Long blooming perennials are a wonderful addition to any garden. Their extended blooming period means you can enjoy their vibrant colors and beautiful flowers for a longer time. Unlike annuals or other short-lived plants, long blooming perennials continue to grace your garden with their presence throughout the growing season, bringing joy and visual interest.
These perennials often have multiple waves of blooms, ensuring there is always something in bloom. This constant display of color adds depth and dimension to your garden, creating a visually stunning landscape that is sure to impress. Another advantage of long blooming perennials is their ability to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These beneficial creatures play a crucial role in pollination, helping to fertilize plants and promote healthy growth. By planting long blooming perennials, you not only enhance the beauty of your garden but also contribute to the overall ecosystem by providing a valuable food source for these pollinators.
These plants require less maintenance compared to plants that have shorter blooming periods. Once established, they generally require minimal care and attention, allowing you to save both time and effort in your gardening endeavors. This makes them an excellent choice for busy gardeners or those who prefer low-maintenance landscaping.
Long blooming perennials offer versatility in terms of plant choices. There are numerous varieties available, ranging from colorful flowers to foliage-rich plants allowing you to create unique combinations and arrangements in your garden, enabling you to express your creativity and personal style.
Here are ten of our favorite and longest-blooming perennial plants:
Bee Balm - Bee balm, also known as Monarda, is a hardy perennial that can tolerate a range of growing conditions, making it a versatile choice for gardens and landscapes. With its long-lasting blooms and ability to attract pollinators, bee balm is a wonderful addition to any garden. Bee balm can bloom from early summer through fall, providing months of visual interest and nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The plant's aromatic foliage also makes it deer-resistant, an important consideration for many gardeners. Bee balm thrives in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Hardiness zones 3-9.
Catmint – Catmint, also known as Nepeta, is a wonderful long-blooming perennial that deserves a place in every garden. This hardy plant is known for its aromatic foliage and beautiful, long-lasting flowers that bloom from late spring through fall, making it a valuable addition to any garden, providing color and interest throughout the growing season. Catmint prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. It's a drought-tolerant plant and a great choice for low-maintenance gardens. With proper care and placement, catmint can thrive for years, returning reliably each season. Hardiness zones 4-8.
Coneflower - Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, are hardy flowers native to North America and are known for their vibrant, daisy-like blooms that last from mid-summer through fall. Coneflowers can continue to produce new blooms for 3-4 months with peak blooming from July to September. The flowers feature a distinctive central cone surrounded by colorful petals that come in shades of pink, purple, white, and yellow. As the blooms age, the cone turns from green to brown, adding additional visual interest. Hardiness zones 3-8.
Coreopsis - Coreopsis, also known as Tickseed, is a hardy plant, and a favorite among gardeners for its ease of care, drought tolerance, and extended flowering period. Coreopsis blooms typically occur from late spring through late fall, providing months of color in the garden. The flowers come in a variety of hues, including yellow, orange, red, and bicolor varieties, adding a lovely pop of brightness to any landscape. This extended bloom time makes it an excellent choice for adding long-lasting interest to flower beds, borders, and mixed plantings. These flowers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil and are drought-tolerant. Hardiness zones 2-11.
Gaillardia - Gaillardia, also known as the blanket flower, has vibrant, daisy-like flowers that bloom from early summer through the first frost. The flowers come in a range of warm, sunset-inspired hues, including shades of red, orange, yellow, and bronze, making them a versatile option for complementing garden styles and color schemes. In addition to their impressive flowering capabilities, Gaillardia plants are also remarkably low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, making them a practical choice for gardeners of all skill levels. Hardiness zones 3-10 (can vary by variety).
Lavender - Lavender blooms can vary depending on the specific cultivar and growing conditions, but in general, most varieties will begin to flower in late spring or early summer. The peak bloom period is typically in the mid-to-late summer months, with the flowers remaining vibrant and fragrant for several weeks. With proper care and maintenance, lavender plants can continue to produce new flowers throughout the growing season, providing a consistent source of beauty and aroma. For the best results, it's important to plant lavender in a location that receives full sun exposure and has well-draining soil. Proper care, including regular pruning and deadheading, can also help extend the plant's blooming season. Hardiness zones 5-9.
Penstemon - Penstemon, also known as beardtongue, comes in a wide variety of colors, from vibrant reds and purples to softer pinks and whites. Depending on the variety, penstemon can bloom for up to 3-4 months, providing a stunning display of color in the garden from late spring through midsummer. This makes them an excellent choice for adding long-lasting interest to borders, beds, and rock gardens. In cooler climates, you can expect penstemon to bloom in late May or early June, while in warmer regions, the bloom season may begin as early as April. Deadheading spent flowers can encourage the plant to continue producing new blooms throughout the season. Hardiness zones 3-8
Rudbeckia - Rudbeckia, also known as Black-Eyed Susan, has cheerful, daisy-like flowers that bloom from mid-summer through fall, providing months of beautiful color. Rudbeckia is a low-maintenance perennial that thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, making it an excellent choice for a variety of garden settings. The plant's sturdy stems support the large, golden-yellow flowers with distinctive dark centers, creating an eye-catching display. Rudbeckia’s extended flowering season makes it a valuable addition to any garden since it provides color and interest when many other plants have finished blooming. Hardiness zones 3-9 (varies by variety).
Salvia - Salvia, often referred to as sage, is a wonderful long-blooming perennial that adds vibrant color and texture to gardens. Known for its aromatic foliage and stunning flower spikes, salvia is a versatile plant that thrives in many climates. Depending on the variety, salvia can bloom from late spring through the first frost, providing months of visual interest in the garden. The flowers come in a wide range of colors, including red, purple, blue, pink, and white, making it easy to find a cultivar that complements your garden's color scheme. Hardiness zones 3-9 (varies by variety).
Yarrow - Yarrow is known for its clusters of small, vibrant flowers that bloom for an extended period. It is a hardy and versatile plant that thrives in different growing conditions. Depending on the variety, yarrow can bloom from late spring through late fall, providing color and interest in the garden for many months. The flowers, which come in shades of white, yellow, pink, and red, are attractive to pollinators such as bees and butterflies, making yarrow a valuable addition to any wildlife-friendly garden. Yarrow is also a low-maintenance plant that is drought-tolerant and can grow in a variety of soil types, from sand to clay. This makes it an excellent choice for gardeners who want to create a low-water, low-maintenance landscape. Yarrow is deer-resistant, making it a good option for gardeners with this problem. Hardiness zones 4-9
Long blooming perennials are an excellent choice for any garden due to their extended bloom time, continuous display of color, ability to attract pollinators, low maintenance requirements, and wide range of plant choices. By incorporating these beauties into your garden, you can enjoy a visually stunning and vibrant outdoor space that will bring you joy throughout the growing season.
