List of Perennial FlowersI have a long list of perennial flowers that I love! I most definitely prefer perennial plants to annuals. Perennials are planted once, and come back year after year, whereas annual flowers must be planted...you guessed it...annually!
Perennials tend to double in size with each passing year, and may need to be divided approximately every 5 years. This is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned, since that means that you have a never ending supply of plants to relocate throughout your yard!
List of Perennial Flowers - FavoritesThe list of perennial flowers available to you is extensive, but I will only discuss my most favorite on this page. The links provided on this page will take you directly to the companies that I have purchased a list of perennial flowers from myself.
Climbing Vines - such as clematis, fill up empty spaces quite nicely, particularly when placed in full sun. A friend of mine has a clematis vine just like this one, along the east side of her home, and it is in full glory by mid summer. This vine grows well with little maintenance once it's established, and can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. Clematis is definitely one of the easier flowers to grow in the yard.
Photo courtesy of Shelleys1 Ornamental grasses – how I love these! I have 3 Zebra Ornamental Grasses planted in my garden design. Yep, that’s right, I have perennials planted in my garden, the place where I also plant my vegetables.
Instead of the typical rectangular-shaped garden, that contains rows upon rows of neatly planted items, I have a kidney bean-shaped garden that contains ornamental grasses, daylilies, a few baby trees being nourished before moving to their permanent locations, and some flowers. The Zebra Ornamental Grasses really add a lot of visual interest to the garden, and are beautiful to look at throughout the seasons. This is a picture from earlier in the summer, however in the fall they develop soft plums from their leafy centers. While I generally opt for a more frugal approach, I have to admit that I purchased these grasses from a local nursery for about $15 each. They came in two-gallon buckets, and were much more established than what I usually purchase. Because of this I had to take extra care when planting them, and fortunately, they have all survived! I’d also recommend checking out Northern Lights Grass, Blue Fescue, Fountain and Pampas Grass. They are all excellent choices for the landscape design, especially when planted in mass!
Photo courtesy of Audreyjm529 Daylilies are another one of my favorites! I have planted some daylilies around a light post in the front yard to make cutting the grass easier, but generally, I prefer to plant these as specimen plants, as opposed to border plants. I prefer to buy the more unique colors, and then plant them where appropriate throughout my yard. This is another plant that has made it to my kidney bean-shaped garden design. If you like yellow flowers, take a look at Stella d’Oro Daylilies. They only grow to about 12”-18” but they are one of the more plentiful bloomers of the Daylily family, and produce yellow blooms all season long! I planted them in my brother’s yard in fall, so I’ll be sure to get plenty of pictures this spring. Lamb's Ears have got to be one of the most hardy perennial I've every seen! This plant grows relatively low to the ground - about 6 inches tall - but has tall stalks shoot up with little purple flowers in summer. The stalks can get to be about 3 feet tall. I have this plant located next to my driveway, right along the street. They are planted in the poorest of soils - lots of pebbles and clay - and I have driven over them numerous time. They keep coming back!! Better yet, they spread! If you have a location with poor soil or other factors that make it difficult to plant, try the Lamb's Ear. I cut off the shoots and just leave the short growth. I find that more visually appealing. But trust me, this is a true survivor!
Photo courtesy of rhettmaxwell
Balloon Flowers are just so pretty to me! As they establish themselves, they can look so graceful in groupings. I ordered blue and white Balloon Flowers and I just love they look in my garden! You may want to consider providing a support for them as they grow to over 3 feet tall. While their stems are sturdy, they tend to lop over a bit due to their weight. Delphiniums are some of my most favorite perennials, probably because of the wonderful shades of blue and pink that they exhibit. Unfortunately, I have not been terribly successful with these plants. They tend to be a little more delicate than the others I work with. They like the right amount of sun, nutrient rich, well-drained soil, and the right amount of water. If you go with delphinium, be sure to choose the right location and you will not be disappointed! Depending on the variety you select, they range in height from about 18” to over 3 feet. The list of perennial flowers goes on and on to add to your backyard landscape design. The key is to create a design (or select a pre-designed garden) for the area that you wish to focus on, and review the height, shape, color, and texture of the plants that you’d like to include. Be sure to be conscious about the color of the flowers that will bloom throughout the season from your list of perennial flowers, so that you can select complimentary plants.
