• Herbaceous perennials that stay small and bloom during the summer months are manageable landscaping plants that will provide your property with color as the weather turns hotter. Many of these are flowers native to parts of North America, while others are suitable for planting, but come from other continents. These small summer flowers typically do well under dry conditions, making them low maintenance.
  
  

Fameflower

• The old saying that fame is fleeting seems appropriate for the fameflower (Talinum calycinum). The individual flowers open during the summer months for just a few hours and then after one day turn into seedpods. Fameflower grows in many areas across North America, doing well in rocky or sandy areas. Fameflower grows in colonies to heights of 9 inches. The flowers bloom in July. Use fameflowers in your rock garden settings or in native wildflower gardens, recommends the Missouri Botanical Garden.
  
  

Calamint

• Like many members of the very large Mint family, calamint (Calamintha arkansana) is a low-growing species. Calamint rarely tops a foot in terms of its height. The erect stalk the flower produces will hold small white-purple flowers, which usually emerge during June and July. Low calamint -- another name for this plant -- will give off the fresh minty aroma associated with its family when you crush its leaves or stems. Calamint is a native species throughout the central and eastern parts of North America as far north as Ontario. The perennial does well in sun or lightly shaded spots, with slightly damp ground preferred over dry soil.
  
  

Moss Rose

• The moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) is an annual that can survive in dry ground, giving it an advantage over many other plants. Use it as ground cover, in your rock gardens and along walkways. Its small size (it grows only 9 inches high) allows its use in hanging baskets for your patio. Moss rose blooms from June until the first killing frosts, giving you a summer full of various colored flowers. When conditions are rainy or cloudy, the flowers do not open. Moss rose is a nonnative species, originating from South American nations such as Uruguay and Brazil.
  
  

Woolly Blue Violet

• A wildflower of eastern sections of North America, the woolly blue violet (Viola sororia) seldom grows taller than 9 inches. Able to bloom from April through August, this perennial attracts butterflies to its white-blue flower. Woolly blue violets are ideal for places where you want ground cover to flourish, as the plant will self-seed and colonize the ground in sun or in shade. Woolly blue violets require somewhat damp areas to do their best, as in the wild they grow close by to streams and rivers in fertile ground.