For many areas, June marks a time of balance in the garden with warming temperatures and lengthening days as summer approaches. Conditions are temperate, with remnants of spring’s moisture adding lushness before the scorch of intense summer rays. It’s a time when we can enjoy seeing the season’s rewards as plants begin to come into their own. June is also perfect for planting!
Continue planting warm-season flowering annuals and perennials in June. Depending on your growing zone, you’re either just getting started planting heat-loving flowers (cold climates) or well on your way to a full display (mild regions). Either way, go forth with planting in June—there are plenty of options for June flowers with blooms to last all summer and beyond.
Goblin Gaillardia
Gaillardia Grandiflora Goblin Seeds
Milkweed Flower
Milkweed/Butterfly Flower Seeds
Gomphrena
QIS Fiery Sunrise Blend Gomphrena Seeds
Gaillardia
Add a burst of color with easy-care gaillardia flowers.
Gaillardia, or blanketflower, covers the garden in a riot of daisy-like flowers in gold, orange, red, and bi-color with brown button centers. This North American native perennial is well-suited to June planting and thrives in the hot summer sun. Early to bloom and late to fade, gaillardia blooms continuously throughout the summer and fall.
Blanketflower reseeds readily and is drought and heat-tolerant. It’s a carefree performer, growing in poor, sandy soils (even coastal dunes and dry prairies) and adapting to various site conditions. With well-drained soil, gaillardia needs little else, though to prolong bloom time, supplement it with additional water during dry periods.
Numerous species of gaillardia are in cultivation, some in warm shades of classic red to orange and others in peach, yellow, and melon. This Southwest beauty is about as adaptable as they come.
Butterfly Milkweed
Invite monarch butterflies with these vibrant blooms in June.
Butterfly milkweed is a heat-loving perennial or annual, depending on the variety and growing zone. Asclepias tuberosa is showy with bright, flat-topped bloom clusters in red-orange. With a tropical look and nature, Asclepias is an ideal flower to plant in June.
The vibrant blooms and sweet milkweed nectar attract important pollinators like monarch butterflies and beneficial insects. Milkweed is a food source for monarch caterpillars and shelter for their chrysalis (beautiful in green with a trim of gold threading).
Asclepias incarnata, or swamp milkweed, is a good choice for moist garden areas. Its natural habitat lies along marshy pond edges, bogs, and woodlands, where it produces lovely clusters of flat, deep pink blooms.
As milkweed finishes blooming, collect seeds to share or let them drop naturally to expand the colony. Pollinators benefit from masses of milkweed that bloom reliably in the summer.
Pentas
Bring vibrant, hummingbird-attracting blooms to your garden with Pentas.
Pentas bring a burst of annual color with clusters of star-shaped flowers in red, pink, lavender, white, or all of the above. Pentas bloom with the onset of summer temperatures and are showy until frost. The flowers keep hummingbirds busy as they visit each tiny bloom for its nectar.
The ‘Butterfly’ series of pentas is a top garden performer with low maintenance needs. ‘Butterfly’ pentas boast extended blooming and varietal colors, including pure white, lavender, rose, and violet. They’ll bloom non-stop ’til frost, with up to 20 bloom clusters per plant.
Pentas tolerate some shade but flower best in full sun. Tough annuals that withstand hot and humid summers, pentas also tolerate periods of drought. This easy-care annual brings long-lasting, vibrant color and sweet nectar to the display.
Daylily
Enjoy vibrant, sun-following blooms all summer long.
In the summer garden, daylilies feature striking blooms in diverse colors and forms. Their flowers follow the sun, opening during the day and closing at night. Each flower lasts only a day or two, but with abundant successional blooms, daylilies bring long-lasting color during the warm season. Flower stems rise tall above mounds of strappy, bladed leaves in green or blue-green.
As tough perennials, daylilies grow in a variety of soil conditions. They do best in organic, evenly moist soils but adapt readily to lesser soils. For best flowering, give daylilies a minimum of six hours of sun. Afternoon shade or dappled light keeps leaves rich and green.
Daylilies tolerate extreme temperatures in hot and cold climates. These hardy perennials adapt well to planting in June. To keep them tidy, deadhead spent blooms and stems.
Begonia
Enjoy non-stop blooms until frost in various vibrant hues.
Begonias are hardy annual performers that thrive in warm conditions and bloom continually until frost. Pendulous, ever-present blooms cluster on tuberous stems atop thick, glossy leaves in various shapes and colors.
