Best Heat Tolerant Vegetables to Grow

If you’re looking for some of the best heat-tolerant vegetables to grow this year, here are some of my favorites!

Growing a vegetable garden in extreme temperatures can be challenging.

Whether it be that you live somewhere that’s freezing, or if you live somewhere with extreme heat.

In my case, I live in gardening zone 9b which means we have some pretty darn hot summers!

If that’s the case for you too, try growing some of these hot weather vegetables this year! 

Heat Tolerant Vegetables

Some vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and others need warmth and long days to mature.

So when it comes time to plant vegetables, it’s important to know whether the vegetable is a warm-season or cool-season crop. 

In this article, I have only listed warm-weather vegetables but I also give some specific varieties that are favorites or that have specific qualities such as tolerance to drought, extreme heat, and humidity.

So if you’re looking for some of the best vegetables to grow in your garden that can withstand the hot summer heat, here they are!

Beans

There are lots of bean types to choose from such as snap beans, shell beans, and yardlong beans.

Some varieties grow as a bush and can be harvested quicker and others are pole varieties that should be trellised but will produce for a longer period of time. 

Here are a couple of varieties to try,

• Fordhook Lima Bean
• Contender Bush Bean
• Orient Wonder Yard Long Bean

Corn

Corn loves the summer heat but it requires a fairly long growing season with warm weather. If you have a shorter growing season you may want to skip planting corn or make sure to choose a variety that matures quickly.

• Honey Select Sweet Corn
• Golden Bantam Corn
• Serendipity Hybrid Corn

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one of my favorite summertime vegetables because they are so easy to grow and there are so many ways to use them. You can make pickles, add them to salads, or just eat them raw.

A few of my favorite recipes include bread and butter pickles and this cucumber vinegar salad.

A few great varieties to grow are,

• Armenian Cucumbers
• Ashley Cucumbers
• Poinsett 76 Cucumbers

Eggplant

Eggplant actually grows wild in South Asia and so because of its natural habitat, it grows great in the warm weather.

It should be planted in full sun and if you’re short on space it will even grow well in containers.

• Black Beauty Eggplant
• Listada De Gandia Eggplant
• Ping Tung Long Eggplant

Okra

Okra is another great crop to grow in the summertime! It is so delicious when it’s pickled or fried, or even just quickly sauteed with some garlic and butter!

• Red Burgundy Okra
• Clemson Spineless Okra
• Hill Country Red Okra

Peppers

The great thing with peppers is that they all pretty much love the heat! So it really just depends on what type of peppers you like to use.

My absolute favorite pepper to grow is the Shishito pepper! I cook them every week throughout the season because they are so productive and are so easy to make.

One of my favorite recipes is shishito peppers pan-seared with garlic and soy sauce.

• Shishito Peppers
• Sweet Banana Peppers
• Serrano Peppers

Pumpkins

It is always fun to plant pumpkins because there are so many different varieties for different uses. But one thing they all have in common is that they are all edible!

So as you choose which type of pumpkin to plant pick the type that you like best! Whether it be a flat kind to make succulent topped pumpkins or an extra tasty kind that is best for baking with!

• Howden Pumpkin
• Cinderella Pumpkin
• Sugar Pie Pumpkin

Summer Squash

Summer squash may be one of the most popular vegetables for home gardeners. But for a good reason because it is super easy to grow!

A few varieties that thrive all summer long are,

• Crookneck Squash
• Sunburst Squash
• Zucchini Squash

Winter Squash

One of the things I like most about growing winter squash is that it has such a long shelf life.

That means at the end of the season you can harvest and store them for months ahead!

• Spaghetti Squash
• Butternut Squash
• Burgess Buttercup Squash

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are best grown from slips which can often be found at your local garden center, nursery, some online seed suppliers, or from a local farmer.

But since they are sometimes hard to find, any variety you can come across will be good for planting.

• Covington Sweet Potatoes
• O’Henry Sweet Potatoes
• Beauregard Sweet Potatoes

Tomatillos

If you like Mexican food then growing tomatillos is a must!

The secret is to plant at least two plants to make sure that the blooms get pollinated and then the rest of their care is pretty similar to tomatoes.

• Grande Rio Verde Tomatillo
• Toma Verde Tomatillo
• Purple Tomatillo

Tomatoes

Of all the years I’ve grown a garden, I have never once gone without tomatoes. They are definitely a favorite!

I love using them fresh, in homemade salsa, and in canning recipes!

So if you’ve never grown tomatoes be sure to try them out this year because they are one of the most delicious fruits you’ll ever harvest!

There are so many amazing varieties but here are a few of my favorites that grow great every summer,

• Better Boy Tomato
• Early Girl Tomato
• Supersweet 100 Tomato

Grow Your Best Summer Garden With These Hot Weather Vegetables

I hope going through this post has given you the inspiration to plant your summer garden!

If you plant the right vegetables you can have a thriving garden even in extreme heat! So be sure to add these heat-tolerant vegetables to your list and enjoy your amazing harvests!

If you live where the summers get hot it’s likely that you’re a fellow zone 9b gardener. If so, be sure to learn more by heading to my Zone 9b Vegetable Planting Guide.

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