Perennial flowers are simple to establish and produce gorgeous blooms year after year. Without losing on beauty, easy-growing perennial flowers take much of the effort out of gardening. Daylilies, black-eyed Susans, geraniums, honeysuckle, and creeping phlox are some of the best low-maintenance perennial flowers for your garden.
Low-maintenance flowers are ideal for giving your backyard bursting with color, fragrance, and beauty. Ground cover plants include some creeping blooming perennials. Yet, flower beds, borders, and planting at the rear of mixed beds are ideal for tall perennials.
The top perennials for your garden are listed in this article, and they are simple to grow. Pictures and information on how to choose the best flowers that return every year will assist you in selecting the perfect flowers.
Do Perennials Come Back Year After Year?
Plants that can withstand harsh winters and return year after year are called perennials. Easy-care perennials will bloom yearly without much care after you’ve planted them in your garden. In cold regions, certain kinds of perennials are classified as “tender perennials” and develop as annual plants.
It’s crucial to determine the plant’s hardiness zone in order to determine which blooming plants return each year. Annuals, for example, thrive in northern states where some flowering plants flourish. They will, however, grow as perennials in the south, such as Florida, California, and Texas.
It’s also crucial to understand that some perennials might decline. They may thus bloom year after year, although they must be replanted every three to four years. With some flowering perennials, however, this isn’t the case. Some easy perennials, which produce new foliage and colorful flowers every year, continue to thrive for many years.
Tender perennials
Plants that cannot thrive in cold temperatures are known as tender perennials. Zone 10 and 11 are ideal for tender perennial flowering plants, while zone 9 is also suitable. Tender perennials are grown as annuals in colder zones, such as zones 8 and below.
Half-hardy perennials
Plants that tolerate colder temperatures better than most tender perennials are classified as half-hardy perennials. Many half-hardy perennials will return year after year despite brief cold winters.
Easy Perennials to Grow – Best Low Maintenance Perennial Flowers (With Pictures)
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular perennial flowers for your garden. Most blooming plants are cold hardy in zones 3 and 4, and several of them may be found in most areas.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Black-eyed Susan is a low-maintenance perennial that thrives in full sun and may be planted at the rear of flower beds or borders. The stems of Black-eyed Susan are tall, and the flowers are brilliant yellow. They bring brightness to your yard. For adding height and color to flower beds and borders, these drought-tolerant flowers are wonderful for landscaping.
Susan grows to be 2 or 3 feet (0.6–0.9 meters) tall, with black eyes. Zone 3 to 9 is ideal for the long-lasting blooming perennial flowers. They require minimal upkeep and can withstand periods of drought as a low-maintenance perennial.
Perennial Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Coneflowers are drought-tolerant perennials with gorgeous cut blooms that appeal to pollinators. Coneflowers are tall blooming perennial plants that thrive on neglect and produce flowers year after year. They are simple to cultivate. The tops of tall 1 to 4 ft (0.3 – 1.2 m) stems are adorned with lovely purple and pink flowers.
Coneflowers bloom from late spring to late summer, and they may even endure some frost if grown in a pot. Borders, flower beds, and wildflower gardens are all ideal places for the flowering plants to thrive. Zones 3 to 10 are ideal for coneflowers.
Perennial Tickseed (Coreopsis)
Coreopsis has yellow blooms that range in color from bright golden yellow to a wide spectrum of hues. Tickseed is a popular choice in perennial gardens, beds, borders, and patio pots because of its variety. Some tickseed flowers, such as daisies, are simple while others are showy double blooms that bloom continuously.
Perennial tickseed produces orange, pink, red, and bicolored blooms in addition to its stunning yellow flowers. Clumping blooms thrive in full sun and grow up to 3 feet (1.2 meters) tall. In the frigid north and the mild south (zones 3–10), these perennials flourish equally.
Balloon Flowers (Platycodon)
Platycodon is a blooming perennial plant that dies in winter and reapers in late spring, but blooms in summer. Low-growing, low-maintenance flowers like Platycodon prefer full sun or partial shade and require little care. Rock gardens, mixed flower beds, borders, and containers are all great places to plant balloon flowers.
These 10-inch (25-centimeter) tall perennial flowers bloom year after year. In your garden, balloon flowers bloom all summer and will last for a long time. Just watering to keep the soil moist is all that balloon flowers require. Zones 3 to 8 are suitable for hardy flowering perennials.