Depending on the variety, begonias perform in tough spots like dry shade with heat and humidity. For sunny beds, opt for bronze-leaf begonia varieties. In the shade, graceful pink or white blooms with true green leaves give the annual combination a lovely effect. Bold red begonias contrast beautifully with the plant’s metallic green leaves.
For dynamic interest, incorporate rex begonias or angel wing begonias into shady spots for unusual texture and foliar interest. Their wing-shaped leaves feature dramatic mottling in rich tones.
Begonias grow year-round as houseplants and overwinter indoors. Their flowers are edible with a hint of citrus flavor.
Sea Holly
Add a touch of celestial beauty with spiky, silver-blue blooms.
Sea holly is a unique plant with artful, almost unreal-looking flowers. Its silvery-blue blooms are spiky and rigid, adding a starry spray of color and texture to the garden throughout the summer.
Eryngium is a tough plant, and June planting suits it just fine. Plants grow and flower best in full sun and sandy or loamy soils. The more sun, the better for sea holly. It also tolerates salty coastal conditions and is deer-resistant.
Look to ‘Blue Glitter’ for a hardy variety loaded with blue blooms on silver stems. Multi-stems bearing bunches of flowers rise tall above green basal leaves.
Verbena
Add vibrant, long-lasting color to your garden this summer.
Verbena boasts a long bloom season in a variety of forms and colors and is ideal for planting in late spring and early summer. Verbena species and their cultivars grow as annuals or perennials, depending on your garden zone.
Annual verbena yields clusters of small, star-shaped flowers on the tips of mounding, upright, or trailing stems with dark green foliage. Their long bloom season, low growing habit, and color selections from peach to blue-violet complement a variety of other annuals and planting arrangements (especially pretty in containers).
Some perennial species of verbena feature similar trailing forms, while others grow upright with blooms on tall, wanding stems. ‘Homestead Purple’ is an excellent perennial verbena choice for hot, humid climates.
Verbena tolerates bright sun and drying out between waterings, but it appreciates regular water for best blooming. Trim verbena if it gets leggy to rejuvenate growth.
Melampodium
Brighten your garden with continuous sunshine-yellow blooms all summer.
Melampodium, or butter daisy, is a true annual featuring bright, sunshine-yellow daisy blooms and rich green foliage. These prolific annuals bloom continuously all summer. The leaves are velvety and slightly fuzzy, forming a softly textured mound to complement the vibrant flowers.
The sun-loving melampodium is a low-maintenance plant and among the easiest annuals to grow. Once established, it is drought-tolerant. Proper spacing for good air circulation, especially in humid climates, will prevent powdery mildew.
Plants don’t need deadheading or pinching to retain their tidy appearance and profuse blooming. The abundant flowers attract pollinators, and the seeds offer a food source for songbirds.
Angelonia
Add a touch of cool-toned elegance to your summer garden.
Angelonia produces colorful bloom spikes in rich blue, purple, pink, rose, white, and bicolor that wash over the warm-season display in cool tones. Petite two-lipped flowers line stems among delicate, deep green foliage.
Angelonia thrives in full sun with rich soils and good drainage. It is drought, heat, and humidity-tolerant and has a mounded, bushy habit. The plants are self-cleaning and don’t need deadheading to promote flowering.
An ideal flower for June planting, angelonia improves with warming temperatures and a long bloom time. In humid areas, look for the ‘Archangel’ and ‘Serena’ series, both highly disease-resistant to phytophthora fungus rot.
Gomphrena
Bring bursts of vibrant color to your summer garden.
Gomphrena globosa, or globe amaranth, is an old garden favorite with petite pink, red, gold, magenta, or white flowers. Gomphrena flowers have a papery texture and cheery, perfectly globe-shaped pom-pom blooms.
This tough summer annual thrives in full sun and well-drained soils. It withstands heat, humidity, and dry conditions and may overwinter in mild climates.
Look for ‘Fireworks’ for tall stems (reaching three to four feet) with bright pink powder puffs. Each puff glows with little tips of vibrant yellow. ‘Fireworks’ has an airy texture and blooms more prolifically than other gomphrenas. Flowers are showstopping in a mass and in floral arrangements, fresh or dried.
Canna
Vivid tropical blooms bring summer drama to any garden.
