27 Unique Perennial Flowers to Plant for a Garden You Will Fall in Love with Every Year

Finding the best perennial flowers for your garden landscape can be a daunting task. After all, when you pick perennials, you are creating a design that will last for years. However, gardening should not induce anxiety, and picking the right types of perennials for your space can be an exhilarating experience.

27 of the Most Magnificent Perennial Flowers to Plant in a Landscape for Dazzling Blooms All Season Long

All you need to do is to keep a few factors in mind. Like all landscape designs, you will want to remember color and flower height. Unless you have a monochromatic theme, jazz up your garden with plenty of colorful contrast. Also, you will need to plant taller flowers behind shorter flowers.

1. Butterfly Flower (Asclepias Tuberosa)

As the name implies, butterfly flowers are one of the most effective ways to attract butterflies to your space. Although they take a few years to begin blooming, they are an important habitat for monarch butterflies and their caterpillars. In addition to butterflies, the bright orange flowers bring joy and cheerfulness wherever they are planted.

2. Buffalo Rose (Callirhoe Involucrata)

With a buffalo rose, you can give your landscape the same sweeping romance as the wide-open plains and great American prairies. These hardy perennials fare well in both rock and native-plant gardens. A large, cup-like magenta flower adds a cheerful ambiance from late spring into early summer.

3. Allegheny Monkey Flower (Mimulus Ringens)

Make a statement in your garden by including an Allegheny monkey flower. With a long-lasting bloom season and a proclivity for wet conditions, they make a great addition to rain gardens. Flower colors vary from pale pink to the intense purple shown here. Do you see the smiling monkey face in this native flower?

4. Evergreen Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Boudoir’)

Slightly frilled, watermelon pink flowers grace this evergreen azalea bush throughout the spring. When it is not blooming, glossy evergreen foliage serves as visual interest and a beautiful backdrop for the rest of your perennial flowers. Because they exude a mild fragrance, they are an excellent choice to plant near a seating area.

5. Big Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla ‘Alpenglühen’)

Hydrangea bushes are one of the most popular types of perennial flowers to plant in a garden. When not in bloom, large, luscious green leaves add a textural component to your landscape. While the soil chemistry usually determines whether hydrangea blooms will be pink or blue, ‘Alpenglühen’ flowers range from intense pink to deep red.

6. Balloon Flower (Platycodon Grandiflorus ‘Komachi’)

What could be more fun in a garden than blue, balloon-shaped flowers? Each blossom measures 2 – 3 inches across and stands about 24 inches tall. While many balloon flowers eventually open up into recognizable flowers, this variety never fully opens. This means you can enjoy playful blue floral balloons throughout the entire summer.

7. Bee Balm (Monarda Didyma ‘Pink Frosting’)

For both people and pollinators, bee balm is an attractive type of perennial flower. Tubular flowers stand upright to dazzling effect. Usually, an intense crimson red, bee balm does not blend well with all garden palettes. With ‘Pink Frosting’, enjoy all the pollinator benefits bee balm brings with a color that fits in a pink garden’s color scheme.

8. Clematis (Clematis ‘Evijohill’ Josephine)

Uncomplicated flowers might be the right choice for many spaces, but, sometimes, you need a show-stopping centerpiece. While most clematis plants showcase single flowers, this variety features a flashy pink-streaked double flower. When you see pictures of these perennial flowers, it is easy to imagine them as a focal point in your space.

9. Columbine (Aquilegia Vulgaris var. Stellata ‘Ruby Port’)

With a rich, burgundy color as entrancing as a good glass of wine, ‘Ruby Port’ columbine will add refined beauty wherever you plant it. Because of its deep red hue, this variety of columbine is especially attractive to hummingbirds. As an heirloom variety, ‘Ruby Port’ has been grown in France since the fifteenth century.

10. Late Tulip (Tulipa Tarda)

Grown from bulbs, tulips are a popular perennial choice. Because they are available in a wide variety of colors and shapes, there are plenty of options to find the perfect tulip for your landscape. With their spiky petals, late tulips add exhilarating energy to a space. Each bulb produces a cluster of flowers to help fill out your landscape.

11. Double Daffodil (Narcissus ‘Cheerfulness’)

When daffodils begin to bloom, you know that springtime is not far behind. As you can see in the pictures of these perennial flowers, double daffodils take the average daffodil to the next level. This is achieved via a decorative puff of petals that takes center stage. The ‘Cheerfulness’ variety blooms a creamy white and exudes a mild fragrance.

12. Iris (Iris Germanica)

If an iris were summed up in a single word, that word would be “magnificence.” Large, showy petals catch the sun and capture the attention of anyone who passes by while they are in bloom. Although there are many unique types of iris available, those belonging to Iris germanica are often purple-hued with yellow beards.

13. Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus ‘Helene’)

With very little effort, you can enjoy profuse, long-lasting flowers by choosing this perennial flower plant. To create decorative distinction in your outdoor spaces, train this plant as a hedge. While ‘Helene’ features a prominent white flower with a raspberry-colored eye, you can find the rose of Sharon bush in colors ranging from pink to lilac.

