Beginner Gardener? Try These 20 Easy-to-Grow Perennials
Perennial plants are great for inexperienced gardeners or those who don’t want to create a new flowerbed arrangement every year. These plants will grow back each spring, giving you dependable greenery and colorful flowers with minimal work.
The Black-eyed susan is a flowering black and yellow plant with curving leaves. It is culturally important in the Southern U.S., and is often used to attract butterflies to gardens. It long ago spread throughout North America and much of the world. Black-eyed susan is the state flower of Maryland and was important in the history of the University of Southern Mississippi.
The Orange daylily is a perennial plant known for its captivating lily-like blooms. Its natural habitats are meadows and forests, but it is also a common garden plant in temperate regions around the world. Each individual flower lasts only a day, but the plant will bloom new ones for weeks. Orange daylily ‘s young buds and flowers are edible either raw or cooked. As a bonus to vegetarians, the flowers contain more fats than most vegetables.
The English lavender is a common flowering plant originally native to the Mediterranean region. Today, it is often used in scented products such as candles, oils, perfumes, soaps, and house sprays. The scent also has a deterrent effect against clothing moths.
Martagon lily (Lilium martagon) is a lily plant native to Europe and Asia from Portugal to Mongolia. Martagon lily is a commonly cultivated ornamental garden plant and it is toxic to cats.
Hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa) is a perennial evergreen that grows on cliff sides, boulders, and rocky areas throughout its native eastern United States. There are two distinct varieties of Hairy alumroot that grow on opposite sides of the Appalachian mountains.
Woodland sage is a clump-forming plant that is known for its purple flowers that grow on upright purple stems. This plant is especially attractive to butterflies and bees and the leaves give off a minty fragrance. This perennial should be cut back after flowering has concluded, usually in early fall.
Marvel of peru (Mirabilis jalapa), also known as the marvel of Peru, is a perennial, herbaceous, bushy plant with fragrant, showy flowers, commonly cultivated for ornamental purposes. During bloom time, its flowers are closed most of the day; they open between four and eight o’clock, hence the common name Four o’clock flower.
This perennial forms a cluster of bright-red flowers atop a 3 foot long stem, which are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. The leaves are aromatic, with a minty smell, and can also be brewed into tea, as the Oswego people taught the early European colonists in the New York area.
Common yarrow is a wildflower that has feathery leaves and flowers in white, yellow or pink. In China, the plant is considered to be good luck while for some time in Scotland it was believed to have magical properties. It has been brewed into beer, tea, and liquors, but it has low toxicity. Don’t consumed in large quantities. Common yarrow ‘s bitter leaves are toxic to pets and horses. Other livestock can eat it, though it gives cow milk an unpleasant flavor.
Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum superbum) is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant named after Mount Shasta. It is a popular garden plant often cultivated for groundcover. Some species in the same genus are considered noxious weeds.
Bugleweed is a mat-forming, dense plant that features blue flowers and shiny, dark green leaves. Although it works extremely well for a ground cover that will choke out weeds and provide a colorful display, Bugleweed does not tolerate much foot traffic. Take care to plant it in a location that is away from paths.
Dwarf pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria) is a flowering perennial native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Dwarf pincushion flower grows longer into the summer season than most other flower species. This happens because it has a long taproot that allows it to extract water from deep in the water table.
The Bearded iris is a flowering plant that appears in many different colors. It is a popular garden plant because it’s easy to grow. Though their native lands are in Europe, Bearded irises are often grown in Iranian cemeteries.
The Garden phlox is a flowering plant that is native to the United States. The name, phlox, comes from the Latin for “flame,” reflecting its bright colors. Garden phlox flowers can become important food sources for insects and hummingbirds.
Orpine (Hylotelephium telephium) is a perennial succulent native to Eurasia. This species is often planted in gardens for ornamental purposes and grows best in gravelly or calcareous soils. In Finland, the Orpine is an officially protected species because its leaves are the most important food source for the Apollo butterfly, the largest type of butterfly in that country.
While it is cultivated as a garden flower in many places, the Bigleaf lupine is considered an invasive species in others. As a garden plant, the Bigleaf lupine is commonly used to attract bees and retain nitrogen in the soil. But in New Zealand, Argentina, and various countries in Europe, Bigleaf lupine are grown invasively and causing many ecological problems.
The Lance-leaved coreopsis attracts pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies but is considered an invasive species in many countries, such as Japan. Originally native to the eastern U.S., it has since spread around the world. The Lance-leaved coreopsis grows well in wet or dry soil.
New england aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a flowering plant native to North America. It is widely cultivated for ornamental horticulture and as a garden plant. There are over 70 cultivars of New england aster.
The trademark feature of Asia-native plantain lilies is the numerous glossy oval leaves with deep parallel veins. The Fragrant plantain lily is additionally decorated with strongly fragrant, trumpet-shaped, large white flowers, which are unique in the genus. Hosta plantaginea is one of the favorite cultivated plants for north-facing and shady gardens, but it also tolerates high humidity and temperatures.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is an herb native to North America that flourishes in prairie environments or open wooded areas. The Purple coneflower makes a good addition to a flower bed or garden because its blooms last the whole summer and attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds.