25 Summer Plants to Add to Your Garden This Season

best summer garden plants — Finding Lovely

Springtime is all about getting your garden in the ground—but that doesn't mean the planting fun stops when the heat hits. You can keep planting fruits, veggies, and flowers into early summer and seed fall crops in late summer, too. From asters to zinnias, these are the 25 best summer plants you can grow this season.

01 of 25

Beans

Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 6.2

Wait to plant beans until all danger of frost has passed in your region—ideally, soil temps will be at least 60 degrees. Because their roots are delicate, it's best to direct sow pole beans and bush beans. Be sure to provide a trellis for pole beans, which need support to climb as they grow.

02 of 25

Basil

Botanical Name: Ocimum basilicum
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 7.0

Summer's best-loved herb thrives in warm, frost-free weather. Plant it along with your tomatoes once all danger of frost has passed. Pinch back the tips of young plants to encourage branching and bushier, fuller growth.

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03 of 25

Tomatoes

Botanical Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.2 - 6.5

Those in cooler climates might be tempted to plant their tomatoes as soon as daytime temperatures warm up, but chilly nights and spring cold snaps can nip your juicy tomato dreams in the bud. Just remember—don't plant to-MAY-toes until May at the earliest in colder regions.

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04 of 25

Eggplant

Botanical Name: Solanum melongena
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 7.2

Another member of the Solanum genus along with potatoes and tomatoes, eggplants love hot summer weather. Because these plants need rich soil to thrive, add compost to the soil about a week before you put them in the ground. Install stakes or tomato cages when planting to give your young plants the support they need as they grow.

05 of 25

Cucumber

Botanical Name: Cucumis sativus
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 7.0

As long as all danger of frost has passed, you can plant cucumbers—whether transplants or seeding directly into the soil. Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the season, as mini-droughts can make the cucumbers taste bitter.

06 of 25

Okra

Botanical Name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 6.8

Heat-loving okra is a relative of hibiscus, offering beautiful blooms to enjoy before the plants fruit. Harvest the pods when they're between two and four inches long—any bigger and they tend to have a tough, woody texture—and fry, saute, stew, or pickle them.

07 of 25

Marigolds

Botanical Name: Tagetes
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5

Cheery marigolds make beautiful bedding plants, but they play an important role in the vegetable garden. Plant them along with crops like tomatoes, eggplants, squash, and cucumbers—it's thought that they help protect your veggies from pests.

08 of 25

Cantaloupe

Botanical Name: Cucumis. melo var. reticulatus
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 6.5

Few fruits are as satisfying—or easy—to grow yourself as cantaloupe (also called muskmelon). Make sure these spreading plants have plenty of room to grow, or provide a tall, sturdy trellis for their vines to climb.

09 of 25

Zinnias

Botanical Name: Zinnia elegans
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 7.5

Bright and colorful, zinnias make a great addition to summer flower beds, cutting gardens, and borders on paths or veggie gardens. They're long-blooming, drought-tolerant, and quite easy to grow, too.

10 of 25

Hibiscus

Botanical Name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil Type: Moist, well-draining soil
Soil pH: 6.5 - 6.8

These tropical beauties naturally grow in hot, humid climates, making them great for summertime planting. In temperate climates, plant them in containers so you can bring them indoors and overwinter them until the following spring.

11 of 25

Hot Peppers

long, curly red chili peppers growing on plants in garden with green leaves — Westend61/Getty Images

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 6.8

It makes sense that hot peppers would love hot temperatures, right? These Central American natives thrive in the summer sun. Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings, but keep an eye out for flower drop, which indicates that the plant isn't getting enough water.

12 of 25

Coneflower

Botanical Name: Echinacea spp.
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.5 - 7.2

Known for its purported immune-boosting properties, coneflower also makes a great addition to your flower garden. These colorful blooms attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, too.

13 of 25

Summer Squash

Botanical Name: Cucurbita pepo
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Loamy, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 6.5

Also called yellow squash or crookneck squash, summer squash has a mild, refreshing, and slightly sweet flavor. Direct seed them once all danger of frost has passed. As with cucumbers, water the soil directly and keep the leaves from getting wet to stave off powdery mildew.

