19 Best Raised Bed Garden Plants for Hot Climates

Gardening in hot climates can be a challenge, as some plant species are far better suited to the high temperatures than others. Many popular ornamental and edible varieties will wilt, droop, and even drop fruit if they get too hot.

If you’re a raised bed gardener in a hot climate, where should you begin? Or what if you’re in a cooler zone that continues to experience summer heat waves? Erring on the side of caution can be best when planning your garden.

Fortunately, there are plenty of plants that will thrive in the heat in raised beds. You can experience all the benefits and convenience of raised bed gardening without the potential hot-weather heartbreak. We’ve assembled our favorites here to get you started.

Zinnia

Zinnias are flowering annuals that make an excellent addition to any raised bed. Their bright, colorful blooms attract pollinators, and they’re fairly low-maintenance. All you need to do is deadhead them for maximum blooms, and you’ll want to do so anyway to enjoy the cut flowers.

Native to Mexico, these flowers are cool with the heat. Feel free to plant them in full sun exposure. They’re even fairly resistant to drought. Just don’t plant them too densely, as these annuals can be prone to powdery mildew.

Perhaps best of all, zinnias are available in a wide range of colors, including non-traditional hues like green. Consider planting green ‘Envy,’ salmon-colored ‘Senora,’ or ‘Giant Purple.’ Can’t decide? ‘Benary’s Giant Blend’ includes 13 different cultivars.

Tomatoes

Tomato plants are classic raised bed plants for a reason. They’re easy to grow prolific producers, and there are thousands of varieties. In frost-free climates, tomatoes are perennial, but for the rest of us, plant them as annuals once the last frost is thoroughly in the rearview mirror.

Fortunately, heat is no problem for tomatoes, and there are tons of cultivars and varieties on the market bred for heat resistance, such as ‘Supremo’ Roma tomatoes. You can select disease-resistant tomatoes, too.

When planting, note that tomatoes will need a stake or some sort of support. Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow and need adjusted support until the first frost. You might even need a ladder by autumn. 

Cosmos

Cosmos are another annual flower that can add color and height to your raised bed, not to mention butterflies. With about 30 species and many cultivars, you are sure to find cosmos to complement your garden.

These annuals are mostly native to Central and South America, so they’re well-adapted to high heat. No need to worry that they’ll wilt during the dog days in summer. They’ll continue to thrive in somewhat dry soil as well. Avoid over-watering these flowers.

For an award-winning option, check out ‘Apricotta.’ These apricot-pink cosmos have yellow centers. They bloom all summer until frost, thriving with minimal care. You can also opt for a colorful blend, like ‘Sensation Blend,’ which includes shades of pink and white.

Peppers

Is a hot climate raised bed complete without a pepper plant? Whether you love super spicy peppers or prefer sweet bells, there is a variety of peppers out there for you. These colorful fruits grow wonderfully in the heat. In fact, they prefer to germinate in warm temperatures.

Though they’re perennial in hotter zones, most gardeners grow these as annuals. Start them indoors a few weeks before your last frost to get a head start, and add a stake when you transplant them. Pepper plants can be otherwise knocked over by summer thunderstorms or even fall under their own weight.

You probably won’t see fruits for the first couple of months, but these plants produce bountifully once they get started. Apply fertilizer throughout the growing season for maximum harvest.

Marigold

Marigolds fit perfectly in raised beds for a few reasons. They’re pretty, their fragrance turns off pests, and they even repel root-knot nematodes. They produce alpha-terthienyl, which reduces nematodes and other pathogens. Plant them ahead of the growing season to receive all the root-level benefits.

Most types of marigolds withstand high temperatures as well. They’re perfect for adding to open spots, preventing weeds from taking over. Marigolds are usually orange, yellow, or gold, but there are some unique cultivars out there, like ‘Red Metamorph’ with dark red petals.

You can start these seeds indoors before the last frost or just wait to directly sow them. In the correct conditions, they’ll be thriving in no time.

