By Justin Hancock
I love perennials because they come back every year: Plant them once and enjoy them for years! This makes perennial plants a great value, but it also means you have to plan your garden if you want them blooming in spring, summer, and fall. While annuals bloom for months, most perennials bloom for weeks.
But never fear! Use this perennial bloom guide to pick varieties that you like -- and that work for your yard -- so you can enjoy beautiful flowers from first thing in spring, through the heat of the summer, and giving your landscape a strong fall finish.
Armeria Bloom Time: Mid-Spring, Late Spring Light: Full Sun or Part Shade Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 4-8 Groundcover; Tolerates Salt Perfect partner: Dianthus |
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Asiatic Lily (Lilium) Bloom Time: Midsummer Light: Full Sun Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 4-8 Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Yarrow |
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Aster Bloom Time: Late Summer, Fall Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-10 Attracts Butterflies, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Switch grass |
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Astilbe Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer Light: Shade or Part shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 4-9 Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Hydrangea |
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Balloon Flower (Platycodon) Bloom Time: Midsummer, Late Summer Light: Full Sun Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 3-8 Easy to Grow; Blooms Profusely Perfect partner: Daylily |
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Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) Bloom Time: Late Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-7 Attracts Butterflies, Blooms Profusely Perfect partner: Russian sage |
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Blanketflower (Gaillardia) Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer, Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-9 Attracts Butterflies, Easy to Grow, Flowers Profusely Perfect partner: Pincushion flower |
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Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) Bloom Time: Spring Light: Shade or Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 3-8 Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Hosta |
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Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) Bloom Time: Summer, Autumn Light: Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-10 Attracts Butterflies, Easy to Grow, Fragrant Flowers Perfect partner: Bee balm |
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Candytuft (Iberis) Bloom Time: Early Spring, Mid-Spring Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Blooms Profusely Perfect partner: Creeping phlox |
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Clematis Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Vine Perfect partner: Baptisia |
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Coneflower (Echinacea) Bloom Time: Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Attracts Butterflies, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Lavender |
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Coral bells (Heuchera) Foliage Appeal: Spring, Summer, Autumn Light: Shade to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 4-8 Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Ajuga |
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Coreopsis Bloom Time: Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Attracts Butterflies, Tolerates Drought Perfect partner: Blue fescue |
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Creeping Phlox Bloom Time: Spring Light: Full Sun or Part Shade Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-9 Groundcover Perfect partner: Spring bulbs |
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Daisy (Leucanthemum) Bloom Time: Spring, Summer Light: Sun to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 5-9 Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Alstroemeria |
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Daylily (Hemerocallis) Bloom Time: Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-9 Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Feather reed grass |
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Ice plant (Delosperma) Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer, Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-8 Groundcover Perfect partner: Catmint |
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Delphinium Bloom Time: Early Summer, Midsummer Light: Full Sun or Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 3-8 Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Yarrow |
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Dianthus Bloom Time: Mid-Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Fragrant Flowers, Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Salvia |
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Foxglove (Digitalis) Bloom Time: Late Spring, Early Summer Light: Full Sun to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 4-8 Attracts Hummingbirds Perfect partner: Baptisia |
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Gaura Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-8 Easy to Grow, Flowers Profusely Perfect partner: Gaura |
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Iris Bloom Time: Late Spring Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-9 Easy to Grow, Fragrant Flowers Perfect partner: Peony |
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Irish Moss (Sagina) Foliage Appeal: Spring, Summer, Autumn Light: Shade to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 6-8 Blooms Profusely Perfect partner: Hosta |
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Isotoma Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 6-9 Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Blue-eyed grass |
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Ivy (Hedera) Foliage Appeal: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Light: Shade to Part Shade Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-9 Easy to Grow, Groundcover |
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Lavender (Lavandula) Bloom Time: Midsummer, Late Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-8 Attracts Butterflies, Easy to Grow, Fragrant Flowers Perfect partner: Shrub roses |
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Lithodora Bloom Time: Late Spring, Early Summer Light: Sun to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 6-10 Tolerates Drought Perfect partner: Lavender |
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Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon) Foliage Appeal: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Light: Shade to Part Shade Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 7-10 Groundcover Perfect partner: Hosta |
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Oriental Lily (Lilium) Bloom Time: Late Summer Light: Full Sun Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 5-8 Fragrant Flowers, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Lamb's ear |
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Penstemon Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Easy to Grow Perfect partner: Red hot poker |
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Peony (Paeonia) Bloom Time: Late Spring Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-8 Easy to Grow, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Iris |
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Phlox Bloom Time: Midsummer, Late Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 3-8 Fragrant Flower, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Coneflower |
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Primrose (Primula) Bloom Time: Early Spring Light: Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 5-8 Attracts Butterflies Perfect partner: Heuchera |
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Salvia Bloom Time: Late Spring, Summer, Early Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 4-10 Attracts Butterflies, Blooms Profusely Perfect partner: Coreopsis |
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Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa) Bloom Time: Mid-Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Early Autumn, Mid-Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 5-9 Attracts Butterflies, Blooms Profusely, Good Cut Flower Perfect partner: Veronica |
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Sedum Bloom Time: Summer, Early Autumn, Mid-Autumn Light: Full Sun Water: Tolerates Drought Zones 3-10 Groundcover Perfect partner: Artemisia |
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Veronica Bloom Time: Mid-Spring Light: Full Sun to Part Shade Water: Keep Soil Moist Zones 4-8 Groundcover Perfect partner: Gaillardia |