Perennial flowers are a must-have in your garden because of their ability to come back year after year, usually growing even stronger and more beautiful with age. But unlike annuals that can bloom non-stop for months, most perennials have a relatively short bloom season, lasting from just a few days to a few weeks. Nevertheless, you can still ensure plenty of flowers from your perennials if you plan your garden with plants by season to stagger bloom times.
Don't be afraid to pack in the plants for the best color show. Where three or four types of annuals can brighten a bed all season long, you might need a dozen perennials so something is blooming from spring to fall. So start planning your continuously blooming garden by selecting a combination of these spring, summer, and fall-blooming perennials for sun and shade.
Spring Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Shade
These spring perennial flowers will brighten any shady area. These seasonal perennials are planted in low light, and they're low-maintenance. They also have a low risk of attracting pests. You can count on these early bloomers to kickstart your garden every spring.
- Barrenwort (Epimedium)
- Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
- Columbine (Aquilegia)
- Primrose (Primula)
- Foamflower (Tiarella)
- Bergenia
- Heart-leaf brunnera (Brunnera)
- Hellebore (Helleborus)
- Jacob's ladder (Polemonium)
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
- Viola
- Solomon's seal (Polygonatum)
Spring Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Sun
Need a little something more to liven up your sunny space? These sun-loving perennials spring back year after year with dozens of blooms and beautiful color. Equipped for growing in the hot sun, many of these pretty perennials are also tough and drought-tolerant.
- Alpine clematis (Clematis alpina)
- Candytuft (Iberis)
- Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata)
- 'Crater Lake Blue' Veronica
- Dianthus
- Sea thrift (Ameria)
Late Spring to Early Summer Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Shade
Say hello to the first summer days with these perennial flowers that love the shade. Bright colors and lush foliage make for exciting accents in a cool corner spot. Park a bench near your shade garden, grab a book and relax with a view of your gorgeous perennials.
- Astilbe
- Coralbells (Heuchera)
- Meadow rue (Thalictrum)
- Foamy bells (X Heucherella)
- Lady's mantle (Alchemilla)
- Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea)
Late Spring to Early Summer Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Sun
Sunny days and warm weather are made even better with plants that can beat the heat. There's plenty of variety among these low-maintenance early summer flowers, so choosing a few that fit into your dream garden plan should be easy.
- Bear's breeches (Acanthus)
- Baptisia
- Fleabane (Erigeron)
- Iris
- Lamb's-ear (Stachys)
- Peony (Paeonia)
- Geranium
- Salvia 'May Night'
Summer Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Sun
When the heat starts to set in, it's time for hardy, drought-resistant perennial flowers (such as these Better Homes and Gardens 2.5Qt Purple Lavendar Live Plants in a decorative container, 3 pack) to take over. You've got dozens of choices for summer flowers that can beat the heat, so go ahead and plant as many as you can fit in your yard.
- Balloon flower (Platycodon)
- Bee balm (Monarda)
- Bellflower (Campanula)
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
- Blanketflower (Gaillardia)
- Blazing star (Liatris)
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias)
- Catmint (Nepeta)
- Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Crocosmia
- Delphinium
- Evening primrose (Oenothera)
- Dianthus
- Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata)
- Globe thistle (Echinops)
- Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos)
- Helenium
- Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
- Hyssop (Agastache)
- Knautia
- Lavender (Lavandula)
- Lily (Lilium)
- Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula)
- Mullein (Verbascum)
- Penstemon
- Pincushion flower (Scabiosa)
- Red-hot poker (Kniphofia)
- Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)
- Veronica
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Yucca
Summer Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Shade
These perennials bloom in the summer but don't necessarily enjoy the sun's rays. Find a shady, cool spot in your garden for these low-maintenance plants.
- Astilbe
- Goatsbeard (Aruncus)
- Hosta
- Ligularia
- Lilyturf (Liriope)
- Lobelia
- Meadow rue (Thalictrum)
- Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea)
- Yellow waxbells (Kirengeshoma)
Late Summer and Early Fall Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Sun
Summer is ending, but fall is just around the corner. Feel the soft, cool breeze and smell the fresh scent of these beautiful fall flowers as the leaves start to turn. Add these plants (including Better Homes and Gardens 1Qt Green Sedum Sunsparkler Live Plants 5 pack) to your space to help the summer season live on just a little longer.
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- Aster
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
- Boltonia
- Chrysanthemum
- Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Gaura
- Hyssop (Agastache)
- Japanese anemone (Anemone japonica)
- Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium)
- Obedient plant (Physostegia)
- Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Sedum
- Stokes' aster (Stokesia laevis)
Late Summer and Early Fall Seasonal Perennial Flowers for Shade
Summer may be leaving, but these seasonal perennial flowers will still thrive. So enjoy a few last blooms through the changing leaves with these shade-loving fall flowering plants. These seasonal perennials will perfectly complement a fall garden color palette.
- Bugbane (Actaea)
- Lobelia
- Toad lily (Tricyrtis)
- Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea)
- Yellow waxbells (Kirengeshoma)