Growing Trees That are Heat Tolerant
Below you will find a list of Shade, Flowering and Evergreen Trees from our plant database that have heat tolerance. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain photos, plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a tree can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a broadleaf evergreen, needled evergreen, conifer, bush or shrub.
Uses for these trees vary by variety, and may thrive in full shade, partial shade or full sun and a variety of soil conditions including wet soil, moist soil, or dry soil.
With increased awareness of the value that native trees add to the natural landscape, these suggestions will help you make good choices about which plants are best suited for your home garden: from the drier, hotter Southwest region of the US is Arizona Cypress or Cupressus arizonica and the blue variations (var. glabra) and impressive new cultivars; Bull Bay, Evergreen or Southern Magnolia (M. grandiflora) and Laurel, Swamp or Sweetbay Magnolia (M.virginiana) and the new improved selections is well suited for summer's heat; Flameleaf or Shining Sumac (Rhus copallina) and Smooth Sumac (R. glabra) are ornamental and durable; Hard, Rock or Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and Red, Scarlet or Swamp Maple (A. rubrum) and Southern Sugar or Florida Maple (A. barbatum) with their wonderful fall colors; Mescal Bean, Texas Mountain Laurel or Sophora secundiflora adds lilac-colored summer blooming; for selected cultivars the River or Red Birch (Betula nigra) can handle the south's heat; Southern or Rusty Blackhaw or Viburnum rufidulum has evolved to handle extreme conditions.
Europe and Asia have given American gardeners numerous ornamental trees that tolerate or thrive in the warmer environmental conditions in the United States. Suggestions include: Ginkgo or Maidenhair Tree; Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella) and the wonderful weeping, double and Autumn blooming variations and selections; Chinese or Japanese Zelkova as a good Elm substitute; Kashi Holly or Ilex purpurea with purple flowers and brilliant red fruit have withstood the hottest, driest summers in the southeast US; Purpleblow or Shantung Maples (Acer truncatum) is a good mid-size tree; Rose-of-Sharon, Shrub Althea or Hibiscus syriacus adds many colors to hot summer garden; the hybrid Saucer Magnolia (M. x soulangiana) and heat-loving Star Magnolia (M. stellata) also have many fantastic, improved cultivars; True or Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) native to the dry, hot Mediterranean is versatile and can be trimmed into formal or topiary shapes and hedges.
