The main characteristics for a hot arid climate include: -Hot dry summer and a cold dry winter. -Very little rainfall and vegetation coverage. -High temperature difference between day and night. -Very low humidity.

. Mediterranean climate

Cold semi-arid climates are most commonly found in Asia and North America. However, they can also be found in Northern Africa, South Africa, Europe, sections of South America and sections of interior southern Australia (e.g. Kalgoorlie and Mildura) and New Zealand (around Alexandra).

A region is arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Environments subject to arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic.

Large areas of arid zones are located in North and South America, North Africa, the Sahelian region, Africa South of the Equator, the Near East and the Asia and the Pacific regions between latitudes of 15 and 30° in both northern and southern hemispheres.

Plants That Tolerate Wet Areas

• Lily of the valley.
• Bugbane.
• Crinum.
• Sweet woodruff.
• Daylily.
• Rose mallow.
• Blue vervain.
• Monkey flower.

Here’s our top 10 favorite low maintenance perennials:

1. Shasta Daisy. Shasta Daisies are easy to grow.
2. Coneflower. Coneflower is a mid-summer bloomer that’s a great cut flower.
3. Hardy Hibiscus. Hardy hibiscus loves full sun and attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies.
4. Perennial Geranium.
5. Hosta.
6. Ferns.
7. Catmint.
8. Coreopsis.

Perennial Drought-Tolerant Ground Covers

• 01 of 07. Angelina Sedum. Satakorn/Getty Images.
• 02 of 07. Yellow Alyssum. The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova.
• 03 of 07. Ice Plant. Sergi Escribano/Getty Images.
• 04 of 07. Candytuft.
• 05 of 07. Vinca Minor.
• 06 of 07. Bugleweed or Ajuga.
• 07 of 07. Chinese Lantern Plants.

These drought-tolerant vegetables will thrive even in the hottest temperatures….Popular choices include:

• Lima beans.
• Pole beans.
• Corn.
• Cowpeas, black-eyed peas and field peas.
• Edible amaranth.
• Quinoa.
• Mustard greens.
• Okra.

How to Protect Your Garden during a Heat Wave

1. Apply mulch, preferably a reflective mulch such as dry grass clippings.
2. Water your garden and shrubs early in the morning.
3. Use shade cloth or protective row covers.
4. Locate new transplants within the cover of taller neighbors.
5. Keep lawns at least three inches tall.

Too much sun overwhelms the delicate membranes that allow for photosynthesis within the leaves of the plant. Initially, it just slows growth. Over a very short period of time, the membranes break down… and eventually, it kills the plant.

In new results reported in The Plant Cell, molecular biologist Elizabeth Vierling at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues in India and China report finding a crucial mechanism that plants need to recover from heat stress.

Generally, heat stress of a plant will show itself by wilting, which is a sure sign that water loss has taken place. If this is ignored, the condition will worsen, as the plants will eventually dry up, turning a crunchy brown before dying. In some cases, yellowing of the leaves may occur.

A common sign your plant is stressed is if it’s dropping leaves and flowers. Stressors can include lack of water, over watering, temperature change, less light – you name it. If the problem isn’t too little or too much water, or something else easy to identify, have patience.

The general answer is around 90 degrees F, with some exceptions to the rule. This means that when temps rise above 90 and remain there for a lengthy spell: Leaves wilt. Water evaporates into the atmosphere more quickly in high heat, draining a plant’s reserves.

You will need to bring your plants indoors before nighttime temperatures dip below 45 degrees (F). Most tropical plants will suffer damage at temperatures below 40 degrees, a few even below 50 degrees.

Light freeze – 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants. Moderate freeze – 25° to 28° Fahrenheit is widely destructive to most vegetation. Severe or hard freeze – 25° Fahrenheit and colder causes heavy damage to most plants.