These perennials, shrubs, and vines will thrive in your Southern garden.
Zone 8 is defined by winters where the temperature dips to 10-20 F at its most extreme.
Enjoying typically mild winters, some Zone 8 plants experience multiple blooming and fruiting seasons.
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Salvia is drought-tolerant once established.
The hardy Texas native is evergreen in warmer climates and blooms from summer through fall.
It can survive in Zone 7, dying back in winter and returning consistently each spring.
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This mounding plant is a prolific bloomer with perky, yellow daisy-like flowers that attract pollinators.
When mature it reaches approximately 2 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in width.
The rough, hairy gray-green leaves make zexmenia deer-resistant.
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Cut back by half in July to encourage another flush of fall flowering.
Catmint
Few perennials compare to the long-lasting, showstopping blooms of catmint.
This dynamo packs a pale purple punch from late spring into early fall.
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Its compact, mounding form is tailor-made for borders, pathways, and rock gardens.
Flowers grow along the stems in whorls, enveloping almost the entire plant in blooms.
Its minty, fuzzy, gray-green leaves make it rabbit and deer-resistant.
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Catmint adapts to any well-draining soil, is heat- anddrought-tolerant, and requires little to no care once planted.
Deadheading or shearing mid-summer will encourage a bushier plant and more blooms.
With brilliant orange flowers that grow on upright stems, the tiered tufts are reminiscent of lions tails.
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The fuzzy tubular blooms are also magnets for hummingbirds and pollinators.
It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide.
This exotic, late summer to early fall specimen keeps the garden glowing when summer bloomers start to fade.
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Its tall, striking stems filled with flowers also make stunning focal points for floral arrangements.
Pink Skullcap
Amp up the wow factor in your layered gardenwith a borderof pink skullcap.
This woody, herbaceous perennial blooms continuously from late spring to early fall.
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A Mexican native in the mint family, skullcap is heat- and drought-tolerant, and disease and pest-resistant.
Depending on the location, it may remain semi-evergreen in winter.
Shear back in early spring to shape and encourage more profuse blooms.
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Ruby grass grows 18 to 24 inches tall and 16 to 16 inches wide in eye-catching clumps.
In summer, the neat mounds of gray-green foliage give rise to fuzzy, pink panicles.
The shimmering ruby inflorescence adds rhythm and movement to the garden.
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Plant in lines along a path or bordering a bed, or plant in masses to create more impact.
Ruby grass also makes an interesting addition to cut and dried flower arrangements.
Its fine texture and dense, tumbling growth habit are excellent alternatives to hollies,boxwoods, or junipers.
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Distylium provides winter interest, sporting small maroon blooms from January until March.
The foliage ranges from glossy blue-green to coppery bronze, depending on the variety.
Lightly tip prune in summer to encourage new growth.
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This evergreen shrub grows as fast as 3 to 5 feet a year in optimal conditions.
It needs consistent moisture when first planted, but is drought-tolerant once established.
Bees andbutterfliesare drawn to highly fragrant March and April blooms produced by female plants.
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From fall through winter, the flowers are followed by weeping clusters of dusty blue berries prized by birds.
Male plants are required nearby for pollination of females to occur.
A good choice forcoastal areas, wax myrtles are wind and salt-tolerant.
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Dwarf Yaupon Holly
A mounded evergreen shrub, dwarf yaupon holly supplies superior structure in the garden.
This dense and bushy shrub requires little to no maintenance.
Its natural, globe-like form makes it a preferred choice for manicured or formal garden styles.
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Yaupons small, dark shiny leaves are finely textured.
This broadleaf evergreen grows to 2 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide.
For a tidy evergreen patio addition, it can also be grown in pots.
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This woody twining vine yields tubular-shaped flowers in red and coral with yellow to orange throats.
It blooms from spring to fall, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
From summer to fall, it produces bright red berries enjoyed by songbirds.
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Evergreen in warm climates, coral honeysuckle grows 15 to 25 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide.
Coral honeysuckle is disease and deer-resistant.
Yucca provides structure and texture to add interest in the garden.
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It is also used as a container plant.
Yucca doesnt typically begin blooming until the plant is mature, blooming in June and July.
Mature plants also spread by pups that can be dug up and planted in other locations.
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The flowers attract pollinators and hummingbirds and the foliage is deer- and rabbit-resistant.
The papery tan bark of these small trees is an attractive feature in winter.
Crepe myrtles make attractive specimen trees or street trees, withvarietiesranging from 6 to 30 feet in height.
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Hardy hibiscus grows as a small deciduous shrub that is 2-6 feet tall and 2-5 feet wide.
These shrubs are happiest in consistently moist, loamy, and sandy loam soils.
Southern Magnolia
As the name implies, this native evergreen tree is highly suitable for Southern gardens.
The massive, leathery white flowers appear in late spring and summer and have a wonderful fragrance.
One of the most popular, ‘Little Gem’, grows to 20 feet tall in 20 years.
This large plant family consists of mostly sun-loving species with purple, pink, blue, or white blooms.
Verbena thrives in well-draining soil (add a little compost to poor, sandy soils).
These plants look their best with an inch of water a week but otherwise require little fuss.
Lantana
Lantanas thrive in hot, dry weather and tolerate just about any well-drained soil.
Their gold, orange, pink, red, and white flower clusters are a magnet for butterflies.
During dry weather, the plant benefits from a good watering.
The plants are deer- and rabbit-resistant.
The fragrant leaves are used in teas.
They adapt to most soils but prefer good drainage and a layer of mulch to help conserve moisture.
Fluffy, cone-shaped flower clusters usually start a creamy white and age to a bright pink before turning brown.
Star Jasmine
The heady scent of star jasmine is a harbinger of spring in many Southern cities.
This vigorous evergreen climber is very shade tolerant and requires little watering after the first year.
Once established, the vines grow 3 to 6 feet per year, producing prolific star-shaped blooms thatattract bees.
Grow star jasmine on a trellis or fence or clipped it into a hedge.
Prune the vines right after flowering to ensure the best show of flowers the following year.
The wispy flowers that emerge from small clumps are white or pink.
Plant this perennial incottage gardenborders or with grasses where it can wave in the breeze.
Gaura blooms better with moisture, but its taproot makes it drought-tolerant.
Overly rich soil or shade tends to make it flop.
