 seasons.
Finding blue flower varieties during the summer may take visiting numerous different garden centers.
A beautiful alternate solution is to use cobalt blue ceramic containers as the “blue” element in your design. Fill them with alternating red and white pentas, wax begonias, or dwarf zinnias for an eye-catching display. In shady locations, combine red and white caladiums or New Guinea impatiens for spectacular color.
Create Dramatic and Unique Color Combinations
If you’re looking for something a little different, consider combining unusual plants and textures with patriotic colors.
Red Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida), commonly called Red Hot Cat’s Tail
White Cat’s Whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus)
Black and Blue Salvia (Salvia guaranitica}
The combination creates a fun tropical display that performs exceptionally well in Florida landscapes.
For flower beds, try planting:
Blue and white Scaevola backed by masses of red Pentas.
Red and white dwarf zinnias with Black and Blue Salvia as the backdrop.
Red and white Luna Hibiscus paired with Azurri Blue™ Rose of Sharon for a dramatic planting with large bold flowers.
Add Vertical Interest
Have room for a trellis, arbor, or fence?
Plant Red Passion Vine mixed blue and white Morning Glories. Their vigorous summer growth quickly creates vertical accents of patriotic color that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and plenty of compliments.
Celebrate Summer with Color
Even during Florida’s hottest months, you don’t have to sacrifice colorful gardens. By selecting heat-loving annuals, tropicals, vines, and flowering shrubs, you can enjoy vibrant red, white, and blue displays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Whether you’re planting a single container on the front porch or designing an entire landscape bed, these heat-tolerant selections will help you enjoy and celebrate summer in true American style.
Gardening in the Weeds Tip
When designing flower beds, for a stronger color pop, plant groups of red, groups of whites, and groups of blues together. Massing like colors into defined groups amplifies color and makes the design stand out. Try designing reds and whites in stripes against a blue background.
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