perennials for yearly consistent color

Enhance your garden with durable perennials that bring vibrant blooms year after year.

These hardy perennials are reliable and low-maintenance, tolerating challenging conditions and blooming beautifully every year.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are a tough and reliable flower, known for their ability to thrive in sunny areas. They're extremely resistant to drought and insects, and come in a variety of colors and even bicolors. Whether you choose early, mid, or late-season bloomers, they will surely put on a spectacular show in your garden all year long. For continuous blooming, opt for repeat blooming daylily varieties that will reward you with flowers from spring to fall.

This resilient flower species gradually grows into expansive clusters, requiring division every three to four years in order to maintain optimal blooming. Optimal growing conditions include ample sunlight and well-draining soil. This plant typically reaches heights of 1-3 feet and spreads up to 1-3 feet wide, making it suitable for zones 3-10.

**Daylilies**

If you're looking to add stunning floral beauty to your garden with minimal effort, daylilies (Hemerocallis) are the perfect choice. These resilient flowers are renowned for their ability to thrive in sunny spaces and are incredibly tolerant of drought and pests. Available in an array of vibrant colors, including striking bicolors, daylilies will transform your garden into a visual feast from spring to fall. For a truly enchanting display, select repeat-blooming varieties that promise blossoms all season long.

As these hardy plants establish themselves, they create impressive clusters that bring life to any landscape. To keep your daylilies at their best, remember to divide them every three to four years. They flourish in sunny spots and well-draining soil, growing to heights of 1 to 3 feet and spreading just as wide. Best of all, they thrive across zones 3 to 10, making them an ideal choice for gardeners everywhere.

COREOPSIS

**Coreopsis**

For a splash of color that lasts all summer, look no further than coreopsis. This native perennial not only withstands hot and dry conditions but also continues to produce brilliant blooms on delicate, wiry stems. Enjoy the added benefit of minimal pest or disease issues, making coreopsis a stress-free addition to your garden. To encourage even more flowers, simply remove faded blooms and watch as new ones emerge. 

Coreopsis thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, growing anywhere from 1 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. This versatile plant is perfect for zones 3 to 8, ensuring a vibrant, low-maintenance garden that will delight you all summer long. Don’t miss the opportunity to cultivate these hardy beauties in your landscape!

Despite hot, dry weather conditions, coreopsis will continue to bloom throughout the summer. 

RUSSIAN SAGE

This perennial is native to central Asia and thrives in hot, dry conditions. Its bluish-purple flowers bloom in late summer and are paired with fragrant, silvery foliage. It is recommended for full sun and well-drained soil. Grow in zones 4-9.

Hellebore

Hellebores, also known as Lenten or Christmas roses, bring a pop of color to the winter landscape with their vibrant pink, white, rose, green, purple, yellow, spotted, or bicolored blooms. These resilient perennials thrive in shady areas, making them a great companion for spring-flowering bulbs like Narcissus and Squill. They are also a good choice for deer and rabbit-resistant gardens. To grow healthy hellebores, provide them full to part shade and well-drained soil in zones 4-9.

SEDUMS

For a low-maintenance perennial, be sure to add sedums to your shopping list. These versatile plants come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and can withstand intense heat, dry spells, cold temperatures, and pests. One popular type is Dragon's Blood sedum (pictured here), which is an ideal choice for a groundcover on sloping locations due to its vibrant red and green leaves and quick growth. While sedums thrive in sunny areas, they can also tolerate partial shade. Characteristics: Prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil; typically grows 2-36 inches tall and 14-48 inches wide; suitable for zones 3-10.

Baptisia

Once established, Baptisia, also known as false indigo, can survive for many years. In fact, in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden®, numerous specimens have reliably bloomed each spring since they were planted in the 1950s. Baptisia is a large, shrub-like perennial that produces elegant stalks of blue, white, purple, or yellow flowers, followed by sizable seedpods filled with seeds. It boasts lovely, blue-green, pea-like foliage that remains attractive even when not in bloom. Growth Requirements: Full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil Size: 2-4 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide Zones: 3-8

Coneflower

As a popular and versatile perennial, coneflowers (Echinacea) are a staple of the American prairie. They come in a variety of colors, including traditional purplish-pink, white, orange, yellow, and red, and offer single, double, and even triple-petal-packed options. While they bloom from early summer to fall, it's important to note that petal-heavy varieties may not be ideal for pollinators. Growers can expect to attract an array of pollinators with these reliable and attractive plants. birds and butterflies.