Okra

Okra is a staple raised bed plant in the hot climates of the South for good reason. These plants can really handle the heat. In fact, they actively prefer it. Okra grows best when the forecast is above 90°F (32°C),  a time when you’d otherwise be worrying about fragile veggies.

The fruits take about two months to mature, from seed to harvest, so plan accordingly around the hottest months in your climate. You can opt for a classic green okra like ‘Clemson Spineless 80,’ but note that there are red okra options, too, like ‘Red Burgundy.’

When growing okra, always plant in nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. These plants don’t like wet feet and can struggle with rot and powdery mildew.

Helianthus

Okay, you may be thinking, “aren’t sunflowers a little big for a raised bed?” They certainly can be, but not all sunflowers are huge. A well-placed, branching sunflower in the back of a raised bed can be beneficial, attracting pollinators and providing visual interest.

As long as you plant a taller sunflower towards the back of the bed, it won’t shade out your other plants. You can even opt for dwarf varieties, like those in ‘Elves Blend,’ which only reach about two feet in height.

Sunflowers are usually fine in times of high heat, as long as you give them enough water. You may need to adjust your watering schedule on the longest, hottest days of the year.

Eggplant

Eggplants are another solanaceous plant option—like tomatoes or peppers—that happily grow in raised beds in hot climates. They actively prefer high temps and are known for their resistance during heat waves.

These plants grow slowly in cooler temperatures. So, while you may be excited to get them outside as soon as the last frost passes, note that they won’t be happy until the thermostat starts regularly reading 50°F (10°C).

It takes more than 100 days for most eggplants from the time of seed-starting, so be patient. While you’re waiting, pollinators will love the purple flowers. Don’t forget to stake these plants, too, which can get fairly large. They typically reach about four feet but continue to grow until frost.

Lantana

Native to Mexico and tropical regions, common lantana is a perennial shrub often grown as an annual with gorgeous ombre flowers. The blooms are usually a shade of pink, fading into orange and yellow in the center. Lantana can tolerate high heat as well as high humidity.

If you want butterflies in your raised bed, plant lantana. Treat it as yet another annual in cooler zones, though warmer areas can maintain this plant for years. Just keep in mind that it may get fairly large over time. It is invasive in certain regions of North America, after all.

Lantana is also grown as a houseplant, so if you fall in love with yours in a cooler region, you can dig it up and bring it inside. Growing indoors is a better option for gardeners in its invasive range.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a surprisingly versatile raised bed plant for both hot and cold climates. Their seeds will germinate outdoors before the last frost, so you can start them in spring when you’re itching to get outside, but they also tolerate a lot of heat and will thrive all summer.

While many other cool-weather crops—like spinach—will bolt when the days get longer and hotter, chard will not bolt. You can rely on it even in July and August. Plus, it’s oddly colorful for a salad veggie.

Rainbow chard will add color to your raised bed, and it’s easy to grow. Make sure the soil is well-draining and provide consistent water. Chard is somewhat drought-tolerant but will grow slower when the soil is dry.

Globe Amaranth

If you are looking for a unique, heat-tolerant flower, look no further than globe amaranth. These annuals produce unusual, pom-pom-shaped blooms that make incredible cut flowers. Reaching about two feet in height and one foot in width, they’re perfect to pop into open corners of a raised bed.

Native to Central America, these flowers have no trouble with high temps and humidity. They’re also low-maintenance and just generally care-free. Globe amaranth can even handle a little drought.

Many colors of globe amaranth flowers are available, including the newer ‘Lavender Lady’ variety. Expect blooms all summer long until the first frost, and assume that butterflies will find their way to these purple flowers.

Tomatillo

Another species native to Mexico and Central America, tomatillos have no problem with the heat in American summers. If you’re already growing tomatoes and peppers, why not grow tomatillos too for the ultimate home-grown salsa?

Tomatillos, unlike tomatoes, grow inside husks. Like tomatoes, these plants need some sort of support. Tomatillos grow in a bushier manner than tomatoes, so a single stake won’t work. A cage, multiple stakes, or some sort of critter-preventing fencing around a raised bed will stop these plants from getting ripped apart by thunderstorms.

