Full Sun Flowers to Grow in Your Garden

Get a taste of the tropics with mandevilla’s big, bold flowers. They bloom in shades of red, pink and white.

For non-stop blooming varieties, try heat hardy Rio Dipladenias. These flowers surrounded by glossy, green foliage need little maintenance, but do require full sun. They need a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight per day.

They’re disease- and insect-resistant and can take drought conditions. Rios make the perfect addition to your garden, containers or hanging baskets.

Mandevilla vines bloom prolifically in early summer. With the right maintenance, they'll bloom again in the fall. Enjoy watching butterflies and hummingbirds frolic to the blooms.

In the winter, mandevillas are frost permeable. If your climate drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, bring indoors to enjoy next year.

Worth growing for their relaxing scent alone, lavender also withstands the heat. Line pathways and surround benches with lavender to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Lavender acts as a natural mosquito repellent. Just pinch off the ends and let the fragrance send mosquitos packing. In full sun and dry, well-draining soil, enjoy big, full bushes for years.

Lavender grows from 12 inches to 36 inches tall, growing a few inches every year. While toxic to dogs and cats, lavender is edible for humans. You can use it in salads, add it to stews, bake it into cookies, and brew it.

These popular flowers are easy-to-care for and can grow indoors or out. Look for heat-tolerant varieties and plant in full-sun. Make sure you provide regular water, but not too much as it causes mildew.

Some geranium varieties can tolerate full shade. Shade-planted plants won't blossom as fully as full-sun plants. Geraniums grow 12 to 36 inches tall. After flowering, geraniums can become leggy and sparse. You can stimulate new growth by cutting back sparse stems.

These sparkling star-shaped flower clusters are a favorite of butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. This tender perennial thrives on warmth. Penta plants will bloom nonstop all summer when given a little care.

Pentas grow 12 to 36 inches tall. They can bloom as red, white or pink flowers. If you can't find them at your garden center, look for their common name: Egyptian star flower.

The best penta blooms require at least three hours of direct sunlight. If too much shade is present, the plant will stretch and become leggy.

Lantana is the perfect flower choice for hot and steamy summer days. This perky plant produces clusters of brilliant blooms. They are often variegated red, yellow, pink and orange with woody stems.

Lantana is salt-tolerant, making it a favorite in coastal quarters. A little light pruning may be necessary, but it's dry spell resilient. Lantana can grow up to five feet tall with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.

You can even take cuttings at season's end and root them indoors to transplant next spring. Lucky southern gardeners can grow lantana as a perennial in USDA Hardiness zones eight to 11. In zones further north, lantana makes a fine annual.

With its bright flowers, Cuphea is a hummingbird magnet. This southern annual, known as Mexican Heather, is adapted to full sun. Cuphea likes hot, dry conditions.

This easy-to-grow and low-maintenance plant works great as a ‘spiller’ in containers. Cuphea grows up to 28 inches tall in sunny conditions with delicate, bright blooms.