Salvia does well in the Baltimore humidity.
Summer in Baltimore means humidity, and lots of it. Many plants love warm, damp, weather, though Baltimore’s climate does not have the year round conditions that tropical plants need. Here are five common garden plants that can thrive in a hot, wet Baltimore summer.
Coleus
It is no coincidence that coleus seems to be planted everywhere around town, from landscaped office gardens to little patches in front of rowhouses. Coleuses are commonly available as young plants from garden centers, though you can also grow them from seeds. They prefer to be in part shade but love warmth and moisture. They root easily and quickly from cuttings so they can be used to fill in bare spots in the garden. Grow a cutting as a houseplant and use that to root more cuttings again in the spring. For more information, see this guide to growing coleus.
Daylilies (sometimes called tiger lilies)
These bright flowers come in many warm colors and thrive under just about any conditions. They are perennials and come in many different sizes, colors and foliage types. Plant them in the fall or spring and make sure they get at least six hours of full sun a day. Though each flower only lasts a day (hence the name) the plant will keep sending up flower stalks for continuous blooms during the flowering period, which usually begins in June. To learn more, consult the Examiner article, "Grow and enjoy daylilies".
Begonias
These plants actually prefer high humidity, which makes them better suited to humid summers outdoors over a dry life as a houseplant. There are several different types of begonias, but all have flowers with a yellow center. They are very easy to reproduce from either seeds or cuttings. They can grow in any type of sunlight, from shade to full sun. Keep them neat, though, by routinely removing spent blossom and dead leaves. This will encourage the plant to send out more blooms. See "How to grow and care for begonias".
Salvia
This is another easy to grow plant. Salvia is tall, bushy, and has spiky blue or red flowers. As with begonias and coleus, they are very easy to propagate. Just snip off and root a cutting in water, or grow from seed. They do best with a happy medium of sun, not too much of either sun or shade. They can grow rather tall and may need supports. For more information on propagation see "How to grow salvia flowers".
Black eyed Susans
As with most flowers native to Maryland, Black Eyed Susans will tolerate the high humidity here. Like daylilies, they are easy to grow and tolerate many different conditions. As our state flower, this daisy-like bloom represents our state colors with a blackish center and gold petals. They can either be grown from divided perennial plants or started from seed. It needs no special care. For more tips read the Examiner article, “Black Eyed Susans: a Midwestern flower thrives in Maryland”.
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