When I started gardening in Canada, it never even crossed my mind that full sun gardening was an issue…until I moved somewhere that it was. If you have despaired of finding plants that will actually grow in south Florida, then please allow me to recommend a few I have found that work well in a sun-soaked flowerbed. Many of these can be grown in containers and most perennials are low maintenance too. True to its name, cats do love to roll in it…so the plant may get squished if your neighborhood kitty stops by (it doesn’t seem to hurt the plant). Dogwood grows as a small tree and a shrub, and there are many varieties of dogwood, including red twig dogwood, silky dogwood, and Tatarian dogwood, all of which have unique characteristics. According to Better Homes and Gardens, “When you read “full sun,” it means that a plant needs direct, unfiltered sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.This is the minimum amount of light a sun-loving plant needs to thrive.” So, your herbs don’t have to be in the sun … Unless you live in the middle of a golf course, your lawn is likely to be somewhat sun deprived—indeed, as much as 25 percent of it is no doubt shaded to some degree, according to The Lawn Institute. Black-eyed Susan is a native perennial that prefers evenly-moist, well-drained soil, but is quite drought- and heat-tolerant once they are established. Not only do you enjoy the flowers in the yard, but this shrub produces excellent cut flowers for inside the home. Are there open spaces for large bushes? If you wish to share our content, please click here to see our conditions. They come back for many years and bloom reliably (unlike many tulips). White Flowering Shrubs (20+ Of The Best Varieties For Your Garden), Fragrant Flowers: 10 Perennial Plants With The Most Beautiful Scent, Invasive Plants: 10 Beautiful But Invasive Perennials You Do Not Want In Your Garden, Hardy Fern Varieties (20+ Perennial Ferns That Will Survive The Winter), Early Spring Bloomers (Easy To Grow Perennials And Shrubs For Early Spring Flowers), The Best Online Nurseries (Where To Buy Perennials, Trees and Shrubs Online). Lilac grows best in zones 3 to 7 and reaches astounding heights and widths of 20 feet. These full sun perennials are perfect! Spirea thrives best in zones 5 through 9, grows up to 8 feet in height and 6 feet wide, depending on the variety. It’s deer resistant, drought tolerant, and it attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. My favorite variety is Autumn Fire. I’m Wanda and I believe that anyone can create a relaxing garden retreat in their city backyard…no matter the size. Perennial ryegrass (cool season) is a cultivar that can succeed with four hours of full sun daily. I have 5 pots on plantstands and 4 hanging planters all in full sun. Start with the best mix of seed. The wax begonias grew in full sun for me last year to record heights an fullness. How to grow grass in shade? Clip the stalks at the base in the spring to make way for the new growth. Forsythia is the harbinger of spring with its stunning golden display of blooms even before foliage appears. Hector M Sanchez, Credit: Create a whimsical topiary of living art or use it as a natural wall. If you do not have a green thumb or do not want to do that much work in the yard, choose low maintenance, drought-tolerant shrubs that are easy to grow and maintain. So I thought I would share the perennials I have found that are low maintenance, can take full sun and still look good in the middle of the summer. If you’re looking for some extra color during the winter months to spruce up your yard, then the firethorn is the shrub to get. Thanks to its deep roots, fescue can thrive with only four hours of dappled sun. The flowers come in a few different colors, including white, pink and blue. Cousin to the culinary sage, these plants are grown mostly for show. Other than that, it only requires pruning if you want to keep it small or change its shape. Thanks, Chas! The only word of caution? Golden oregano is a great ground cover for a hot area. Sun-loving bushes prefer the south side of your home for optimal sunlight, and shady plants prefer the north side or beneath trees. Thanks for the suggestion, Ginny! She writes for numerous publications, specializing in gardening, home care, wellness, copywriting, style and travel. So I’ll go for the for sure thing this year BEGONIAS who knew. Potassium does the opposite, enhancing tolerance and boosting disease immunity. Don’t replace those drafty old windows, here’s how to weatherstrip your double hung windows instead. Lantana seedlings can be invasive, so plant selections that set little or no seed such as ‘Gold Mound’ and ‘Pinkie.’. Its glossy, green leaves are easy to prune to form just about any shape you desire, and the shrub holds the shape better than most other bushes. For instance, rosemary is an attractive, heat-tolerant, sun-loving herb that can be grown in areas with full sun as well as containers. Imagine vibrant gold mounds of flowers throughout the yard in early spring before any other plants consider coming back to life, and that is the forsythia. Young wisteria plants may take a few years to start growing flowers, which have a long blooming season in the spring. Some varieties get bronze-colored fall and winter foliage as an added benefit. Perennial ryegrass (cool season) is a cultivar that can succeed with four hours of full sun daily. The longer the individual blades of grass, the more sunlight they can absorb, even in shade. I love flowers/gardening but have a small yard. Most full sun annuals are accustomed to drought-like conditions, which make them good candidates for these types of areas. A beautifully potted Lantana will give color all summer and fall. Have you ever driven by a house and stared in awe at the yard? This low growing shrub has blue/green leaves during the summer months that quickly turn fiery red as the season draws to an end. Thanks, Janet! Alison Miksch, Credit: The shrub grows about 3 to 8 feet in height and width and grows best in zones 6 through 9. This shrub grows best in zones 5 to 9 and is easy to maintain. I have enjoyed Shasta Daisy in a full sun flower bed that is around a tree. Grown in zones 2 through 9, this drought tolerant and deer resistant shrub is also a good privacy fence, and attracts birds all year-round. Some good full sun border plants that are well suited to most areas include: There are many perennials that thrive in full sun and dry, arid conditions. Grapes generally thrive on arbors or other vertical support systems, and grow in USDA zones 6 through 9. When cutting from the garden, do so in the early morning and choose buds that are just beginning to open. It is a low-growing ground cover that is easy to grow and looks beautiful at the front of your sunny border. It takes more than the right seed, however, to successfully grow grass in low light locations. Ornamental grasses are another option for many areas. Shasta daisies are great low maintenance plants! Thanks for the additions to the list, Maria! Speaking of spring bulbs, daffodils are the next low maintenance plants on my list of full sun perennials. Minimize the amount of traffic and trampling in shaded spots. If you trim them back a little when the blooms start to fade, you can get them to rebloom all summer. Fanflowers will need to be watered about three times a week and does best in containers. Since Lincoln Nebraska is in gardening zone 5b, you should be able to grow all of the ones on this list , Your email address will not be published. I haven’t tried Lantana, but it sounds like a good low maintenance option. Grass in shady areas tends to stay moister than parts of the lawn subject to ample direct sun, so it needs less water.