Southern Living® Plants

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Shop Southern Living® Plants at Nature Hills Nursery

Oh! To live where it's warm all year! While we try not to be too jealous, gardeners in the steamy Southern states know the struggle of finding plants that will tolerate the relentless summer heat, humidity, and lack of a true dormant season.

shop heat and humidity tolerant Southern Living Plant Collection

This was exactly the challenge that Southern Living®, yes, the beloved lifestyle and entertainment magazine, set out to solve! Surely there must be a way to work with the climate instead of against it?

Through years of plant trials, research, and testing, the Southern Living® Plant Collection delivers the best-performing varieties the gardening world has to offer. These selections are tough, beautiful, and ready for your warm-weather garden!

Southern Living® is dedicated to helping Southern gardeners succeed in a climate that's often considered unforgiving. So pour a big glass of sweet iced tea and start shopping today for plants that thrive in your Southern landscape.

Each plant in this collection has been field-tested to ensure it grows beautifully in hot, humid regions with minimal fuss.

What Makes Southern Living® Plants Special?

Southern gardens face unique challenges: shorter bloom times, intense heat, steamy humidity, and long days of sunshine without relief. The Southern Living® Plant Collection offers solutions with:

  • Extended bloom times
  • Exceptional drought and heat tolerance
  • Improved pest and disease resistance
  • Compact, landscape-ready growth habits

Each plant has been hand-selected to perform beautifully through Southern summers while maintaining year-round appeal.

How to Choose the Right Southern Living® Plants for You

Discover Perennials worth swooning over and Shrubs every Southern garden needs! Use the USDA Planting Zone Map to find plants perfect for your climate.

Filter by sun exposure, size, flower color, and more to match your landscape goals.

  • Need structure? Choose dense shrubs for privacy or to define garden beds.
  • Want to make a statement? Pick an eye-catching specimen shrub as a centerpiece.
  • Going formal? Select compact, tidy varieties for symmetry and neat lines.
  • Planting in containers? Many Southern Living® selections thrive in pots and planters.
  • Creating a xeriscape? Choose drought-tolerant varieties that save water and look stunning.

With so many options, you'll find the perfect plants to build layers of texture, color, and fragrance that last all year.

The History of the Southern Living® Plant Collection

Encore Azalea Southern Living Plant

The Southern Living® Plant Collection launched in 2008 as a partnership between Plant Development Services, Inc. and Southern Living® Magazine. Their mission: to give gardeners in warmer regions access to reliable, resilient, and beautiful plants.

Since then, Plant Development Services has patented over 100 new plant varieties. If you've admired an Encore® Azalea, you have this partnership to thank!

New introductions continue every year, each one designed to bring better color, structure, and performance to your landscape. Check back often to discover the latest breakthroughs from this trusted brand.

Why Order Southern Living® Plants from Nature Hills?

Family-owned and operated since 2001, Nature Hills Nursery is proud to offer an ever-growing collection of online plants backed by our Product Guarantee and protected by Plant Sentry™ to ensure regulated plants aren't shipped to prohibited areas.

Every Southern Living® Plant is shipped safely to your door with complete planting and care instructions. You'll also find extra guidance and inspiration in our #ProPlantTips Garden Blog.

Shop the full Southern Living® Plant Collection today at NatureHills.com and bring home plants that love the South as much as you do!

FAQS for Buying Southern Living® Plants Online

Why choose Southern Living® Plant Collection varieties instead of standard garden‑center plants?

The Collection was launched in 2008 through a partnership between Southern Living magazine and Plant Development Services to solve the South’s toughest landscape challenges. Each candidate endures multi‑year, multi‑state trials for heat tolerance, humidity resilience, extended bloom, non‑invasiveness, and reduced fertiliser and spray needs. Fewer than 3 % of seedlings make the cut, so home‑owners get plants pre‑vetted for long, colorful performance with minimal maintenance, reducing replacement costs and chemical inputs before any purchase decision.

What USDA hardiness zones suit Southern Living® Plants, and can they thrive outside the Deep South?

Most introductions target Zones 7 – 10, where winter lows stay above 0 °F. Many evergreen staples—such as Sunshine Ligustrum and Purple Pixie® Loropetalum—handle Zone 7 cold snaps; select deciduous items (e.g., Early Bird™ Crapemyrtle) push into warm pockets of Zone 6. Gardeners farther north can still enjoy the collection by: 1) growing compact forms in containers; 2) situating plants against south‑facing walls for extra heat; 3) mulching 3–4 in. deep to buffer roots. Matching plant ratings to local micro‑climates secures winter survival.

How do I plant and care for Southern Living® Plants so they establish quickly and flourish in hot, humid summers?

1 – Site: Pick full sun (6 + hrs) for flowering shrubs; part shade for camellias and ferns. 2 – Soil prep: Work 2–3 in. compost into the top 12 in. of native soil to improve drainage and nutrient‑holding. 3 – Planting depth: Set the crown 1 in. above grade to prevent waterlogging. 4 – Water: Saturate the root ball, then irrigate deeply when the top 2 in. of soil dries during the first season; switch to as‑needed soaks thereafter. 5 – Mulch: Apply a 2‑in. organic layer, keeping it 2 in. from stems to moderate soil temperature and suppress weeds. 6 – Feed & prune: Apply a slow‑release, balanced fertiliser in early spring and prune just after flowering or in late winter, depending on bloom timing. This sequence minimizes transplant shock, accelerates root growth, and maintains continuous color even in steamy Southern summers.

Which Southern Living® Plants are most drought‑tolerant, and how should I water them in dry spells?

Top drought stand‑outs include Sunshine Ligustrum (Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’), Obsession™ Nandina, Purple Daydream® Loropetalum, and La Vida Grande™ Mandevilla. These selections possess thick, waxy or fine‑textured foliage that reduces transpiration. After the first establishment year, water deeply every 10–14 days if rain is scarce, aiming for 1 in. per soak rather than frequent sips; deep moisture encourages roots to chase water downward, boosting drought resilience. Container specimens dry faster—check them every 3–4 days. Mulch and eliminate weed competition to stretch each watering.

Are Southern Living® Plants deer‑resistant, and what practices keep wildlife damage low?

While no ornamental is 100 % deer‑proof, several collection members—such as Suntastic™ Peach Abelia, Ultra Violet™ Buddleia, and Twist of Pink™ Olivine—carry leathery, aromatic, or fuzzy foliage that deer avoid. For extra insurance: (1) Group deer‑favoured plants nearer the house and deer‑resistant picks at the perimeter; (2) apply a rotating scent‑ and taste‑based repellent bi‑weekly during peak browse periods; (3) keep plants healthy—stressed shrubs emit attractant volatiles. Combining resistant genetics with smart placement and repellent routines drastically cuts browsing losses.

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