Perennials for Beginners
Perennials are plants that reliably grow back year after year. They come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. It can be a bit overwhelming to stand in the perennial section and look out at this great sea of color, but the following list should help make your choices easier….
Perennials that grow very tall- Hollyhocks, delphiniums, Joepye weed, plume poppy, lovage, bugbane, Russian sage
Perennials with fragrant flowers- carnation, lily of the valley, sweet William, tall phlox, peony, Centaurea
Perennials suitable for rock gardens- bellflower, dianthus, dwarf iris, creeping phlox, Arabis, hens & chicks, sedum
Perennials for hot, dry areas- yarrow, sedum, Russian sage, blue flax, meadow sage, bearded iris, Gaillardia, Artemesia
Perennials that do well in shade- Hosta, astilbe, ferns, primrose, lady’s mantle, lily of the valley, ajuga
Perennials for damp, wet areas- Siberian iris, creeping jenny, Joepye weed, ligularia, Helenium, Monarda
Perennials good for cutflowers- Monarda, Liatris, Delphinium, Chrysanthemum, tall phlox, lilies, bleeding heart, yarrow, bellflower, iris
Perennials that do well in containers-Hosta, fern, sedum, Rudbeckia, ornamental grasses, lilies, daylilies
Perennials that self seed- Hesperis, Iceland poppy, Meadow sage, blue flax, maiden pink, columbine
Perennials with attractive foliage- Silvermound, Heuchera, Hosta, fern, blue fescue, lady’s mantle, bergenia
Perennials that deer would rather not eat- Bleeding heart, Artemesia, Russian sage, Monarda, Monkshood, Asclepias
Perennials that flower late in the year- Chrysanthemum, fall aster, ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum, Japanese anemone,
Perennials that make good groundcovers- sedum, creeping thyme, snow in summer, Arabis, creeping phlox, maiden pink
By Tricia Ingram
Owner Cobblestone Garden Centre, designer, hort grower, writer, & educator. Language enthusiast, sports fanatic, music & arts lover, volunteer, youth advocate
