9 Plants That Look After Themselves in July – And Still Steal the Show, Even in Drought
These low-maintenance plants need little intervention to deliver weeks of color, texture, and pollinator appeal
By the time July rolls around, I want to spend less time toiling in the garden and more time enjoying it. Long stretches of heat, sporadic rainfall, busy summer schedules, and perhaps some vacation time can make high-maintenance borders feel more like a chore than a retreat. Fortunately, there are plenty of plants that look after themselves with little to no assistance by mid-summer.
The secret is choosing plants that are naturally adapted to summer conditions. Many of the toughest performers come from North America’s prairies and open woodlands, where they've evolved to handle heat, drought, and less-than-luscious soils. Once established, these irrepressible plants continue to bloom – or provide striking foliage and texture – with little more than an occasional deep watering during dry spells.
Planting self-sufficient plants – particularly natives – is one of several low-maintenance backyard ideas for creating maximum impact without the work. From colorful native wildflowers (it can be as easy as scattering these wildflower seeds from Amazon) to ornamental grass that brings movement and structure to the garden, these are a few of the plants that look after themselves in July that have earned their place in my own garden.
1. Coneflower
Few native perennials embody effortless summer gardening better than the coneflower.
Its cheerful daisy-like blooms appear in early summer and continue for weeks, attracting bees, butterflies, and later on, seed-eating birds. Even after the flowers fade, the seedheads extend the plant's ornamental value well into fall.
Plus, they come is so many extraordinary colors, such as the dozens of different hues available at Nature Hills..
Care notes: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Once established, coneflowers tolerate drought well. Deadheading encourages more blooms, but leaving some spent flowers provides food for birds.
Placement: Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. Coneflowers pair beautifully with ornamental grasses and other prairie-inspired perennials.
2. Threadleaf Coreopsis
The native threadleaf coreopsis has always been a favorite of mine because it delivers a surprisingly long season of bloom, covering its fine, airy foliage with bright yellow flowers from early summer well into the season.
Its delicate texture softens plants around it and stands up to brutally hot, dry conditions once established.
Care notes: If you do feel like toiling a little with this plant, go ahead and shear it lightly (these Fiskars bypass pruning shears on Amazon are a top pick) after the first heavy flush of blooms if you'd like to encourage another round of flowering. Otherwise, this native perennial is content to keep blooming on its own.
Placement: Grow in full sun and well-drained soil. It's an excellent choice for cottage gardens, pollinator borders, and ecological landscapes.
Find a threadleaf coreopsis plant at Nature Hills.
3. Agastache
Also known as hummingbird mint, agastache is a perennial with several native species.
It earns its keep with months of colorful flower spikes in shades of purple, pink, coral, orange, and blue. Blooming from early summer into fall, it's a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
Once established, this heat-loving perennial thrives in hot, sunny gardens with surprisingly little attention. Bonus – its licorice-mint-fragranced foliage naturally resists browsing by deer and rabbits.
Care notes: Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a deep root system. After that, agastache needs little supplemental irrigation except during prolonged drought. Some of the recently introduced varieties include dwarf varieties (like this Kudos Coral Hummingbird Mint at Plant Addicts, which is just 1 ft. tall). These excel in patio containers such as these Allen + Roth Stone Outdoor Self-Watering Planters found at Lowe’s.
Placement: Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. Agastache is ideal for pollinator gardens, cottage borders, gravel gardens, and other water-wise landscapes where it can bask in the summer heat.
Explore the wide range of hummingbird mint varieties available at Plant Addicts.
4. Catmint
While not a native, catmint has become a favorite of garden designers for good reason.
I love its soft gray-green foliage that forms tidy mounds beneath long-blooming lavender-blue flowers. It thrives in heat, shrugs off dry weather, is rarely bothered by pests and is a magnet for bees.
Care notes: After the first flush of blooms, give plants a light trim to encourage fresh foliage and repeat flowering. But if you don’t, it doesn’t mind at all!
Placement: Grow in full sun or where plants receive a few hours of afternoon shade in hotter climates. I love how it spills over pathways and softens the edges of borders.
You can find a catmint starter plants at Walmart, or grow it from scratch with these catmint seeds from Amazon.
5. Blanket Flower
With fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow, this hybrid of several different native species brings nonstop color to sunny borders. Better yet, it actually performs best when planted in lean, well-drained soils where fussier plants often struggle.
Care notes: Avoid overwatering and heavy fertilization. Use a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote’s Smart Release Granular Fertilizer found at Home Depot when potting up your blanket flower for the season.
Placement: Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. It's an excellent addition to drought-tolerant gardens and pollinator plantings.
You can find a fiery blanket flower plant at Plant Addicts.
6. Mountain Mint
Not familiar with mountain mint? It may not have the largest flowers in the garden, but it easily earned its place in my garden thanks to its silvery bracts, minty-fragrant foliage, and unparalleled pollinator activity.
Native bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects swarm to this North American native throughout midsummer, making it as lively as it is beautiful.
Care notes: Water well while it gets established, then only during extended dry periods. Cut plants back in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Placement: Grow in full sun or light partial shade in well-drained soil. It’s a spreader, so give it room to do so.
Find mountain mint seeds on Amazon.
7. Black-Eyed Susan
Its bright golden flowers with dark centers make black-eyed Susan one of the defining native plants of midsummer.
It blooms for weeks on end with little intervention and continues to brighten borders even during stretches of intense heat. Pair it with a purple-hued coneflower for a classic perennial color combination.
Care notes: Water during the first growing season and divide mature clumps every few years to maintain vigor. Deadheading is optional but only if you feel the need.
Placement: Full sun produces the best flowering, but plants do tolerate light afternoon shade in especially in warmer regions.
Find black-eyed Susan plants at Walmart.
8. Little Bluestem
Give your plantings a break from all those blooms with this native ornamental grass. It adds texture, movement, and lovely blue-green foliage that later develops rich copper and burgundy tones. Even in the heat of July, it remains upright and attractive with little to no care.
Care notes: Water regularly while plants establish, then only during drought. Leave foliage standing through winter and cut it back in late winter before fresh growth appears.
Placement: Plant in full sun with well-drained soil. Pair it with coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, or blanket flowers for a classic prairie-inspired combination.
Find little bluestem grass plant plugs on Amazon.
9. Calamint
Calamint is one of those quietly impressive perennials that gardeners often wish they'd discovered sooner.
I enjoy its clouds of tiny white flowers blooming from early summer until frost. They create an airy effect that complements bolder flowering plants such as coneflowers while attracting bees throughout the season.
Care notes: Once established, calamint requires little more than occasional watering during dry weather. Cut plants back in early spring to encourage fresh growth.
Placement: Grow in full sun and well-drained soil. It works beautifully at the front of borders, along walkways, or woven through mixed perennial plantings.
Find calamint plant on Amazon.
What to Shop
This wildflower mix is full of perennial blooms that will return every year with little fuss. Simply scatter over a prepared garden bed.
Lay this soaker hose in your garden border and it will release water into the soil, directly hydrating roots. It makes watering less-effort in a heatwave.
This deal includes two catmint plants in 4-inch pots. They reach a mature height of 20 inches.
By choosing resilient species that are adapted to heat and dry conditions, you can enjoy months of color, texture, and pollinator activity without spending every evening watering, staking, or deadheading.
And it’s not just borders that you ease off on during the month of July. Swap to an Irish moss lawn and plant drought-tolerant vegetables in your kitchen garden so they, too, can give you a break so you can sit back and literally enjoy the fruits of your labor.
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