Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a newbie with green fingers, you’ve no doubt heard of perennial plants. They’re an absolute pleasure to have in the garden, providing beauty and greenery season after season. Unlike annuals, which need to be replanted each year, perennials return year after year, bringing a sense of continuity and life to your outdoor space. So, to have yourself some plants that you can get to know in the long term, here are some perennials that will keep on coming back.
Lavender
A particular favorite perennial in the world of gardening is lavender, a drought-tolerant plant that does wonders in attracting pollinators. As a result, it will attract bees and butterflies, both of which will get to work in helping your flowers thrive. Best of all, its fragrant leaves can be harvested for culinary uses or potpourri, and once established, it requires minimal care, making it a perfect choice for busy gardeners who still want a beautiful landscape.
Coneflower
Echinacea, or coneflower, stands tall and proud with its daisy-like blooms. Available in various colors, including purple, pink, and white, it brings a cheerful vibe to any garden. Just like with lavender, this resilient plant attracts butterflies and bees while boasting medicinal properties. Furthermore, its drought tolerance makes it an excellent option for gardens in hotter climates, ensuring vibrant blooms throughout the summer.
Daylily
Daylilies are prized for their ability to thrive in diverse conditions and require minimal maintenance, making them perfect for both novice and experienced gardeners. Their vibrant flowers bloom for just a single day, but each plant produces an abundance of buds, creating a stunning display over several weeks. What’s more, they can be found in countless colors and patterns, so they can brighten up your garden according to whichever palette you see fit.
Hostas
It’s usually impossible to have a garden that is completely sunned, but don’t worry–if you’re looking for shade-loving plants to color up those dark spots, hostas are up for the job. These plants feature lush foliage, covering deep greens, vibrant blues, and variegated patterns. The fact that they thrive so well in shady spots makes them highly functional, enabling you to add texture and color to areas where other plants might struggle.
Peony
Beloved for their large, fragrant blooms and lush, green foliage, peonies are long-lived perennials that can thrive for decades, providing stunning flowers in late spring to early summer. They really do make for a beautiful addition to any garden, especially considering that their long-lasting blooms are perfect for cutting and bringing indoors, filling your home with delightful fragrances.
Sedum
Sedum, or stonecrop, is a hardy succulent that thrives in poor soil and full sun, making them an excellent choice for filling up areas of your garden where the soil struggles. In fact, it’s absolutely perfect for rock gardens, borders, or even ground cover and will decorate them with clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer. Better still, they attract butterflies and other pollinators–what more could you want?
Black-eyed Susan
These cheerful, golden-yellow flowers have the mission to brighten up any garden during the summer and fall, attracting bees, butterflies, and birds, all while putting on a stunning display of their own. Famous for their resilience, they thrive in various soil types and conditions, and once they’re established, black-eyed Susans require little maintenance, making them an excellent choice for those who want beautiful blooms with minimal effort.
Astilbe
Just like hostas, astilbe adds a touch of elegance to shady areas with its feathery plumes of flowers. Seeds can be bought in shades of pink, white, and red and will bloom in early to mid-summer, creating a soft, airy feel in the garden. However, remember that astilbe prefers moist soil to grow to its true capabilities.
Russian Sage
Russian sage is another striking perennial, this time known for its silvery foliage and tall, airy spikes of purple flowers. This drought-tolerant plant thrives in sunny locations and well-drained soil, but as long as you take care of that, it makes for a rather low-maintenance plant. As a bonus, the aromatic leaves even deter pests, making it a practical addition to your garden. Best of all, it’ll come back next year and the next!
Phlox
One of the most versatile perennials out there is phlox, a plant that offers a burst of color in late summer to early fall. You can plant it in shades of pink, purple, white, and red to bring plenty of color to your garden, not to mention butterflies and hummingbirds. You’ll need to remember that phlox prefers full sun, so keep it out of the shade and keep it watered, and it should reliably keep coming back.
Hellebore
If you’re looking for a perennial to bring some early winter color when other plants haven’t yet got there, try hellebores, which bloom in late winter to early spring. Their distinctive flowers come in various colors, including deep purples, whites, and pinks. Conveniently, they also thrive in shady areas and are relatively low-maintenance, so even a gray winter won’t hold them back from returning each year.
Coral Bells
Many people cherish coral bells for their colorful foliage that attracts all kinds of hummingbirds and butterflies. This delicate flower spikes in late spring, and you can be sure that it will keep coming back. It’s also pretty easy to maintain for newbie gardeners, thriving in various soil conditions and tolerating the occasional bit of shade. For best results, though, give it plenty of sun.
Butterfly Bush
As the name suggests, butterfly bushes attract a plethora of butterflies with their fragrant, colorful blooms. They’re surprisingly fast-growing, as long as you give them a sunny spot in your garden, and will then continue flowering all the way from summer into fall. If you’re looking for inspiration as to where to plant these, we’d recommend using them to decorate your hedges or borders due to their sprawling nature.
Salvia
When you plant salvia, don’t be surprised if it just keeps bouncing back, as it’s yet another versatile perennial. Uniquely, it comes in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and naturally, this helps it attract all sorts of pollinators. Salvia is also drought-tolerant, making it an excellent choice for gardeners looking to reduce water consumption while still enjoying stunning blooms.
Aster
If you’ve been gardening for a while, you’ve surely had asters on your list, a lovely species of perennial that blooms in the late summer to fall. Many gardeners love this about asters, as it helps to provide a splash of color as the gardening season winds down. More still, their daisy-like flowers are particularly beautiful, coming in many different forms and colors. Trust us–plant these next year, and you’ll be more than happy to see them return in the following years.
Foam Flower
Finally, this list simply couldn’t be complete without the foam flower, a charming perennial that is appropriately named after its delicate, frothy blooms and attractive foliage. It’s pretty easy to care for, comes back every year, and thrives in shady areas. The unique flowers will appear in spring, creating a whimsical display among lush green leaves, and after they return each year, you’ll no doubt wish you’d planted them in your garden’s shady areas a lot earlier.