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Blazing star flowers are hardy perennials that bloom for many weeks every summer and autumn in rich sun and prefer moist but well-draining soil. The outstanding feature of these low-maintenance perennials is the plant’s decorative blooms in hues of pink, purple, and white.
Little pastel-colored flowers make up the flower spikes. Blazing star blooms are lush plants for borders, flower beds, and cottage gardens that are easy to cultivate and need little care. When growing with black-eyed Susan or coneflowers, the tall 2 to 4 ft. (0.6 – 1.2 m) blossoms are stunning. Zones 3 to 9 are ideal for blazing stars.
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
Bugleweed is a mint-family perennial that thrives in drought conditions and can be used as ground cover in the shade or partial sun. This fast-growing colorful plant thrives in areas of your garden that are shaded, allowing other plants to thrive. Bugleweed is a low-maintenance plant that grows to be only 8 inches (20 cm) tall, making it an evergreen perennial.
In the shade of trees, in rock gardens, or in containers, bugleweed thrives. In the spring, calendula blooms, which will last until the summer. A white, pink, or blue flower mat develops when you grow bugleweed in your garden. Bugleweed thrives in zones 3 to 10 and is easy to care for and cold hardy.
Cranesbill geranium perennials
From late spring to early fall, cranesbill geraniums are easygoing perennials that need very little upkeep. Hardy geraniums flourish as ground cover plants in full sun. They are easy to cultivate. Cranebill plants may be grown in rock gardens or containers as well. Drought tolerance is enjoyed by several cranebill geranium varieties, and they don’t need much care.
Never mix cranesbill geraniums and Pelargonium tender geraniums, for example. Cranesbills are hardy geraniums that thrive in zones 4 to 9 and produce a lot of blooms throughout the summer. Cranebill plants endure temperatures as low as -50°F (-45°C) in some species.
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Due to their tolerance for heat, drought, and cold, daylilies are a tall perennial flowering plant with attractive showy blooms in many colors. In hues of red, pink, yellow, orange, and apricot, daylilies create huge showy flowers. Mixed beds, shrub borders, and containers are the greatest locations to cultivate daylilies.
Daylilies bloom for a brief period of time in different species. You may, however, extend the flowering period of certain varieties by planting them at different times. Daylilies may bloom in your garden year after year, from early spring until late summer, if you choose plants wisely.
Daylilies are perennial plants, with some varieties being dormant over the winter and others dying back their leaves. In zones 3 to 9, grow these flowers.
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
From late spring until early summer, the graceful blooms of the bleeding heart plant add beauty and elegance to any garden. It’s simple to understand why these perennials are known by their common name when looking at photos of them. The blooms appear like bleeding white petals in a stunning red or pink color.
Bleeding hearts, which grow to be 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall in partially shaded borders or flower beds. These plants’ flowers thrive back every year to provide lovely hues to your yard, with little thought. From zones 3 to 9, these hardy perennials can thrive.
Hardy Perennial Begonias (Begonia grandis)
In some temperate areas, Begonia grandis plants are winter hardy and may be used in side beds, borders, or stand-alone drifts. The soft perennials have clusters of tiny dangling pink blooms and wing-shaped green leaves with crimson undersides. Hardy begonias grow up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall in partial shade or full sun and are perennial flowers.
Perennial begonias thrive in zones 6 to 9, despite the fact that most begonias species are annuals and cannot survive freezing temperatures.
Speedwell (Veronica)
Speedwells, which prefer bright sunlight and well-draining soil, are simple to look after. Speedwell perennials produce dense green leaves and flowers that bloom all summer. They grow as clusters. Speedwells are excellent for growing along borders, along the edge of a garden, in pots, or in mixed beds because to their clumping growth.
The spectacular floral displays of Speedwell last for three weeks, and they return each year. From 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) tall, speedwells come in a variety of sizes. Zones 4 through 8 are best for speedwell.
Creeping Speedwell (Veronica filiformis)
This kind of speedwell is an evergreen ground-hugging perennial that blooms in late spring and can tolerate some shade. Little light purple flowers bloom in profusion on creeping speedwell, bringing life to spring gardens. For full sun, creeping Speedwell thrives best as an edging, border, or carpet-forming ground cover.
Drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and shade-tolerant speedwell perennials are easy to care for. If you reside in zones 4–7, these are the ideal evergreen flowering plants.
Leopard Plant (Ligularia)
The flowering leopard plant, Ligularia, is a cheerful yellow perennial that may be seen in gardens and containers. The leopard plant has huge heart-shaped leaves, lengthy flower spikes, and densely packed foliage. To create vibrant visual height, leopard plants prefer growing at the rear of borders or flower beds.
You may also place it near garden ponds or streams because the plant enjoys damp soil. Full sun and partial shade are the optimum conditions for leopard plants. In zones 4 through 8, this is an excellent way to add color to summer gardens.
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
The perfect flowering perennial for adding color and herbaceous scents to gardens is lavender, which is a popular perennial flower in many gardens. At the end of long stems, little clusters of lilac blooms form compact spikes. These low-maintenance perennial plants blooms for up to four weeks, and if you trim dead blooms, they may rebloom.
These shrubby lavender herb plants need full sun to thrive. Planting English lavender en-masse along walkways or driveways will add colorful interest to your floral landscape display. For zones 5 to 9, English lavender is a wonderful herbaceous perennial.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Honeysuckle are easy-care perennial plants that bloom back every year and may be used to cover unsightly fences or walls. The semi-evergreen plants may be climbers, vines, ground cover plants, or flowering shrubs, depending on the type of honeysuckle.
Every winter and spring, some honeysuckle varieties produce flowers. Another kind of honeysuckle blooms throughout the summer with fragrant flowers. Light pruning is required for low maintenance perennial honeysuckles. Nonetheless, heat, drought, humidity, and cold are all inimical to easy-care plants. Zones 4–10 are ideal for honeysuckles.
Ice Plant Perennial Flowers (Delosperma cooperi)
Ice plants are a 6″ (15 cm) tall flowering perennial that requires little care and needs little maintenance throughout the summer until late autumn. The profusion of bright blooms covers the green foliage, giving your yard a spectacular look and fragrance when it is in full bloom.
Borders, bright ground cover, rock gardens, and flower beds all benefit from ice plants. Ice plants are tough, salt-tough, drought-tough perennials that need very little attention. Plant the flowers in full sun in zones 6 to 10.
Yarrow (Achillea)
Yarrow’s feathery leaves, fragrant flat-headed flowers, and long-lasting blooms all contribute to its beauty and fragrance in the garden. Pinks, reds, yellows, and whites are the pastel colors of the yarrow flowers. Bicolored blooms that last for weeks in late spring and late summer are among the most spectacular.
Yarrow plants can grow to be between 1 and 3 feet (0.3 and 0.9 meters). To create low-growing bushes, borders, or towering at the rear of flower beds, sow yarrow in clumps. Zone 3 to 9 are the optimum growing conditions for Yarrow.
Creeping Phlox Flowering Perennials (Phlox subulata)
Phlox is a long-blooming perennial that requires little care and thrives in various hues. From mid-spring through mid- or late-summer, the mat-forming plant produces a plethora of gorgeous hues for a few weeks. In hues ranging from white to red to blue to purple to pink, Phlox produces brilliant flowers.
It’s also known as moss phlox because it only grows to be around 5″ (12 cm) tall. Creeping phlox is the best flowering plant for borders, vases, ground cover, edging, rock gardens, and foundation plantings because it requires little care. In zones 3 to 9, add these gorgeous perennial flowers to your garden.
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)
If you want to grow plants in full shade, Indian pink is the perfect flowering perennial. It thrives in moist soil. North-facing gardens, beneath trees or shrubs, or in full shade are ideal locations for this clump-forming plant with dense foliage. In late spring and early summer, the stunning red and yellow blooms emerge from the glossy green leaves.
Perennial apple, often known as Indian pink, is a hardy border plant that thrives. The bushy plant, also known as Indian pink, grows to be 1.5 feet (0.6 meters) tall. It produces flowers year after year and is best suited for zones 5–9.
Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
Green and gold is a flowering perennial that thrives in partial shade gardens. It is best utilized as ground cover. Because of its thick foliage, this creeping perennial makes a excellent ground cover. From late spring through late summer, bright yellow blooms in the form of a star bloom.
The flowers will grow back every year after the low-growing plant has been established. There is minimal upkeep needed for it. Plants suitable for shaded gardens in zones 5 to 9 are green and gold bushy plants.