Note that tomatillos cannot self-pollinate well, so you need at least two plants in order to get a good harvest. Be prepared; tomatillo plants are prolific and produce huge yields.

Mealy Sage

Gardeners rely on Salvia plants in high heat, and mealy sage is an excellent choice for a raised bed. These somewhat compact plants will get about three feet high and two feet wide, with beautiful dark blue, purpley blooms that pollinators love.

Though it’s perennial in zones 8 through 10, gardeners in cooler zones can grow it as an annual. Wherever you’re located, sleep soundly while knowing mealy sage will thrive in any heat waves.

Best of all, mealy sage has a lengthy bloom season, with flowers present in spring, summer, and well into fall. The blooms even make great cut flowers, so you can enjoy them in winter until fresh flowers emerge again next year.

Basil

You can never grow wrong by sprinkling some basil seeds in a raised bed garden. Of course, basil is delicious and deserving on its own, adding flavor to Italian cuisine and making up the bulk of yummy pesto. 

Additionally, basil is a top-tier companion plant, as its lovely fragrance is not so beloved by pests. Some say that growing basil near tomatoes even makes the tomatoes grow better. The science is out on this one, but why not give it a shot?

Basil is a really solid option when you just want to fill some empty spots in a bed, preventing weeds and protecting your soil from erosion. You can grow it underneath smaller plants, or you can place it in full sun, where it’ll bloom for the pollinators.

Cock’s Comb

If you’re looking for bright colors to add to your beds, and I mean really bright, then look into cock’s comb. This annual is actually an herb grown for its unique, neon flowers in shades of yellow, red, pink, orange, and more. These bold colors even stick around as cut flowers.

Cock’s comb is only about a foot wide and doesn’t even reach two feet in height, so you can grow them in small spaces between your other plants. Just make sure they’ll still get some light.

These plants will flourish despite high heat, humidity, and even drought. They’re low-maintenance but high-impact, blooming all summer long and well into fall. 

Mexican Tarragon

Another mega-versatile option is Mexican tarragon, also called Mexican mint. It’s an herb with a pungent flavor that also boasts lovely yellow flowers in spring and in fall.

Mexican tarragon is technically a marigold in the Tagetes genus, so it has the same root-knot nematode deterrent powers, making it a gold star companion plant. Butterflies and songbirds love Mexican tarragon, while deer do not.

This herbaceous herb has a shrubby form, usually maxing out just shy of three feet tall. Plants will grow best in full sun raised beds, with no problem tolerating hot climates. Native to Mexico and South America, this herb is ready for long, hot days.

Coleus

If it’s color you’re after, you can’t go wrong with Coleus, a genus of plants prized for their colorful foliage that’s available in shades of purple, red, and yellow with all sorts of patterns. Heat and humidity don’t bother these tropical or subtropical plants.

These foliage favorites are perennial in zones 10 or 11, and they’re often cared for as houseplants all year. In raised beds, they add color and texture, protecting the soil from erosion, weeds, and water loss.

Coleus plants form mounds that can be about three feet in diameter, though as annuals, they may not reach their maximum potential. Regardless, they’re gorgeous additions to raised beds and can provide unusual colors.

Malabar Spinach

While regular spinach bolts once temperatures hit about 80°F (27°C), tropical malabar spinach flourishes all summer long. These two “spinaches” really aren’t related at all, but they’re basically interchangeable in the kitchen.

Malabar spinach is far less finicky, though it does need a trellis or alternate support to climb. Its green leaves emerge from dark red, purplish stems. As far as veggies go, it’s actually quite pretty, and because it’s tropical, heat and humidity aren’t a problem.

Gardeners in cooler zones may struggle with this tropical plant, as it doesn’t grow too well when the temperature dips below 80°F (27°C). In that respect, it’s kind of like the reverse of traditional spinach. 

Summer Snapdragon

Summer snapdragon is an herbaceous, perennial shrub in zones 9 through 11 that can be grown as an annual in cooler climates. These compact plants are only about a foot wide, so they won’t take up much space in a raised bed.