Orange Jubilee survived summer heat

Here at The Zen Xeriscape, our Orange Jubilee provides almost year-round flowers and lush green leaves. However, depending on the location of our Orange Jubilee in the landscape, the intense, southwestern summer heat can push this plant into a temporary dormancy. But thankfully, our Orange Jubilee survived summer heat. And now, as fall approaches, the Orange Jubilee is slowly awakening. And as it revives from the summer heat, it will give us another year of tropical ambiance in our xeriscape!

Here in southwestern, low-altitude Arizona, the summer heat can brutalize many plants in our landscape. In fact, even some native agaves and cactus plants are not immune from the intense sun and extreme heat.

Fortunately, our Orange Jubilee shrub survived another southwestern summer of record-breaking heat. Simply, this shrub survives our sun-and-heat stress by going dormant. Its dormancy period allows it to concentrate all its resources to survival.

During the Orange Jubilee’s dormancy period, it will stop flowering and will produce very little new growth. In addition, many of its older leaves turned brown, making this otherwise hardy shrub looking very sad and stressed-out.

However, if you live in another part of the world where your Orange Jubilee might experience freezing temperatures more often, then this shrub will go dormant in the winter. Of course, sub-freezing temps can also happen in Phoenix, Arizona, though they are much less likely to occur.

Either way, whether your Orange Jubilee goes dormant in the summer or the winter, it will likely survive and grow back from the roots once the harsh weather conditions subside.

Fortunately, the hardy Orange Jubilee can survive southwestern summers, and maybe even thrive if you give it a little helping hand.

Go to your local garden center and buy a few bags of organic mulch. Mulch is composed of wood chips, bark, and other organic materials. You can even recycle your grass clippings, leaves, and even coffee grounds, by adding them to your mulch.

Spread the mulch around the base of the Orange Jubilee. Two-to-three-inches of coverage will work the best. This will not only shield the roots from the intense summer sun, but as the mulch breaks down throughout the year, it will add valuable nutrients to the soil.

If your Orange Jubilee is planted in full sun (which all of mine are), adding shade cloth over the plant will provide valuable relief. In fact, shade cloth might allow the Orange Jubilee to continue growing and producing flowers, even during the extreme heat of summer.

Even when my Orange Jubilee started going dormant in late June, I continued its normal watering schedule. In my case, I water deeply once a week.

A regular watering schedule will keep the roots of this plant healthy, so that if it does go dormant, it can quickly rebound as the seasons change.

TAKEAWAYS

During intense summer heat, the Orange Jubilee can show signs of stress. And, depending on its location in your landscape, the summer sun can push it into a period of dormancy.

Fortunately, this hardy shrub will usually survive and rebound in the fall. But, there are ways to prevent this dormant period, and enjoy more months of its tropical ambience and vivid orange flowers.

One simple step is to apply mulch around the base of the Orange Jubilee. In addition, you can add shade cloth, or a large umbrella to provide shade. As always, continue its normal watering schedule (unless the plant goes dormant in the winter—then, you should cut back on your watering schedule).

Thanks for reading how our Orange Jubilee survived summer heat. If you have additional tips that helped your Orange Jubilee survive the intense southwestern summer heat, please share them in the comments section below!

Photos and content by Doug Martin and The Zen Xeriscape