Hydrangeas - How do you like my Nikko Blue Hydrangea?? No, your eyes don't deceive you, and the picture isn't bad...the flowers are in fact...pink. The flowers of this plant are affected by the acidity/alkalinity (is that a word?) of the soil. Many people choose to increase or decrease the acidity of the soil in order to produce the flower color of their choice, but I find that to be a little too high maintenance for me, so I enjoy the color that the plants produce naturally in my hard. There's actually more to the entire process than that...if you're interested in learning more, or have a desire to change the color of your hydrangea, check out this info on Growing Blue Hydrangeas. Peony Bushes come in all different colors, and grow to be about 3 feet tall, and 2 to 3 feet wide. These plants grow well in both sun and part shade, and are very easy to maintain.
The peony makes my list of perennial flowers because of how amazingly reliable and hardy these bushes are once they're established. On an interesting side note, however...they do NOT transplant well. (Trust me, I've tried!) I had one bush growing next to my house with no sunlight and very little water. That trouper survived for years until I decided that it was time to transplant it to a healthy, sunny spot in my garden. That was the beginning of the end for that sad plant. :( Herbs - Consider planting a basic herb garden. These are the blooms from an oregano plant in my own yard.
Herbs are high on the list of perennial flowers I maintain in my own garden. They produce great foliage and flowers, and you can't beat fresh herbs for cooking! You'll be delighted to find out how many perennial herbs return, and quickly spread, each year! For that reason, be careful where you establish your herb garden, as it may quickly take over the area. List of Perennial Flowers - Planting TipsA good rule of thumb is to plant several of the same type of plant in any one particular area so that you don’t lose the effect that you’re trying to create. However, as with all other rules, this one can be broken, as I have done when planting specimen plants in certain areas. You may want to research the blooming seasons for your list of perennial flowers to ensure that you have continuous blooms throughout the growing season. Happy planting! Didn't find what you were looking for? Search for it here: Spring Hill Nurseries (opens new window), another favorite of mine, has a huge list of perennial flowers available for purchase! This is a particularly great place to shop for perennials not only because of the large variety, but because of the packages that they sell, which make it much easier for planting in your yard. Spring Hill Nurseries has complete gardens for purchase such as a Blue Perennial Garden which focuses on flowers in shades of blue, a 3 Season Garden which focuses on ensuring there are blooms during each of the 3 seasons, and plenty of Shade Gardens which focuses on plants that thrive in shady conditions. These gardens come with a landscape design so the plants are laid out in the best possible locations, and all you need to do is get them into the ground. It doesn’t get ANY easier than that! (Well, unless someone else plants them for you!)
Gurney's Seed and Nursery (opens new window) is one of my favorite online/catalog companies to order plants from. I have purchased apple trees and blueberry bushes from them, and lots of vegetable seeds. One of my orders failed to contain an item, and I found their customer service department to be friendly and easy to reach. The problem was resolved very quickly. Take a look for yourself!
Nature Hills Nursery (opens new window) has a large list of perennial flowers and other live plants available on their site.
Spring Hill (opens new window), another favorite of mine, has a huge list of perennial flowers available for purchase! If it's perennials you're after, this is definitely the place to start! They also have a large variety of shrubs and irises to choose from.
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Daisies - no 
Black-Eyed Susan is another sturdy perennial with great spreading habits. While not quite as durable as Lamb's Ears, Black-Eyed Susan are indeed a very durable perennial. They grow to between 2-3 feet, and produce yellow daisies with brown centers. They bloom for about a month in summer, and if you've let them take over a significant area like I have, the blooming period can be quite impressive. Due to their spreading habits, they also do a fairly good job of keeping weeds at bay, which is a plus, and they also grow in poor soil that other plants struggle with.
