10 Best Perennial Plants To Grow

Coreopsis verticillata
The Threadleaf Coreopsis is also called "Cut and Come Again". It is a golden yellow daisy form flower with whorled fine, bright green leaves. It is one of the longest bloomers of the perennials, and it is one tough plant. Many of the best plants for American gardens are the prairie plants, and this is one of those. When I was first gardening, every garden book seemed to have this plant on the list of a "must have". It is not quite as popular today, and some of the new varieties are not quite as tough, although very pretty. Long bloom especially when used as a cut flower ( hence the common name).
'Moonbeam' is a variety of Coreopsis verticillata which has pale yellow flowers, and is smaller in all dimensions.



Campanula glomerata
There are many perennial plants of the Campanula family for gardens. They are really beautiful blues, and while I love the 'carpatica' species, this one will give you a taller plant with very showy blossoms. Either one is a good choice, and provides a lavender blue color or purplish flowers. They also come in white.


Cushion Chrysanthemums
These are the mounds of chrysanthemum blooms you see in the fall. They are sturdy, and nothing compares to them during their fall bloom. Cushion chrysanthemums come in many colors from golden yellow through pink to maroon. They don't need staking, but they aren't quite as easy to grow as some of the other choices in my top ten. easy to plant, yes, but if you grow them as perennials they need dividing every other year. They need fertilizing because they are greedy feeders for that burst of bloom. And good culture practice is to pinch off the buds and growing points of the branches before July 4th, after which you leave them alone, to ensure a fall rather than late summer bloom. It is worth it to have their beautiful color when nothing else is so strongly blooming.


Hemerocallis
Daylilies grow in sun or shade, in all sorts of tough conditions and bloom like nobody's business! Not to be confused with the lilies that grow from bulbs, these hardy perennials come in such a huge spectrum of varieties that one can be found to meet just about any desire for a blooming flower. Except maybe for blues, although like with the rose, you can't blame the breeders for not trying! Read more about dayliliies in their own highlight on this page.


Siberian Iris
These are graceful and bring beauty to a garden in the sun or shade. Unbothered by diseases, they bloom in the early summer or late spring, and have beautiful foliage for the rest of the season, which is no small benefit. I've always loved this plant and there are some exciting new varieties to grow, Most are purple and blue in color.


Echinacea purpura
The coneflower is another native flower from the prairies and has rightfully become extremely popular. It is one perennial that is very easy to grow from seed and can be divided as well. There are some new colors and sizes that are now available. The foliage is a little coarse and the plants grow strongly vertical. The cone seedheads remain for winter interest, so this is a long season perennial.


Peonies
Old fashioned, fragrant, beautiful foliage, with big showy flowers... a perennial favorite for generations. Another great flower for the period garden, it is a great cut flower, and makes a fine looking herbaceous bush for the time it is out of bloom- which is all of the summer, since these bloom only in springtime. But what a show they give!


Achillea filipendulina
I told you prairie flowers are some of the best for garden success and here is another one. The flat plate- like flowers rise medium to tall in the garden, are excellent dried flowers and will be sturdy, strong growers when given full sun. Fine textured green foliage. These flowers are an interesting form that is good for all types of gardens. AKA "Yarrow". If you are tired of Black-eyed Susans grow these plants instead. Or better yet, combine them.


Hostas
Hostas are some of the preeminently useful perennials of the garden. The only thing they don't do so well is grow in full sun. but some of them even tolerate that. Mainly grown for the gorgeous foliage and the full shape of their plant, they also have flowers, which are a fine feature in some of the varieties. If you have any partly sunny /partly shady spot at all, you ought to have some hostas growing there. They are hardy, and grow somewhat slowly, but many become giants if given time. They also work as groundcovers.

Photo credit: emenel

Rudbeckia fulgens, Black-eyed Susans
By now, you are probably all too familiar with the Black eyed Susan daisies. Landscaper's darlings, they produce along period of bloom with interesting seed heads through the winter. But don't snub the Susan's since they will mix very nicely with other plants in your garden and have a very long flowering time. They also bloom during a later season than many plants. Breeders are producing many types and some different colors, but I prefer the mid sized golden ones. Goldsturm is a good one.

Day lilies provide a long period of bloom, great color on a well formed plant that stays healthy. It also grows in a wide variety of conditions. While 'Stella D'Oro' is everywhere (no other day lily blooms for quite as long), there are so many wonderful colors and forms, along with some that have fragrance that you really should plant several types. They have a span over a long season- you can get early, mid, and late bloomers. Tall, medium, and miniature heights... breeders have gone wild with the Hemerocallis group of perennials.

Home gardeners benefit!

Some of my favorites are :

Hyperion This is an old fashioned one, with lemon yellow blooms and fine fragrance. It is also good for a period garden.
Siloam Junebug is a cute miniature that will bloom her head off. All the varieties that come from the Siloam group are worth growing.
Moonlit Masquerade is a prolific bloomer.
Fairy Tale Pink for sweet, tender color.
Lullaby Baby small, but many blooms, in a pretty white.