Incorporating perennial flowers and plants into your garden makes maintaining beautiful landscaping much simpler. Once established, these plants only require occasional trimming, weeding, and possibly dividing if they begin to spread too much.

However, with countless options available, how do you select the perennials that will not only flourish but also deliver stunning results year after year? Explore this list of the most popular perennial flowers and plants to inspire your next landscaping project.

How to Pick Perennial Plants and Flowers

Consider your local temperature, soil, and sunshine exposure if you want your perennial flowers and plants to survive year after year. According to Kevin Lenhart, design director at Yardzen, "find plants that want the exact light, moisture, and soil conditions that you have on your site, and they'll fare the best with the least amount of fuss."

• Select indigenous plants.

The plants that are most likely to flourish in your soil and climate are native to your area. According to Lenhart, this implies that they will need little watering, fertilization, or maintenance to look fantastic and can serve as food and habitat for nearby species.

• Learn about the time commitment

Consider how much time you have available for gardening and how much time the plants you choose will need for maintenance, such as deadheading or pruning. According to Maureen Wright, a plant specialist at Fast Growing Trees, "some require more upkeep than others." "Know your limits and research your plants before planting."

• To achieve year-round color in your garden, choose perennials that bloom at different times throughout the season. According to Lenhart, this will provide continuous color and interest.
• Don't hesitate to experiment.

Many perennials are relatively inexpensive, especially if you try to grow them from seed, so don't be afraid to try something new. "Have fun and see everything in your garden as an opportunity to learn something," Wright suggests. "Try different colors and varieties, create a theme in your garden, and look for balance and biodiversity in your garden space."

Top Perennial Flowers and Plants to Enhance Your Garden

01 | Hydrangea

A perennial favorite, hydrangea plants yield a wide range of colors and incredibly long-lasting blooms. Their low maintenance requirements allow them to thrive in a range of lighting situations.

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02 | Allium

With their Seuss-like globe flower heads, these lovely (and edible!) blooms make a fascinating perennial addition to your garden. These drought-tolerant plants will bloom in late spring and early summer.

03 | Artemisia

These native perennial plants, also called sagebrush, are valued for their silvery green, lacy foliage, according to Lenhart. In the summer, you will receive tiny golden flowers, but the environmental advantage is the most significant. "They're powerhouse habitat plants," affirms Lenhart.

Although they can take up considerable space—some cultivars can grow up to three feet tall and ten feet wide—this perennial is ideal for planting in a dry, sunny place. If you have limited room, Lenhart recommends smaller cultivars like Powis Castle.

04 | Astilbe

Astilbe is known to thrive in a wide range of sunshine conditions; it can tolerate both full sun and full shade, though it prefers partial shade. They thrive in damp soil and appear in a range of colors, including white, pink, and purple.

05 | Bee Balm

The monarda, also known as bee balm, gets its name from its natural attraction to pollinators such as hummingbirds, moths, and bees, according to Lenhart.

This perennial flower has petals that resemble fringes and is available in a range of hues to complement any garden design. To help it flourish, you should plant it in full light.

06 | Black-Eyed Susan

If you have deer frequently munching away in your garden, black-eyed susans are an excellent choice because they are native to the United States and grow well almost anywhere. Lenhart adds that because they are drought-tolerant plants, they are also a wonderful choice if you live in a dryer climate.

07 | Blanket Flower

Since wildflowers are already known to flourish in that region, they make a great addition to a perennial garden. Lenhart recommends blanket flowers because of their eye-catching, vibrant blossoms and ease of cultivation. It grows well in prairie and meadow environments with low soil.

08 | Butterfly Milkweed

Milkweed is vital to the health of butterflies because it gives monarchs and other butterfly species food and refuge. "Butterfly milkweed lacks the milky sap common to most milkweeds, and is generally easy to get your hands on relative to other native milkweeds," Lenhart states.

Butterfly milkweed looks quite beautiful in your yard because of its lovely orange blossoms.

