15 Perennial Flowers That Are Easy To Grow

Perennial plants are plants that return each year without having to be reseeded or replanted but tend to have a shorter blooming period than annual flowers. There are so many stunning perennial flowers that will add color and interest to your landscaping. Here are 15 of my favorite easy to grow perennials! 

15 Easy To Grow Perennials

Salvia

I love these purple spikes! They are one of the first plants to flower in my beds after the tulips have faded. This perennial does well in hot and dry places so make sure and plant it in a nice sunny spot. It is very drought tolerant. After the first spring bloom, cut off dead blooms and it will bloom again later in the season. It attracts butterflies and bees and is deer resistant. Salvia will grow 1-2 feet tall in mounds. The most common is purple flowers, but it comes in shades of white and pink as well. 

Peony

Peonies are a favorite of mine for many reasons. They smell amazing and make a great cut flower. These fragrant flowers are a must in your perennial garden. They bloom in the late spring. Peonies get about 3 feet tall, prefer sun (but can also grow in light shade), and are deer resistant. Peonies can be pink, red, yellow or white. They can get quite top heavy since their blooms are so large. They will need staking. Unlike other perennials, they will not need to be divided as they get older. They do not like to be transplanted so be mindful of where you plant them. If you do need to transplant them, do it when they are dormant and expect that they may not bloom until the second year or possible third.  

Black Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) are a classic! These easy to grow perennials bloom from June to October. Black Eyed Susans grow up to three feet tall and can spread a little. This perennial prefers full sun but will also grow in part sun conditions. They aren't too fussy, but prefer well drained soil. They make a cheerful addition to any flower garden and are truly low-maintenance perennials. 

Blue Geranium

Blue Geraniums (also called Cranesbill) grow to about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and spread out about the same width making them look almost bush like. After they are done with their first bloom in the early summer, I like to cut mine back a bit. They will bloom again later in the season. If I don't trim them, they can get kind of wild looking. Blue Geraniums are deer resistant. They prefer full sun but can handle partial shade. All of mine are in part shade and do beautifully well. 

Bleeding Heart

Who doesn't love the delicate heart shaped blooms of the Bleeding Heart? I have white flowers but they come in pink as well. They bloom in the early spring. They are usually the first thing to bloom along my tulips every year. They get about 1-3 feet tall and are deer resistant. Bleeding Hearts love the shade and cooler temps. Once the Summer temperatures heat up, they will die back.

Blanket Flower

Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia) love full sun and are very drought tolerant.  have had Blanket Flowers in my yard for many years. I love that they come in a deep Burgundy, red, and reddish-orange with yellow. Mine have only ever gotten to be about 1 foot tall but some varieties can get taller. They are deer resistant and drought tolerant. Make sure to deadhead them often to get the most blooms. If you don't deadhead, they will spread by their seeds. 

Coreopsis

Also called Tickseed, this sunny yellow (and sometimes other colors) flower is a native wildflower that grows 6-12 inches tall. There are some varieties get even taller. This sun loving perennial is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It can grow in poor soil conditions but prefers well-drained soil. If you keep up on the deadheading, you will get more blooms for longer into the season. It is such an easy to grow perennial!

Candytuft

I first fell in love with Candytuft when I created my secret garden and used it along the path. It is a spring bloomer and will bloom a second time when the summer temps cool off. It is best to cut it back after the first bloom or it can get woody and spread out. I trim mine so it is a mound. Left unattended it can spread like a ground cover. This sun loving  perennial can grow in rocky soil making it great for rock gardens. It does not tolerate wet soil so it needs good drainage. I am in zone 6 and the foliage stays green all year. It can die back in the winter in really cold climates. 

Shasta Daisy

I am pretty sure everyone is familiar with daisies. They are a favorite! Shasta daisies grow to 2 to 3 feet tall. They prefer full sun but can handle some shade. They like moist, well draining soil but if the soil is too rich, you will get more leaves than blooms. Daisies make great cut flowers due to their sturdy stems and last for a long time in the vase. Deadhead the plant to keep blooms coming throughout the season. This really is one of the easiest perennials to grow. 

Coneflower

Coneflowers (echinacea) are beautiful flowers and come in a lot of different colors. They are a native plant to North America. The most common being purple coneflower, or Echinacea Purpurea. They have daisy-like flowers and grow 1-3 feet tall depending on the variety. Coneflowers love the sun and bloom in the mid to late summer. They are deer resistant and drought tolerant. They make great cut flowers. 

I recently added a new color to my cut flower garden call Supreme Cantaloupe and I am in love.

Clematis

I adore Clematis! We had a purple one in our front yard when I was growing up and it was always one of my favorites. It is a vine and depending on the variety can grow up to 12 feet. The most important thing to remember with this sun loving plant is that the roots need to be kept shaded. Plant low growing plants around the base and/or use mulch. Since it is a vine, it will need a trellis of some kind. Some varieties will need to be cut down to the ground in the fall and some varieties should not be cut down. Make sure you know what variety you have before doing any pruning.

Anemone

I love this delicate flower! This easy to grow perennial blooms in the spring. It is one of the first things to bloom in my garden. It stops blooming once the summer temperatures get too hot, but will bloom again in the early fall. It comes in other colors and grows to be between 1-2 feet tall. It is deer resistant. It prefers full sun but can also grow in part sun. It will spread by seed if you do not deadhead. 

Delphinium

Delphinium flowers are what are called a short lived perennial, They will last a few years. Depending on the variety, they grow anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall. Because of their height, they may need to be staked. Delphiniums have large leaves at the base and a tall stalk that flowers. They need full sun and moist, well draining soil. Their bloom time is from late spring to early summer. It is important to remove the thick stocks of the blooms when they are spent so it will bloom again in the early Fall. They come in shades of blue, purple and also white. Some blooms have white centers and other black centers. They make a striking addition to bouquets. 

Golden Sundrop

Golden Sundrops are prolific bloomers! They are always covered in 2-3 inch yellow flowers. These are the tallest flowers in my flower beds. Mine get 4 feet tall. They bloom from spring to frost so you will have blooms all during the summer months as well as all of fall. Golden Sundrops like sun but can grow in low light conditions as well. They are deer resistant as well as drought tolerant. 

Lavender

Lavender is best known for it fragrance. There are annual (Spanish and French) and perennial types (English) so if you want it to return each year, make sure you are growing a variety that is a perennial for your zone, In some humid southern climates, it will not grow as a perennial at all. They prefer arid climates. It grows to be 1.5 to 3 feet tall. It attracts bees and butterflies and loves the full sun. 

I would love to hear what your favorite easy to grow perennials are. If you are interested, I also have a whole post about easy to grow annuals.

Pin For Later: