Blooming all summer long is an attribute that gardeners deeply cherish in their plants. They add continuous color and vitality to our gardens, becoming a source of joy and delight all season. If you’re keen to add such a feature to your garden, perennial flowers are your best bet.
They’re not only known for their hardiness and longevity but also for their all-summer-long bloom. Below is a list of 18 perennial flowers that will brighten up your garden all summer long.
1. Coneflowers (Echinacea):
Echinacea, commonly known as coneflowers, are robust, drought-resistant flowers that bloom from early summer to fall. These natives of North America produce a plethora of vibrant purple, pink, yellow, or white flowers attracting both butterflies and birds to your garden.
2. Daylilies (Hemerocallis):
As the name suggests, the individual flowers of daylilies only last for a day. However, each plant produces many buds, ensuring a constant show of flowers from late spring until autumn. They come in a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, red, and pink.
3. Black-Eyed Susans:
These cheerful, sunny flowers are an excellent choice for a summer garden. Their bright yellow petals and dark centers bloom throughout the summer and into the fall, providing a lovely contrast and attracting pollinators.
4. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum):
The Shasta Daisy, with its bright white petals and yellow centers, is an iconic summer perennial. Blooming from early summer to early fall, this easy-to-care-for flower brings a classic beauty to any garden.
5. Coreopsis:
Also known as tickseed, Coreopsis blooms throughout the summer, producing a beautiful array of yellow, red, or pink flowers. They are extremely resilient, drought-tolerant, and are a favorite among butterflies.
6. Lavender (Lavandula):
Known for their soothing scent and beautiful purple flowers, lavender plants are heat and drought-tolerant. They bloom from late spring to late summer, offering a feast for pollinators.
7. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium):
Yarrow is a highly adaptable and resilient perennial, producing clusters of white, yellow, pink, or red flowers from early summer to early fall. This plant is loved by butterflies, making it an excellent addition to a butterfly garden.
8. Hostas:
Although primarily grown for their attractive foliage, hostas also produce lily-like flowers in white, lavender, or violet throughout the summer. They prefer shade, making them perfect for those tricky shady spots in your garden.
9. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia):
Russian sage is a hardy, drought-resistant plant that produces beautiful, airy spires of blue-purple flowers from mid-summer to late fall. Its silvery foliage also adds a unique contrast to the garden.
10. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia):
Blanket flowers produce a profusion of brightly-colored red, orange, and yellow blooms all summer long. They are drought-tolerant, making them an excellent choice for hot, sunny locations.
11. Salvia:
Salvia, or sage, is a wide-ranging genus with over 900 species, many of which bloom all summer. The flowers can be blue, purple, pink, red, or white and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.
12. Geranium:
Unlike their annual counterparts, perennial geraniums bloom from early summer to early fall, producing flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. They are easy to grow and tolerate a variety of soil conditions.
13. Aster:
Although Asters are primarily known for their fall bloom, some species start blooming in the summer. They produce daisy-like flowers in a range of colors from white and pink to purple and blue.
14. Bee Balm (Monarda):
Bee Balm is a native North American perennial that produces a profusion of vibrant red, pink, or purple flowers. As the name suggests, it is attractive to bees, as well as butterflies and hummingbirds.
15. Veronica (Speedwell):
Veronica flowers create spires of blue, purple, pink, or white flowers that bloom throughout the summer. This plant loves the sun and is resistant to both deer and drought.
16. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa):
This native plant produces clusters of bright orange or yellow flowers throughout the summer. As the name suggests, it is particularly attractive to butterflies, especially the Monarch butterfly.
17. Sedum:
There are many varieties of sedum, some of which bloom from early summer to early fall. They produce clusters of pink, red, yellow, or white flowers and are extremely drought-tolerant.
18. Phlox:
Phlox species offer a variety of flowering times, with some varieties blooming throughout the summer. They produce clusters of pink, purple, white, or blue flowers and are loved by butterflies and hummingbirds.
With these perennial flowers in your garden, you can enjoy an explosion of color all summer long. Each comes with its unique attributes, so you can choose the ones that best match your gardening needs and preferences.
Not only will these flowers beautify your garden, but they will also provide a valuable food source for local pollinators, helping to support biodiversity in your area.