09 | Chrysanthemum

This autumnal favorite is available in a variety of hues, including white, pink, purple, and fall-like crimson, orange, and yellow. These perennial flowers are simple to grow and do well in a sunny, well-drained location.

10 | Coreopsis

Coreopsis is an exception to the rule that many perennial flowers only bloom for a brief period of time; it blooms from late spring to summer. Additionally, Coreopsis is a very resilient perennial. "It’s tough—able to take drought, heat, and humidity, and happy in depleted, rocky soil," Lenhart states. It is therefore a perfect complement to more desert-like, dry environments. Additionally, these flowers won't draw deer, if that's a problem.

11 | Daylilies

Daylilies, which only have beautiful blooms for a single day, are a very popular perennial flower choice even though they are not actually lilies. "We love them because they are so low maintenance and vibrant and have such long bloom times," said Wright.

12 | Gulf Muhly

Perennial plants should not be overlooked when designing a garden. "People tend to focus on flowering perennials, but non-blooming perennials like ornamental grasses and fine-textured sagebrushes frequently dominate modern planting designs," adds Lenhart. Gulf muhly is a grass that grows easily and is found all across the Southeast. In the fall, it blooms a beautiful pink color. According to Lenhart, "It appears to be a fluffy pink cloud."

13 | Heuchera

This shade-loving perennial plant frequently produces tiny blossoms, but it also has stunning, vibrant foliage that may help your garden's gloomy areas stand out. "Heuchera cultivars come in a variety of colors, from peachy orange to deep purple, but I often steer clients toward green-leafed varieties, which avoid the risk of looking garish and tend to settle in more comfortably among other species," Lenhart states.

14 | Hosta

Perennial flowers that prefer shade are difficult to find, but the traditional hosta offers both lovely and intriguing foliage and lovely blossoms. "Hostas create an atmosphere of simple elegance in garden spaces and complement more colorful plants and trees," according to Wright.

15 | Irises

The striking purple, yellow, white, blue, or pink blooms of iris plants appear in late spring or early summer, making them a striking addition to any perennial garden. "We love them because there are so many color variations and flowers has such a distinct, unique shape," Wright states. "Pollinators love them, too."

16 | Lavender

This perennial flower, which has long-lasting, beautifully fragrant summer blooms in the sunny corners of your garden, will bring a little peace and quiet. In addition to being a favorite among bees, Wright claims that it is an excellent plant for repelling undesired insects who don't appreciate the aroma as much as people do.

17 | Lily

True lilies are a popular perennial flower choice and a stunning addition to any landscape. Examples of these are Asiatic, Easter, and Oriental lilies. They produce summertime blooms that last.

18 | Little Bluestem

Little bluestem is a vibrant ornamental grass that becomes rusty red in the fall and winter after beginning as a blue-green color, according to Lenhart. "It’s deer resistant, and an important habitat plant across much of the U.S."

19 | Peonies

They may not bloom long, but peonies make up for it by generating stunning flowers. "Peonies have abundant full blooms full of fragrance and staying power," Wright adds. The plant likes full sun and a dry site, and should be planted in the fall to give them time to grow established.

20 | Phlox

Many types of phlox are available, including taller kinds that will enhance the attractiveness of your garden and ground cover varieties. They have tiny pink, blue, white, and purple blossoms and do well in partial shade.

21 | Purple Coneflower

In most parts of the United States, purple coneflowers are a native plant that grows well and produces long-lasting flowers that draw a lot of pollinators to your yard. When planting a pollinator garden, this is an essential item.

22 | Roses

According to Wright, the rose is arguably the most well-liked perennial flower available. It can be found in a wide range of sizes (including climbing and tiny kinds) and colors to complement almost any garden color scheme or style.

For roses to flourish in your garden, they require full sun and soil that drains properly.

23 | Salvia

Wright and Lenhart both suggest this native plant, which can flourish in harsh environments such as rocky soil and hot, dry weather. Pollinators are drawn to the spiky, persistent kblooms of salvia.