How hot is too hot for your summer flowers?

Hmm. If this isn't a loaded question! And bring last weeks record setting hot summer temps to the table and it's a heated discussion for sure!(Pun intended)!! Even flowers and plants struggle when the temp is crazy hot and humid.

You know flowers and plants do have a lot in common with us humans believe it or not. While our DNA does differ tremendously we have some similarities in how we are made. Humans have blood vessels that make up the vascular system and are composed of arteries and veins -the larger vessels that carry oxygen, nutrients and help with waste removal . Plants have xylem and phloem which transport water and nutrients-similar to the way the human body uses blood vessels just by different mechanisms.

So, it only seems fitting that some plant would like heat and others like it cool. You find this all throughout the animal kingdom-some animals exists only in cooler climates and others in warmer climates and such are plants and flowers.

Getting back to summer flowers though-most summer flowers love and thrive on the heat. That's why they are summer flowers of course. But, there are certain circumstances that encourage their healthy growth more than others. First and foremost is our favorite friend moisture. Like us humans we cannot survive without water-lots of it in the heat especially. But just like the different climates, summer plants and their water consumption are all over the place. You have some like dahlias that must have regular deep water. And then there is yarrow which thrives in drought as well as lavender as long as the soil consistency is right for them.

Next I think of sun exposure. You have the shade lovers and the sun lovers. Give the shade lovers too much sun and they will fry or perform poorly. Give the sun lovers too much shade and they will too poorly as well. Us humans are sun lovers and shade lovers too. Some of us can tolerate more sun and heat than others and it shows-guess that's why some prefer to work in AC and some prefer to be outside.

One flower I see love summer weather when it's not crazy hot and humid is the dahlia-but it seems to do so much better in summer in the Pacific Northwest and not here in ky. Give it Kentudky's hot summer temps, humidity and no water and you will kill it's will to live. Last year was a horrible year for dahlias. I almost thought we had lost the whole years worth of blooms but thankfully they rallied at the end of September and at least we got some gorgeous blooms.

Sunflowers are a hot sun lover. Humdity doesn't seem to bother them if you get varieties that are not as affected by downey mildew. They can handle some drought but you will see them start to suffer if they don't get some good rain every couple of weeks or so if the temps stay up.

So at the end of the day, you just need to know what conditions your plants and flowers prefer. It will be unlikely that every year they will see perfect conditions but if they can get at least some of it with a little pampering from you they will still thrive. Most plants you buy at the nursery come with a plant ID that includes what conditions the plants need to thrive. The internet is loaded with tons of resources as well if you want a deep dive into specific plant care. Many times you can even search plants and include a specific region of our country to get more detailed info sure to help you get your plants to thrive.

So to answer the question how hot is too hot? Well my friend that just depends! Get to know your plant like a good friend and you'll find the answer. See you next month!