One of the toughest things about growing in Southeast Texas (aka, the deep south) is the HOT summer.
We are not just talking about any kind of hot here.
We are talking, fry an egg on the sidewalk, kind of hot.
Soooooo……
One HAS to find things that grow well in this heat if we want to have food year round.
I have spent the better part of 8 years nailing down some plants that grow really well here, or anywhere there is massive amount of heat AND that I don’t really have to do anything to, including water.
So, here ya are folks.
10 Plants That Grow Well In the Heat (listed in no particular order)
Moringa-This is probably my favorite plant, by far. You are gonna want to plant this sub-tropical plant. Check out this video HERE about this amazing tree.
Malabar Spinach-Do you want a green that LOVES the heat. This vining plant is for you. It actually isn’t a spinach at all. This VIDEO shows just how well it will grow in the heat.
Sweet Potato-Easy peasy sweet potatoes. I have planted these puppies once four years ago and they come back every year. This is a dual purpose, long growing plant. The greens can be eaten while you wait for the tubers to mature.
Cucumber-These need to be planted in the spring but will grow throughout the summer and I have always had them produce well.
Peppers-My peppers have always produced the best in the fall, but I do plant them in the spring and they produce all through the summer and even more in the fall. Here in the south, they will weather the mild winters.
Okra-Did you know that okra is actually a fruit? This hardy plant is part of the mallow family, which accounts its thickening properties when cooked. It loves the heat and I use it as a succession plant. This means when the tomatoes and green beans are done around May, I can plant the okra and it will produce all summer long.
Luffa-A dual purpose plant that you can eat AND wash your body with. I know it sounds odd, but check it out anyway. Here is a VIDEO on how to process luffa.
Basil-Sweet basil for culinary uses and Holy Basil for medical uses will do really well in the heat. Actually, any basil does really well. Did you know that there are 150 species of basil?
Mint-Mint is probably the easiest herb to start with, and there are all kinds, from chocolate to apple. If you feel like you have a brown or black thumb, start with mint; but beware that it tends to take over places.
Zinnias-Ok, this isn’t actually a food that most people will eat, although it is edible (with a bitter taste). They are pretty, and who doesn’t like that? Zinnia is super easy to grow and will tolerate the heat well. They continue to attract pollinators throughout the summer.
There are many others, but this is a good place to start, especially if you are new to growing in the heat.
Do you have some plants that you love for the summer months? Let me hear about them!
Click on the links above to learn more about the plants!
