There are many excellent choices of summer flowering plants & trees which put on a magnificent show in June, July and August. Whether for your own garden or giving as a special gift, you can choose specimens which will reliably bloom during the long balmy summer months! Clients often ask us what plants or trees are flowering on a particular date or month as they are thinking of birthday gifts for family or friends. In this post, we will focus on summer flowering plants and trees for the months of June, July and August.
Summer garden with summer flowering plants & trees
June
What would June be without roses? While there are thousands of roses to choose from you may not yet be familiar with the Climbing Rose Florentina. A stunning new cultivar the Florentina Rose features rich red, fully double blooms which will last up to two weeks, and will continue to bloom throughout the summer for a stunning show. Hardy and disease-resistant, this beauty will delight whether trained up a trellis or wall, or over a free-standing obelisk or arbour.
Another profuse bloomer through the summer months is Hydrangea serrata Blueberry Cheesecake, which features delicate lacecap heads in luscious shades of blue and purple, with tiny inner florets surrounded by larger outer florets. This small shrub grows to a mature size of 1.2 metres, making it a great choice for container planting on a terrace or patio, where its summer-long blooms and bright red autumn foliage will make it a stand-out specimen.
Philadelphus Lemoneii is a beautiful and fragrant garden classic which will give a long season of blooms starting in early June and lasting until July or August. The single, cup-shaped flowers grow in clusters of three to five, with their white petals set off by the distinctive yellow stamens. Very winter-hardy despite its delicate appearance, this shrub will reach 2 metres in height, but will respond well if pruned to a smaller size.
Italian Jasmine Revolutum will brighten your garden with its yellow, fragrant blossoms starting in June and into the summer months. It can be grown as a vine or a free-standing shrub, making it adaptable to a variety of planting schemes. Just make sure that this highly-scented evergreen is placed somewhere where the fragrance of its flowers can be enjoyed. Jasmine Revolutum is a perfect choice for a patio or roof terrace, or near a window where its perfume will waft into the house!
July
Buddleia White Profusion is a striking mid-summer blooming shrub, with large, showy panicles of scented, tiny white flowers atop arching branches. Drought resistant, tolerant of poor soils, and low maintenance, it will reliably provide a long season of blooms which will attract butterflies to the garden- hence its common name, Butterfly Bush.
Stewartia Pseudocamellia is a rare summer-flowering tree, making it a good choice for a specimen planting. It features striking large white flowers up to 8 cm across, with white petals and orange centres, similar in appearance to camellias. The foliage of this small tree turns a brilliant red or orange in autumn, and its flaking bark provides winter interest, making it even more desirable in a small garden where you want every plant to work hard all year.
Summer Flowering Plants – Lavender is adored by bees
Lavender is one of the classic small-sized early summer flowering plants. Whether grown as a specimen plant in a container on a terrace or patio, planted in a mixed border, or in a row serving as a low hedge, this evergreen shrub comes into its glory in July, when the tall spikes of deep purple, fragrant flowers reach to almost a metre in height, proving irresistible to bees and butterflies! Equally well-suited to a formal or informal setting, one or more intensely scented lavender plants are a welcome addition to any garden.
A late-blooming shrub that has much to recommend it is Escallonia Apple Blossom, a low-growing evergreen whose small, glossy green leaves are offset in July and August by small pink flowers resembling apple blossoms. Growing to a maximum height and spread of 1.2 meters, it’s ideal for small gardens, and even for container growing on a terrace or patio.
Summer Flowering Plants – Hibiscus Syriacus Duc De Brabant (Rose Mallow)
August
Starting in July and taking off into August, Hibiscus Syriacus Duc De Brabant (Rose Mallow) can be depended upon for a stunning show of extravagant blossoms. Its deep pink double blossoms will cover the 3-metre tall bushes from late July into the autumn, adding an exotic air to the late summer garden. This plant is a heat lover, thriving in hot, sunny spots with some shelter, but well worth a little care in return for the luxuriant show of pink blooms.
Clerodendrum Trichotomum Purple Blaze are fascinating late summer flowering plants which will add a distinctly original touch to the August garden. Also known as the Glory Tree or Glory Bower, our specimens are grown as standard trees, making them perfect for growing in beds and borders. In August pink buds open to scented white flowers forming racemes 20 cm across. The flowers are followed by bright blue berries surrounded by cerise star-shaped calyxes, making for a breath-taking show in autumn!
Hydrangea Paniculata Grandiflora comes into its own in late summer, with its large, broad cones of small white flowers atop 3-metre high shrubs. The 20 cm panicles age to a pale pink shade as autumn arrives, and will remain as decorative accents in the garden throughout the winter before being pruned in early spring. These lush blooms of late summer can be enjoyed in a small garden if pruned to fit, which will result in larger blooms, or left to grow to their full size in a larger space.
Heptacodium Miconioides, also known as the Seven Sons Plant, is an interesting August-blooming tree, with small, fragrant white flowers produced at the ends of its branches. The flowers are followed by dark-red sepals and sometimes berries into the autumn. Grown as a spreading shrub or pruned to a standard tree shape, its dark green glossy leaves provide attractive foliage throughout the season.
From roses to hydrangeas to lavender and Rose Mallows, summer has its own beautiful blooming shrubs and trees. Exotic or familiar, these lovely and often fragrant flowers have much to add to the pleasure of the summer garden. Whether choosing new summer flowering plants for your own enjoyment, or as a gift to mark a special event in someone’s life, there are many options open to you from our large selection!
See also Spring Flowering Plants and Trees.
