Perennials are ideal for beginners as well as gardening pros with years of experience under their belt.
Enjoy the blooms in your garden for longer than a few weeks. These perennials are the best bang for your buck, giving you long-lasting, blooming flowers for years to come.
Take a look at some of the easiest perennial flowers to grow in a specific growing condition, so you can make an informed decision when choosing and planting.
12 of the Best Perennials for Full Sun:
Here are the perennial plants and flowers that will thrive if grown in full sun. Full sun means the plant will get 6-8 hours (or more) of direct sunlight per day.
1.Dahlia – They really like full sun, but as with most plants, if you live in a super hot part of the country, you should try to provide them with a bit of afternoon shade.
5. Black-eyed Susan – They’re sturdy, have a long bloom time, and look like happy, smiling faces. What other reasons do you need to plant this cheery plant? They bloom from mid-summer to fall.
6. Hibiscus – This tropical-looking flower will be sure to add color to your yard while attracting pollinators.
7. Daylily – Big, gorgeous daylily blooms appear early to midsummer. These flowering perennials multiple quickly, so you can divide in a few years and gain more plants.
8. Coneflower – Bright daisy-like blooms come in a profusion of colors and sizes. They flower from early to midsummer for weeks. Keep the seed heads in place over the winter for the birds.
9. Lavender – The soft purple blooms of lavender are wonderful to use in homemade bath and body products.
10. Sedum – With hundreds of varieties in many different forms, sedum has fleshy leaves to help it survive dry spells.
11. Verbena – These plants add months of color to hot, sunny spots. They bloom most of the summer (sometimes all the way until frost) in pinks and purples. Be sure to choose a perennial type, as some are considered annuals.
12. Dianthus – This low-growing plant with a spicy or vanilla-like scent is often called ‘pinks’ due to the fringed flower petals that appear as if they were cut with pinking shears. They bloom in late spring.
12 of the Best Perennials for Shade:
Here are the perennial plants and flowers that will thrive in shade. If you have less than 6 hours of direct sunlight in your planting space, it is considered a shade garden.
1.Astilbe – Lacey, toothed leaves and feathery plumes of pink, white, red, or purple flowers bloom in profusion in early to midsummer. A little morning sun helps them bloom better.
2. Bleeding Heart – In spring, dainty heart-like blossoms dangle along the stems on a bleeding heart. An old-fashioned favorite, this shade-loving beauty unfurls blue-green leaves.
3. Hellebore – The petite blooms of the hellebore are sure to add interest and scent to your garden.
4. Lily of the Valley – This low-maintenance groundcover, hardy in Zones 2-7, brings perfumed blooms to the garden’s shady nooks in spring.
5. Epimedium – These little plants are also known as fairy wings or bishop’s cap due to the adorable shape of their flowers, which appear in early spring.
6. Ferns – Frothy-looking ferns are sturdier than they appear, popping up again after even the toughest winters. They like somewhat moist ground but are fairly drought-tolerant once established.
7. Coral Bells – The tiny bell-shaped blooms of coral bells are sure to add interest to small garden spaces.
8. Dead Nettle – Silvery, variegated foliage and yellow, pink, or purple blooms make this a great addition to the shade landscape. It’s not super fussy and does well in dry areas.
9. Hosta – Most gardeners choose shade-loving hostas for their colorful leaves, but many of these leafy beauties also offer eye-catching flower spikes.
10. Foxglove –Although this perennial blooms well in full sun, it tolerates part shade, especially in hot climates.
11. Trillium – The white blooms of trillium have pops of yellow color and are great for natural-looking landscaping.
12. Columbines – Even though this flowering plant can handle the sun, it hates the heat. So if you live in a warmer environment, plant yours in partial shade to keep it cool during the hottest part of the day.