Requiring full sun and well-drained soil, the product can reach heights of 1-3 feet and widths of 1-2 feet. It is best suited for zones 3-9 and thrives under these conditions, making it the perfect choice for an Asiatic Lily.

The Asiatic lilies are renowned for their hardiness and ease of growth. These flowers quickly emerge from fall or early spring plantings and produce stunning, upward-facing blooms in a wide array of colors and bicolors. While bloom time varies by type, most Asiatic lilies put on their most spectacular display in early to midsummer. Not only do they propagate rapidly, but they can also be easily divided and transplanted to other sunny areas in your garden every few years. Some varieties even have a delicate fragrance. Optimal Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil Estimated Height: 1-5 feet Recommended Hardiness Zones: 3-10

Hosta

Choose from a wide selection of hostas, with a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to suit any preference. These shade-loving plants require little upkeep and can be divided to produce more plants. They grow best in part to full shade and well-drained, moist soil, and can reach up to 5 feet tall in zones 3-9.

Peony

Invest in your garden's future with peonies (Paeonia). These beautiful sun-loving plants have a long lifespan, blooming continuously for decades and improving each year. Peonies come in a variety of shades and flower types, such as singles, doubles, and semi-doubles. Fragrant and lovely, peony blooms are perfect for bouquets. While peak blooming occurs in May and June, the intricate foliage continues to add interest to the flowerbed. Growing Requirements: Full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil. Size: 1-3 feet in height and 2-3 feet in width. Hardy in Zones 3-8.

Catmint

During spring and summer, catmint (Nepeta spp.) blooms and becomes the focal point of the garden. The entire plant is adorned with wands of vibrant blue flowers, withstanding high temperatures and dry conditions. Even after blooming, it can be pruned by up to one third of its height for another bloom in late summer or early fall. Taller varieties, reaching 3 feet in height, are excellent companions for roses, peonies, or ornamental grasses. For garden borders, consider planting the shorter catmints, growing up to 12 inches in height. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: 6-12 inches tall and 12-36 inches wide Zones: 3-9

Cranesbill

Renowned for its unique seed shape, cranesbill is commonly known as perennial geranium. Its slender stems produce an array of colors including white, pink, blue, or light purple flowers from late spring until fall. Even when not in bloom, the mottled or veined leaves add beautiful foliage to the overall display, particularly in the autumn when the foliage turns a striking red. These low-growing plants quickly spread and can create a carpeted effect in any garden. Optimal growing conditions include full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, with a potential size of 1-2 feet tall and wide. Suitable for zones 4-9.

Blazing Star

Blazing star (Liatris spp.), native to the American prairies, thrives in hot and sunny gardens despite heat and drought. Its narrow leaves give way to 2-foot-tall spikes of pink, purple, or white flowers in mid to late summer. A popular choice for pollinators, this striking perennial reaches a height of 1-3 feet and spreads 1-2 feet wide. Ideal growing conditions include full sun and well-drained soil, suitable for zones 3-9.

Garden Phlox

Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum) is a striking addition to any garden with its tall candelabras of white, pink, or light purple flowers and finely cut foliage that stays attractive year-round. This native of the American prairie also attracts butterflies and other pollinators, thriving in full to part sun and moist, well-drained soil in Zones 3-8.

Moss Phlox

Moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is a hardy perennial groundcover that boasts jewel-like flowers in a variety of colors such as violet, pink, white, blue, and bicolors. These plants make a great addition to rock gardens and slopes, and they are also resistant to deer. They require full sun and well-drained soil to thrive, and can reach heights of 6-48 inches and widths of 14-24 inches. Suitable for zones 3-9.

Coral Bells

inches and widths of 14 to 24 inches. Suitable for zones 3 to 9.
Coral Bells

Thanks in large part to the creativity of plant breeders, coral bells (Heuchera spp.) showcase some truly spectacular varieties. Their mounding, colorful foliage comes in purple, orange, chartreuse, and silver, displaying various patterns. Some types also produce attractive flowers that entice pollinators. These hardy perennials can endure some drought, and certain varieties thrive in shade.

Growing Conditions: Part shade, full shade, and sun (depending on the type)