Canna lilies add bold tropical flare to the summer display. Their ruffly, colorful blooms on tall stems and broad-leaved, multi-toned foliage add drama and interest. Flowers range from pale yellow to hot orange and deep scarlet. They make stately focal points in a garden bed or containers.
While these perennials are exotic beauties they are also rugged and hardy garden performers. Canna withstand periods of drought, heat, humidity, and excess moisture. Sometimes, they’re too vigorous in optimum growing conditions, particularly in the southeast. Divide or cut rhizomes to control their spread or grow them in pots.
In zones six and lower, dig and store canna bulbs for overwintering to ensure winter protection, or treat them as warm-season annuals. Canna grows and flowers best in full sun but tolerates lesser sunlight (around four hours).
Balloon Flower
Delightful balloon buds burst into a spectrum of summer hues.
The balloon flower gets its common name from puffy, air-filled flower buds that pop open to pretty blue, pink, violet, or white bell-shaped blooms. The little balloon buds contribute to the plant’s beauty, leading to the showier flower phase in June through August.
For June planting, start with a nursery-potted balloon flower to settle in and bloom (though balloon flowers grow easily from seed, too). These cold-hardy perennials grow best in organically rich, well-draining soils but tolerate less fertile soils, too. They’ll do well in full sun in cool climates and prefer afternoon shade in hot, southern climates.
Balloon flowers are low-maintenance, long-lived perennials. Avoid disturbing sensitive roots once planted. To prolong flowering, deadhead spent blooms.
Helenium
Splendid native blooms lure pollinators with vibrant summer colors.
Helenium is a North American native wildflower with yellow daisy-ray petals fanning around a fuzzy central disc. The bright blooms appear in mid-summer through frost and attract pollinators. While commonly called sneezeweed, the name doesn’t relate to pollen production or allergy fits; crushed petals made a snuff used medicinally to treat colds by inducing sneezing.
Helenium needs a moist site to thrive, with a natural habitat along streambanks, ponds, and wet meadows. Plants tolerate periods of standing water and poor soils.
The native species’ cultivars are showy, with color variations and tidier habits than the straight species. Selections like ‘Mardi Gras’, ‘Ruby Tuesday’, ‘Mariachi’, and ‘Dancing Flames’ give a hint of the rich, multicolor shades available.
Impatiens
Vibrant blooms thrive in shade or sun, enriching summer gardens.
Impatiens are among the most popular annual bedding plants and have sweet flowers in a myriad of colors. Impatiens flourish in the summer heat in partial to full shade, and some cultivars tolerate more sunlight. All impatiens require organically rich soils and consistent moisture throughout the hot summer.
There are two main types of ornamental impatiens: Impatiens walleriana, the classic shade-loving species, and Impatiens hawkeri, New Guinea impatiens. New Guinea impatiens feature larger flowers with elongated leaves, often deeper in color with a metallic sheen. They tolerate the sun better than the tuberous I. walleriana and are more resistant to mildew diseases.
For a sun-loving impatiens hybrid, look to the Sunpatiens series. These impatiens handle full sun, bringing the pop of their colorful blooms to the sunny annual garden.
Sedum
Colorful sedum offers texture and blooms for vibrant gardens.
Sedum, or stonecrop, brings exciting color and texture through its foliage and flowers. Since these heat-tolerant succulents typically bloom in summer and early fall, they’re well-suited to June planting.
One showy stonecrop option is the favorite Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy’, which has tiny, star-like flowers in the fall. The late-season blooms emerge in large pink clusters and gradually become deep rose-red, fading to copper as they mature. Silvery green leaves are attractive from spring through heavy frost.
Sedums are drought-tolerant succulents that need well-draining soil to thrive. For best growth, plant stonecrop in full sun, with a bit of shade protection from the afternoon sun in hot climates. Butterflies enjoy the late-season flowers as a food source. Fresh and dried flower heads make a beautiful floral arrangement, or you can let them persist on the plant through the cool season for interest.
Globe Thistle
Stunning blue globes attract pollinators, enhancing summer landscapes.
Echinops, or globe thistle, produces striking blue globes of tiny flowers that draw bees, moths, and butterflies. The blooms are stiff and structured in a lovely purple-blue, making excellent fresh or dried floral arrangements. The foliage is an attractive silvery green.
Globe thistle thrives in full sun and poor, well-draining soils. While best in soils that aren’t overly fertile, Echinops adapts to most soil types. Plants tolerate partial shade (around 4 hours of sunlight) but get leggy in too much shade. To encourage continued flowering and to prevent reseeding, deadhead spent blooms.