14 of 25

Winter Squash

harvested orange honeynut and dark green acorn squash in sunlight — Barbara Rich

Botanical Name: Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita pepo
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 7.0

Winter squashes like butternut, honeynut, acorn, kabocha, pumpkins, and kuri love warm temperatures, unfurling their long, trailing vines as they grow—so be sure to give them lots of space. As fruits form, place something underneath the squashes like a stone or brick to keep them from rotting on the vine.

15 of 25

Cowpeas

mix of tan, pink, yellow and green cowpea pods on ground — Kiran Thakur/Getty Images

Botanical Name: Vigna unguiculata
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Sandy, loamy well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 6.5

Cowpeas or field peas love hot temperatures and bright sun. Pick them when the pods are around four inches long and eat them whole, or leave them on the plant to ripen more fully for use as a shelling bean. Leave the pods on the plants for another month or so to fully dry out if you'd like to store them as dried beans.

16 of 25

Sweet Potatoes

Botanical Name: Ipomoea batatas
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.0 - 6.5

Yes, you can grow your very own sweet potatoes! Purchase sweet potato slips, or sprouts, and about a month until after the last frost to plant them, as they're very sensitive to cold. Harvest and cook small amounts of the edible greens as you wait for the tubers to fatten up in early fall.

17 of 25

Lantana

Botanical Name: Lantana camara
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 6.5

Just because spring is over doesn't mean you can't plant flowers! Choose a cool, overcast summer day to plant a lantana shrub in your garden. They make great statement plants, set apart from bedding plants to adorn your garden on their own.

18 of 25

Malabar Spinach

Botanical Name: Basella alba or Basella ruba
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Rich, moist soil
Soil pH: 5.5 - 8.0

Native to tropical Southeast Asia, this heat-loving vine can be grown as an annual in temperate climates. It's an excellent cooking green, with shiny green foliage and bright red stems. Be sure to provide it with a sturdy trellis or other support to climb.

19 of 25

Asters

purple and yellow aster flowers with green stems and leaves in garden — Catherine McQueen/Getty Images

Botanical Name: Symphyotrichum
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Loamy, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 5.8 - 6.5

Plant colorful, late-blooming aster varieties in summer to get beautiful blooms all the way through fall's first frost. These daisy-like plants bloom when days begin to shorten in fall. They're perennials, so choose a planting spot where you won't mind them coming back year after year.

20 of 25

Brown-Eyed Susan

Botanical Name: Rudbeckia hirta
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.8 - 7.7

Bold, bright brown-eyed susans are a low-maintenance, easy-growing addition to any flower garden. Once they've established, simply deadhead spent blooms to keep the plants looking fresh and promote new growth.

21 of 25

Beets

white person's hand pulling up dirt-covered beet with red stems and green leaves from dry brown soil with spade nearby — Mint Images/Getty Images

Botanical Name: Beta vulgaris
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Loamy soil
Soil pH: 6.2 - 6.8

As you make your summer planting plans, don't forget to think ahead to fall. To get another round of cool-weather crops like beets from your garden, direct-seed in mid-to-late summer once night temperatures have begun to cool off.

22 of 25

Collard Greens

overhead view of leafy collard green plants in garden with moist brown soil below — Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.5 - 6.8

Like its close relatives kale and cabbage, collard greens can be planted in spring or fall. Sow seeds directly into the soil in midsummer, about two months before your region's last frost date. You may want to cover the plants with a floating row cover to protect them from pests like harlequin beetles, which tend to be more persistent in summer than in early spring.

23 of 25

Broccoli

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained, loamy soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 7.0

Broccoli loves the cool shoulder seasons of spring and fall. For a late-season crop, seed in July or August, then harvest when the heads are about the size of your fist—any later and the tightly-packed buds will begin to open. If winters are mild in your region, you can also sow in the fall for a spring harvest.

24 of 25

Cauliflower

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 7.0

Cauliflower is another cool-season plant that can go in the ground in early spring or late summer. Shoot to plant seedlings about two months before your last frost date for a fall crop—ideally, daytime temperatures will be below 75 degrees. For colder climates, look for varieties that mature in just two months, since the plants can be damaged by frost.

25 of 25

Spinach

Botanical Name: Spinacia oleracea
Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil Type: Well-drained soil
Soil pH: 6.0 - 7.0

When the days start getting shorter in late summer, cheer yourself up by planting fall crops like spinach. Direct seed spinach varieties about two months before your first fall frost date, then plan to harvest four to six weeks later. In temperate climates, you can keep sowing seeds into the fall so the plants will overwinter for you to harvest in spring.

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