Perennials with Staying Power
Move over annuals! These hardworking plants pop up every year, put on a seasonlong flower show and save you money in the long run.
Grow hardworking plants for colorful blooms all season.
Annuals are likely your go-to’s for a long season of flowers, but some perennials give them a run for their money. Long-blooming types are tough, dependable and flower for six weeks or more. That’s a bonus for pollinators, because they’ll have a source of food every year. Perhaps best of all, buying perennials means you only pull out your wallet once, then sit back and reap the rewards of money well-spent.
“Any long-blooming perennials are a worthwhile investment,” says Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms, one of the largest growers in North America. “They give you tons of blooms over the course of months and come back every year, so every season, the display is better than the year before. Who doesn’t love the idea of planting something once that blooms constantly and comes back every year?”
At the garden center this spring, reach for these tough, long-blooming perennials.
Coneflower
This purple beauty is a common grower in prairie plantings everywhere and for good reason: It succeeds in a wide range of conditions. A dependable performer in the intense heat of summer, it never fails to please with its large, colorful flowers. Growing 2 to 5 feet tall, coneflower traditionally offers purplish pink petals surrounding golden disks, but newer cultivars are white, yellow, orange, tomato red and pink. Zones 3 to 8.
Shasta daisy
Becky is a common cultivar with a classic look that will put a smile on your face. Divide Shasta daisies every three years to invigorate the blooms and encourage
longevity. The large 3- to 4-inch-wide flowers bloom from midsummer into fall if deadheaded. These sturdy, upright plants grow 1 to 3 feet tall, so they won’t overpower your garden. Zones 4 to 9.
Rose campion
Also known as mullein pink and dusty miller, rose campion is a short-lived perennial that never seems to disappear. Because it selfseeds freely, young plants are always ready to take over. Plants reach 2 to 3 feet, with bright magenta flowers that rise above velvety gray foliage. Some cultivars have white or red flowers, or white blooms with pink centers. Drought tolerant. Zones 4 to 8.
Russian sage
Gardeners grow this popular perennial for many reasons: it’s deer resistant; it tolerates heat, wind, drought and poor soil; and pollinators love it. Plus it blooms for a good, long time. The purplish blue flowers appear from midsummer to early fall, complementing the aromatic gray-green foliage. Russian sage grows 3 to 5 feet tall and features a relaxed, open habit. To avoid having to stake, place Russian sage in back of a sturdy companion to keep it upright. Or choose a dwarf form that matures at about 2¹/₂ feet. Zones 4 to 9.
Pincushion flower
Butterfly Blue pincushion flower deserves a starring role in more gardens. For starters, its lavender-blue flowers are butterfly magnets. The unique blooms, which rise up on 12- to 15-inch wiry stems, look like miniature pincushions and produce blooms from spring to frost.
Because of its small size and long bloom period, Butterfly Blue is well-suited for the front of borders. Zones 3 to 7.
Coreopsis
Moonbeam coreopsis is worthy of a spot in the garden just for its airy green foliage. But in summer, it’s topped by a profusion of creamy yellow flowers, providing all the more reason to plant it. Shear the spent flowers to get extra blooms in fall. Moonbeam grows 12 to 18 inches tall and makes a nice front-of-border plant. It’s not only tolerant of heat and humidity; it does well in dry, rocky soils. Zones 3 to 9.
Black-eyed Susan
Most black-eyed Susans are well-known for having a long bloom period, but Little Goldstar takes it up one notch. Its bright golden yellow flowers with chocolate centers appear from midsummer to early fall. These butterfly favorites grow 2 to 3 feet tall and are sturdy enough to stand without staking. They’ll adapt to dry and moist soils and even heavy clay, but they do best in a well-draining soil with ample moisture. Little Goldstar looks great in a border or container. Deer resistant. Zones 4 to 8.
Yarren
Strawberry Seduction yarrow is a beauty, thanks to the clusters of dusty red flowers with yellow centers that appear throughout the summer. The flowers are small but numerous, rising 18 to 24 inches and fading to hues of light pink and brown. It tends to spread, so divide every few years to contain it. Zones 3 to 9.
Sedum
Sedum is officially a lazy gardener’s best friend: plant it and forget it. Popular cultivars such as Autumn Joy grow only 18 to 24 inches tall and feature attractive bluegreen succulent leaves that resist animal browsing. Grow sedum in well-draining soil and full sun for best results. This mounded perennial looks great in late summer and early fall, when flowers mature to pink or rusty red, depending on the cultivar. The flowers are attractive even after they turn brown, so leave them for winter interest. Zones 3 to 8.
Veronica
Sunny Border Blue veronica produces a dense clump of crinkled green foliage topped by violet-blue flower spikes from summer to fall if deadheaded. Sunny Border Blue grows 18 to 24 inches tall. A pollinator favorite, this veronica also makes a perfect cut flower. It is adaptable to different soils as long they drain well. Zones 4 to 8. •
Luke Miller is a Master Gardener with 20 years of experience as a nationally published garden writer and editor. Go to facebook.com/ gardenideas for tips, tricks and inspiration from Luke.