Globe thistle blooms in mid-summer through fall. The tall stems make excellent back-of-the-border or clustered plantings.
Lilies
Summer’s heralds, lilies grace gardens with their fragrant trumpets.
Lilies announce the summer season with their gorgeous trumpet blooms and rich, sweet fragrance. Lilies’ floral perfume is among the most fragrant in the garden, especially intense on summer mornings and evenings to draw in pollinators. Available in many species and cultivars, from trumpet lilies to Asiatic lilies to tiger lilies, the main feature is prominent, symmetrical blooms that emerge on tall stems.
Asiatic lilies are among the first to flower in late spring and early summer. Oriental lilies like ‘Stargazer’ are excellent mid-season bloomers, with some varieties and species lilies blooming into fall. For June-planted lilies, go with budded plants that haven’t yet flowered or that bloom later in the season for the best enjoyment.
Lilies grow best in full sun but tolerate partial shade. To produce more lilies, divide bulbs as they grow.
Caladiums
Vivid caladiums paint summer landscapes with bold, patterned foliage.
Caladiums brighten the annual display with arrow-shaped leaves in bold patterns and colors. The leaves are green, red, pink, or white—or combinations of each—with painterly veins, blotches, and splotches.
Caladiums are fast-growers with showy foliage that lasts until frost. In cold climates, June marks prime planting time as soil temperatures rise above 65°F (18°C). Plant them earlier in mild climates (usually May) or add a late-season planting. Caladiums grow quickly from small tubers with regular water throughout the growing season.
Caladiums thrive in partial shade or shade, with some varieties (especially red lance-leaved) suited to more sun. They’re carefree growers with dynamic seasonal interest, especially in masses under trees and along borders.
Geraniums
Summer’s favorite blooms boast vibrant colors and unique foliage textures.
Geraniums are among the most popular summer blooms, with unique foliage and vibrant colors. Their rounded, ruffly leaves are true green, mottled, or variegated. Color-saturated flower clusters rise above leafy branches throughout the season.
Common garden geraniums, scented geraniums, and ivy-leaf geraniums feature distinct leaves, flowers, and forms. From cherry red blooms to lemony scented leaves to trailing stems, geranium varieties serve many garden situations.
Geraniums grow best in at least four to six hours of sunlight. In hot climates, protect from direct afternoon sun. They’ll thrive with regular water in well-drained soils, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Pinch off spent blooms to encourage more flowers and a full, leafy plant.
Torenia
Colorful bells cascade in vibrant hues, illuminating shaded garden corners.
Torenia bursts with colorful little blooms in true pigments. Its multi-colored bell flowers in bright pink, blue, yellow, magenta, and white brighten the annual arrangement. Blooms drape prettily on low-growing, trailing plants.
These June flowers perform best in partial shade in moist, well-drained soils. Torenia grow with morning sun but benefit from afternoon sun protection. Their sweet blooms brighten up shady garden locations.
Mulch adds beneficial moisture retention and soil cooling for torenia. Look for the ‘Summer Wave’ series for improved performance in hot, humid regions.
Waterlilies
Vibrant blooms float gracefully, adorning ponds with summer color.
Waterlilies are a departure from our in-ground June flowers, but they’re prime for planting in late spring and early summer as pond and pool temperatures rise. Tropical and tender waterlilies are sensitive to cold water and air temperatures and do their best growing in the heat of summer. Perennial waterlilies overwinter where hardy if rhizomes avoid freezing.
Lush lily pads emerge in aquatic gardens in spring and give way to spiky, statuesque blooms in an array of rich hues from light pink to pale yellow to deep violet. Lily pads are green, mottled, or dark with purple overtones.
Waterlilies grow in soil-filled pots when water temperatures remain above 65°F (18°C). In warm climates, this means early spring and onward. In areas with cold winters, June brings warming waters. Choose a native water lily to protect sensitive waterways from invasion.
Final Thoughts
June is the perfect time for most growing zones to plant heat-loving flowers like summer annuals and perennials. Many flowering selections take off with the heat of summer, and planting in June sets them up for quick success for the long growing season.
Annuals grow, flower, and seed in a single cycle. Warm-season annuals grow quickly in the warming temperatures of summer’s onset to produce all season long. Perennials, especially late or all-season bloomers, are perfect to plant in June. Check the zone requirements for your top flower picks and enjoy continued planting in June’s moderate conditions.