14. Trumpet Lily (Lilium Longiflorum ‘White Heaven’)

Because they are easily grown and require little maintenance, you will be able to enjoy these fragrant lilies for years to come. As you can see from the pictures of these perennial flowers, the snowy white petals and bright green foliage offer a glimpse of what heaven must look like.

15. Coneflower (Echinacea ‘Aloha’)

You do not need to travel all the way to Hawaii to appreciate these creamy yellow flowers. Among the many types of perennial flowers, coneflowers offer low maintenance, showy blooms, and a wide tolerance of soils and growing conditions. They have the added bonus of attracting birds, butterflies, and other pollinators.

16. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Acoma’)

It can be difficult to choose perennial flowers to plant in your garden because, depending on what colors they are, they limit your choices for annuals. Because white-flowering perennial plants blend with any color palette, white crape myrtle is an excellent choice. Crape myrtles can be trained as trees or shrubs depending on how cool your climate is.

17. Common Lilac (Syringa Vulgaris ‘Monge’)

With an aroma notorious for easing stress, common lilac makes an excellent addition to your landscape. Images of these perennial flowers show clouds of heavenly purple inflorescences. This variety of common lilac is known for 9-inch floral clusters in a cheerful magenta. However, you can find lilac in shades that range from rich purple flowers to cool white.

18. Peony (Paeonia Lactiflora ‘Bowl of Beauty’)

Although these glorious flowers only bloom for a short time, peonies are one of the few undisputed sovereigns of flower gardens everywhere. Images of these perennial flowers illustrate their beauty, elegance, and glamor. If you want to take your peony game to the next level, the ‘Bowl of Beauty’ features an extravagant double flower.

19. Floribunda Rose (Rosa ‘Wekplapep’ Scentimental)

When it comes to designing a landscape filled with perennials, roses are a classic. Will you choose the timeless red rose or go for the more elegant white rose? Perhaps a playful pink rose is perfect. Pick the variety shown here to enjoy unique variegated roses all season long. No two flowers will emerge with the same pattern.

20. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia ‘Frenzy’)

If you enjoy attracting butterflies, planting a plot of blanket flower will give them a reason to visit your garden year after year. You will also get to enjoy a floral show for most of the growing season. Although many types of perennial flowers provide color, blanket flower’s intense hues are rarely matched.

21. Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea)

Because they reach heights of 5-8 feet, hollyhocks make an excellent backdrop for shorter types of perennial flowers. If the pink hollyhock flower shown here does not tickle your fancy, it can also be found in red, white, and even an unusual black hue. Besides captivating the eye, these towering perennials also bring birds and butterflies to your space.

22. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum Novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’)

Celebrate an abundance of pink petals with a plot of New England aster in your garden. If you have a perpetually boggy part of your landscape, these types of perennial flowers are particularly well suited for rain gardens. Butterflies seek them out in the landscape as well. To encourage a bounteous blooming season, pinch your plants back until mid-July.

23. Ornamental Onion (Allium Giganteum)

Do not be discouraged by the unappealing name – ornamental onion plants offer amazing potential. With flower clusters as large as softballs, pictures of these perennial flowers just seem unreal. To enjoy a playful cloud of purple orbs in your landscape, plant en masse in groups of at least seven.

24. Hardy Begonia (Begonia Grandis)

In a hardy begonia, delicate pink petals and vibrant yellow stamen come together to create a perennial flower that looks like a work of art. Depending on the intensity of your winters, you may want to mulch your plants. However, they do self-seed so you can enjoy fresh hardy begonias with no additional effort on your part.

25. Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos Spectabilis)

You do not need to have a hurting heart to appreciate the beauty in these artistic heart-shaped flowers. However, when you look at images of these perennial flowers, it is easy to see how they earned their name. Plant them in a shady area and soak in their artistic beauty.

26. Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera Lyrata)

The key to a successful garden design is to layer the frilly with the simple. Visually, the long-blooming chocolate flower features straightforward yellow petals with green and brown centers. However, this flower is unique. True to its name, the chocolate flower exudes a strong chocolate aroma.

27. Hellebore (Helleborus ‘Confetti Cake’)

With flowers emerging in February, hellebore is one of the first signs that spring is soon to arrive. The ‘Confetti Cake’ hellebore cultivar offers a pattern spilling with speckles for an artistic je nes se quoi. If purple sprinkle-like patterns are not right for your space, hellebore comes in a wide variety of colors.

27 Perfect Perennial Flowers to Plant in Your Garden for a Showstopping Outdoor Space

Picking your favorite pictures of perennial flowers can be easy and fun, but it is important to remember that these flowers will be displayed alongside other garden elements. Will the perennial flower colors complement the annuals you choose every year? Because no garden is ever completely dormant, the blooming season and winter interest factor are other aspects to consider.

An easy way to ensure that your garden always has a few showy perennial flowers is to choose plants with staggered blooming seasons. If a perennial’s flowers are short-lived, does the plant’s foliage still add interest to the landscape? Stay true to the flowers that resonate with you, and you will build an outdoor landscape to cherish for many years to come.