Be Inspired By the Beautiful Blooms of August

In the northern hemisphere, August is part of midsummer.  The weather can be sunny and hot.  There are many inspiring and beautiful blooming flowers in August.    

These in-season flowers are either annuals or perennial plants.  They are at their most colorful and most fragrant because they are accustomed to the summer heat and sun so they retain their vibrancy.  

Perennial plants will survive through the winter and regrow from their rootstock each spring for several years while annual plants live for only one growing season and will not survive a winter. 

The U.S. is divided into different growing zones.  “The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location.”  

Selecting native perennial plants for particular growing zones is the most sustainable choice.  This is because they are adapted to local soils and climates and are usually the best sources of food and shelter for native pollinators.  Some native pollinators need specific native plants to survive because they have co-evolved over thousands of years.  For example, milkweed is the only host plant for the monarch butterfly and essential for its survival; and hummingbirds prefer tubular flowering plants.

There are some perennials that bloom in August across different growing zones in the U.S. adding color to gardens and food for pollinators into the fall.  These are usually different types of the same flowering plant and are found in different regions of the U.S.; and adapted to their local conditions.  Some of these include coneflower, milkweed/butterfly weed, aster, bee balm, goldenrod, among some others.

Be inspired in your area by the beautiful blooms of August!

Resources

-Fun Facts About August 

-USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map