If your Chattanooga yard receives full sun, you may wonder what types of plants would be able to withstand the Tennessee heat. Fortunately, there are numerous plants of different kinds that not only love the sunshine, but can also make your yard look spectacular. Whether you’re looking for shrubbery, ground cover, or that pop of color, we have a wide variety of full sun plants we recommend here at Ray Lawns. We’ve made a list of 10 full sun plants that thrive in the Chattanooga area so you can get the yard design you’ve always dreamed of.

Here are 10 plants we recommend for those sunny patches in your yard!

1.  Hoogendorn Holly

Ilex crenatata ‘Hoogendorn’

This dense, mounding evergreen shrub is a perfect addition for your sunny yard and also does well in partial shade. You can mass plant them and don’t have to worry about the deer eating them. Be sure to fertilize them in spring and fall and you can enjoy those shiny green leaves year round. It gets up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide and is a great option if you have a fit of space to fill. 

2. Coral Drift Rose

Rosa ‘Meidrifora’

This gorgeous shrub is named after the bright coral roses that cover it. It has a low spreading habit and is perfect for combination planters. It thrives in the sun and can be mass planted. This vigorous bush is low maintenance and will bloom all season. Be sure to fertilize it in early spring and then every 6 weeks during the growing season with rose food. It will only get a foot or so tall, but will spread between 2 to 3 feet. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to fill in your flower beds.

 

3. Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum × superbum

We recommend this flower if you’re looking for some color that will last all season. The flowers are white with a yellow center, the classic daisy. The good thing about this plant is that it’s tough and can handle a drought. It also attracts butterflies, and you won’t have to worry about deer getting into it. The Shasta Daisy prefers well-drained soil and will need to be pruned to 3 inches after the blooming ends for the season. Be sure to fertilize it every 3 months during the growing season with a nitrogen fertilizer. It can grow to be anywhere between 6 inches to 4 feet. 

4. Adagio Maiden Grass

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’

This ornamental grass is a great accent to any yard. It has a compact, clumping habit and can get quite large, growing up to 5 feet and spreading up to 4 feet. The red flowers will turn white as the plant matures. The foliage is narrow and arching and turns to shades of orange and gold in the fall. It enjoys full sun with moist, well-drained soil. It can be appealing either along the border or in the bed and also does well in containers. Don’t worry about the drought drying this plant up because it can handle going without water for some time. You’ll want to prune it back to 4 to 6 inches in late winter or early spring to prepare for new growth. Fertilize it in spring with a slow release, balance fertilizer, and your plant will thrive for many years to come.  

5. Baby Gem Boxwood

Buxus microphylla var pajonica

We chose the Baby Gem Boxwood as our fifth full-sun plant. This bush can handle partial sun as well. This exceptionally compact boxwood will stay bright green even in the winter. You can prune it to stay small or it can grow to be up to 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide. This fine-textured broadleaf evergreen does best when it’s fertilized late fall or early spring. This fine-textured broadleaf evergreen is deer resistant and low maintenance so you can get back to your busy life and enjoy a plant that thrives year after year. 

6. Candy Stripes Phlox

Phlox subulata ‘Candy Stripe’ 

The Candy Stripes Phlox is a great option for your yard if you are looking for a pop of color and will create a spreading carpet of pink in your yard. These tiny white flowers have a pink stripe down the middle on each petal, which is where it gets its name. It blooms in the spring and has dense green foliage when it’s not blooming. If you have a hill or slope on your property this is a good option because it spreads easily on inclines. It can be planted in either the bed or on the border. This is a great example of a plant that thrives in full sun. It will need to be fertilized once a month during the spring and summer so if it’s not thriving, you may want to be sure it’s getting enough plant food. It won’t get very tall at a max height of 6 inches, but can spread up to 3 feet so it’s a great option if you’re looking to fill a space that size. 

7. Gold Coast Juniper

Juniperus chinesis

This evergreen juniper is a great option if you’re looking for the ultimate low-maintenance plant to fill your yard. No need to prune this shrub. Instead enjoy its natural spread, tiered habit. It holds its color well, even in the winter. You can use it for the foundation of your flowerbed or use it in mass plantings. It not only enjoys full sun, but partial shade as well, which makes it extremely versatile and hardy. You won’t have to worry about it getting eaten by those pesky deer either. Be sure to fertilize it yearly in early spring. This bush can grow up to 4 feet tall and can get to be 5 feet wide. 

8. Happy Returns Daylily

Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’

Our eighth full sun plant is the Happy Returns Daylily. We chose this plant for its ability to bloom buttery yellow 3 inch flowers nonstop from May to frost. No need to replant every year either since it’s a perennial. It does great in either the flowerbed or along the border. Many love this flower for its ability to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Another good quality of this plant is that it is easy to grow and is low maintenance. Be sure to apply slow release fertilizer in mid summer to keep your daylily thriving. If properly cared for, this flower can grow to be three feet tall. 

9. Purple Pixie Loropetalum

Loropetalum chinesis

You may not have heard of this dwarf shrub before, and that’s because it’s new! It has deep burgundy evergreen foliage that will bring color and diversity to your yard. In the summer bright pink blooms will cover the bush. This shrub creates excellent ground cover or a low border. Like the other on this list, it enjoys full sun, but will also thrive in partial sun. An added perk is that it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds! In early spring, as needed, apply a slow release fertilizer to keep this plant happy and well fed. It will only get a foot or 2 high but can spread up to 3 to 4 feet.  

10. Snow White Indian Hawthorne

Rhaphiolepis umbellata ‘Snow White’

Our final full sun pick is the Snow White Indian Hawthorne. We chose this bush because of the white fragrant blooms that cover the bush from mid-April to May each year. In late summer to fall look for bluish black berries to appear. As well as being happy in full sun, this plant also does well in partial sun. With a dense, mounding growth habit, you can mass plant them and they do well either on the border or in the bed. The best thing about this plant is that the fragrant blooms attract butterflies! Fertilize the shrub for the first time in spring of the year after planting and every spring and fall thereafter. It likes its food. Prepare for this bush to grow to be 3 to 4 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. 

Whether you’re looking to plant low-maintenance bushes or you’re hoping to attract hummingbirds or butterflies, Ray Lawns has a landscape solution for you.

Do you need help with your yard? Contact Ray Lawns to get a quote.