These Shrubs Love Soaking Up the Sun

In South Carolina, our summer sun is no joke. Between the high humidity and the intense afternoon heat, choosing the right plants for your "hot spots" can be the difference between a thriving landscape and a scorched one.

At Staggs Garden Center, we carefully select varieties that love our local clay soil and can stand up to the Greer and Greenville sun. If you have a garden bed that gets 6+ hours of direct sunlight, these are the most common and reliable performers we recommend.

Encore Azaleas

While traditional azaleas prefer the shade, Encore Azaleas were specifically bred to thrive in the sun. These are a Southern landscape staple because they bloom in the spring, summer, and again in the fall.

• Why they work: They are evergreen and provide multi-season color.

• Pro Tip: Mix in some Daddy Pete's Nursery Blend when planting to give their roots the drainage and acidity they love.

Sunshine Ligustrum

If you want a pop of color without needing flowers, this is your plant. Sunshine Ligustrum offers brilliant, year-round golden foliage. It’s sterile (non-invasive) and loves the heat—the more sun it gets, the brighter yellow it turns!

• Perfect for: Low-maintenance hedges or a bright accent against darker evergreens.

Knock Out Roses

There’s a reason you see these everywhere from Spartanburg to downtown Greenville. Knock Out Roses are incredibly tough, disease-resistant, and bloom nearly year-round in our climate.

• Care Tip: Feed them with a high-quality rose fertilizer (we carry several specialized options in-store) to keep the blooms coming until the first frost.

Panicle Hydrangeas (Limelight & Little Lime)

Unlike the classic blue "mophead" hydrangeas that wilt in the afternoon sun, Panicle Hydrangeas (like the famous 'Limelight') actually prefer it. Their cone-shaped blooms start lime green, turn white, and eventually age to a beautiful "Upstate pink" in late summer.

Butterfly Bush

For a pollinator-friendly garden, the Butterfly Bush is a must-have. These sun-worshippers are drought-tolerant once established and will be covered in butterflies all summer long.

• Inventory Note: We carry various sizes, from dwarf "Pugster" varieties for tight spaces to full-sized bushes for the back of the border.

Give Your Shrubs a "Plant Pleasing" Start

No matter which shrub you choose, the secret to success in the Upstate is the soil. Our red clay can be tough on new roots. We recommend amending your planting hole with:

• Daddy Pete's Soil Amendments: We stock several "plant pleasing" mixes to break up heavy clay and add vital organic matter.

• Starter Fertilizer: Don't forget to grab a bag of specialized fertilizer to encourage deep root establishment before the summer heat hits.

Visit Our Inventory

Ready to brighten up your landscape? Click here to browse our current Shrub & Bush Inventory or stop by the garden center today to see these sun-lovers in person!