Lantana Bandana Red thrives in the heat that stops other flowers cold, sending up clusters of small, bright blooms from late spring straight through frost. The dense, mounding habit means less work than you'd expect—it'll fill a bed or spill over a container edge without complaint.

This one handles neglect well; once established it asks for water only during dry spells. Butterflies love it, and the flowers keep coming even when the thermometer climbs into the nineties.