While Brits may be making the most of the heat this summer, it’s not all good news for your plants – here’s a list of plants that can survive high temperatures and dry conditions
As summer temperatures continue to ramp up across the UK, gardeners are scrabbling to keep their plants healthy and hydrated under the strong sun.
This can be difficult, as many popular British plants aren’t adapted to high heat. During hotter, drier periods they can become easily dehydrated, leading to symptoms like wilting, browning leaves and stunted growth.
As Britain has seen more than one day already this June with above 30C temperatures, gardeners and plant lovers will be wondering what plants can actually withstand such sudden and soaring climates.
A viable solution to this problem is to grow plants which have drought-tolerant features, such as waxy or light-coloured leaves. Experts from The Natural Gardener have revealed the top plants you should grow in your garden if you want to beat the heat.
Plants with pale leaves
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Choosing a plant with light-coloured leaves, such as pale green or white, can help it withstand hot conditions. This is because they have the ability to deflect the suns rays.
The Natural Gardener explains: “These reflect sunlight, reducing the amount of heat that soaks into the plant and so they keep the plant a little cooler, slowing down transpiration.”
You can grow:
- Russian Sage
- Lavender
- Cotton Lavender
- Curry Plant
- Artemisia
Plants with small leaves
If you want your garden plants to withstand the heat, then look for flora with smaller leaves. This is because they have less surface area, which means less water will evaporate of them.
You can grow:
- Yarrow
- Thrift
- Fennel
- Mexican fleabane
- Box
- Heather
- Common Rue
- Rosemary
Plants with hairy leaves
Some plants have come up with a clever adaptation to deal with dry climates. By growing hairy leaves, they’re able to reduce the amount of water evaporating from their surface.
This is because it’s much easier for the sun to pull water into dry air. Conversely, the leaf hairs help trap moisture around the plant, making it more difficult for the sun to suck up.
You can grow:
- Lamb’s Ears
- Lady’s Mantle
- Shrubby Mallow
Plants with waxy leaves
Waxy leaves can significantly help with reducing sun damage. They help prevent moisture loss, as well as acting as a reflective surface to keep the leaves cool.
- Ceanothus
- Laurel
- Globe Thistle
- Euphorbia
- Sea Holly
Plants with succulent leaves
According to The Natural Gardener: “Another leaf-based trick is to have succulent leaves and stems, both of which actively store moisture, to be used during hot weather.”
You can grow: