Long-blooming Perennials

Our Garden Gang's

Long-Blooming Perennials

 

 

Here they are, some 60 perennials renowned for their long bloom period.

To get the best results, double dig and amend your perennial beds with lots of organic material, because you don't get a second chance after planting!  If you do it right the first time, the perennial beds will thrive.  

Planted beds will need annual top-dressing with good compost or composted manure. Do a good fall cleanup - but leave decorative seed heads on for winter interest.  Clean those up in your early spring cleanup.

 

Name Light  Zone Height Comments
AGASTACHE 'Pink Panther' Full Sun Zones 6-10 24" Herb; grow in fertile, well-drained soil.

BALLOON FLOWER (Platycodon grandiflorus)

Full to Part Sun Zones 3-8 10"-36" Prefers moderately rich, slightly acidic soil; deadhead, self-sows.
BLANKETFLOWER (Gaillardia) Full Sun Zones 2-9 1'-3½' Deadhead; drought tolerant; prefers poor soil.
BLAZING STAR, GAYFEATHER (Liatris spicata) Full Sun Zones 4-9 5' Prefers light, moderately fertile, reliably moist soil.
BLUE FLAX (Linum perenne) Full Sun Zones 5-8 4"-24" Prefers light, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil.
CANADIAN BURNET (Sanguisorba canadensis) Full Sun to Part Shade Zones 3-8 6' Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil that does not dry out.
CATMINT (Nepeta x faassenii) Full to Part Sun Zones 4-8 18" Blooms from June - August, longer if plants are sheared after blooming; prefers poor to moderately fertile soil.
CHOCOLATE FLOWER (Berlandiera lyrata) Full Sun Zones 4-8 15" Drought tolerant; self-seeds; tolerates wide variety of soil conditions; fragrance similar to chocolate.
COMMON ROSE MALLOW, SWAMP ROSE MALLOW (Hibiscus moscheutos) Full Sun Zones 5-10 4' Prefers humus-rich, moist, neutral to slightly alkaline soil; needs long-hot summers for best bloom.
CORALBELLS (Heuchera sanguinea) Full to Part Sun Zones 4-8 1'-2' Deadhead; prefers rich, moist soil.
CORAL CANYON TWINSPUR (Diascia integerrima 'Coral Canyon') Full to Part Sun Zones 5-9 12"-15" Prefers fertile, evenly moist soil.
COREOPSIS Full to Part Sun Zones 4-9 1'-2½' Deadhead; blooms best in full sun; too rich soil decreases flowering.
DAYLILY 'STELLA DE ORO' (Hemerocallis spp.) Full Sun Zones 3-9 2' Tolerant of wide variety of of growing conditions; great in containers.
DIANTHUS 'PRAIRIE PINK', 'HORATIO' Part Sun to Shade Zones 4-9 4"-8" Deadhead; prefers well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil.
EVENING PRIMROSE (Oenothera pallida) Full Sun Zones 3-7 8"-20" Prefers poor to moderately fertile, well-drained, even stony soil.
FALSE MALLOW, PRAIRIE MALLOW (Sidalcea 'Party Girl') Full Sun Zones 5-10 24"-36" Prefes moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist, light, sandy soil; cut stems back after flowering for more blooms.
FEVERFEW (Tanacetum parthenium) Full Sun Zones 4-10 1'-2' Herb; prefers dry soil; self-sows profusely if not deadheaded; leaves used as medicinal tea for headaches.
FOAM FLOWER (Tiarella) Part Sun - Shade Zones 3-8 12"-18" Performs best in moist, well-drained soil.
FRINGED BLEEDING HEART (Dicentra eximia) Part Sun to Shade Zones 3-7 12" Blooms from April - September; do not confuse with common bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) which goes dormant during the season.
GRAY CREEPING GERMANDER (Teucrium aroanium) Full to Part Sun Zones 5-10 3" Prefers well-drained soil with poor to average fertility.
GOLDEN MARGUERITE (Anthemis tinctoria) Full Sun Zones 3-7 2'-3' Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil.
GOLDENSTAR (Chrysogonum virginianum 'Pierre') Sun to Part Shade Zones 5-8 Groundcover to 6" Prefers moist, humus-rich soil.
GOOSENECK LOOSESTRIFE (Lysimachia clethroides) Full to Part Sun Zones 3-8 36" Invasive; best for wildflower garden.
HARDY GERANIUM (Geranium sanguineum) Full to Part Sun Zones 4-9 12" Prefers rich, moist soil; self-sows.
HELIANTHUS 'Flore Pleno' (H. x multiflorus 'Flore Pleno') Full Sun Zones 4-7 72" Give extra water during hot weather for heavier blooms.
ICE PLANT (Delosperma cooperi) Full Sun Zones 8-10 Groundcover to 2" Needs very well-drained soil.
JUPITER'S BEARD (Centranthus ruber) Full Sun Zones 5-8 3' Deadhead; prefers poor to moderately fertile, preferably alkaline soil.
KNAUTIA (Knautia or Dipsacaceae) Full Sun Zones 5-7 30"-40" Thrives in dry heat and full sun.
KNIPHOFIA (K.'Bees' Lemon', K.'Fiery Fred', K.'Gold Mine', K. northiae) Full Sun to Part Shade Zones 6-9 3'-5' Grow in deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained, preferably sandy soil.
LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia) Full Sun Zones 5-8 3' Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
MALLOW (Malva sylvestris) Full Sun Zones 5-8 4' Prefers moderately fertile, moist soil.
MILKY BELLFLOWER (Campanula lactiflora) Sun to part shade Zones 5-7 4'-5' Often requires staking; self seeds freely; needs fertile, neutral to alkaline, moist soil.
MINIATURE MAT DAISY (Bellium minutum) Part Sun to Shade Zones 5-9 2" Vigorous groundcover for moist, well-drained, shady areas.
MIST FLOWER (Eupatorium greggii) Full to Part Sun Zones 7-10 30" Prefers dry, loamy, alkaline soils, best for Western gardens; drought tolerant.
ORIGANUM 'HERRENHAUSEN' (O. laevigatun 'Herrenhausen') Full Sun Zones 7-10 18"-30" Prefers poor to moderately fertile, alkaline soil;cut back old, flowered stems in spring.
OX EYE (Heliopsis helianthoides) Full Sun Zones 4-9 3'-6' Moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist soil; divide every 2-3 years.
PENSTEMON Full Sun to Part Shade Zones 4-10 18"-30" Prefers fertile to moderately fertile, well-drained soil.
PINCUSHION FLOWER 'Pink Mist' (Scabiosa columbaria) Full Sun Zones 3-8 16" Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil.
POPPY MALLOW (Callirhoe involucrata) Full Sun Zones 4-9 5" Drought and heat tolerant; tolerates wide variety of soil conditions; low spreading plant makes good cover for steep slopes, cascading over walls.
PRAIRIE CONEFLOWER, MEXICAN HAT PLANT (Ratibida columnifera) Full Sun Zones 3-10 32" Grow in dry, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline, moderately fertile soil in full sun; drought tolerant.
PURPLE CONEFLOWER (Echinacea purpurea) Full Sun Zones 3-9 3' Tolerates heat, drought and poor soil.
REDBIRDS IN A TREE (Scrophularia macrantha) Full to Part Sun Zones 5-10 3'-4' Tolerates drought; favorite of hummingbirds.
RUDBECKIA 'GOLDSTURM' (R. fulgida 'Goldsturm') Full Sun Zones 3-9 2'-7' Tolerates wide range of soil conditions, but prefers rich, well-drained soil.
RUSSIAN SAGE (Perovskia) Full Sun Zones 4-9 3'-4' Vigorous and hardy, tolerates heat and drought.
SALVIA Full to Part Sun Zones 4-10 18"-6' Violet sage (S. x superba) and S. guaranitica are two cultivars that provide best performance; prefers rich, well-drained soil in full sun.
SCARLET HEDGENETTLE (Stachys coccinea) Part Sun to Shade Zones 5-9 18" Deadhead; thrives in heat; needs average, evenly moist soil.
SEA PINK (Armeria maritima) Full Sun Zones 3-9 8" Prefers poor to moderately fertile soil.
SHASTA DAISY (Chrysanthemum x superbum) Full to Part Sun Zones 3-9 2'-3' Deadhead; prefers rich, moist soil.
SOAPWORT (Saponaria or Caryophyllaceae Full Sun Zones 2-7 8" Rock soapwort (S. ocymoides) is hardiest cultivar; great for rock gardens, terraces.
SPIDERWORT (Tradescantia) Full to Part Sun Zones 3-9 18"-24" For best flowering and shape, give rich, moist soil; invasive; divide every 3-4 years.
STOKES' ASTER (Stokesia laevis) Full Sun Zones 5-9 24" Deadhead; prefers light, fertile, moist, acidic soil.
TRUMPET HONEYSUCKLE (Lonicera sempervirens) Full to Part Sun Zones 3-8 Twining Vine 12'-20' Flowers are followed in autumn by bright red berries, which birds love; prefers fertile, moist soil.
VERBASCUM (V. 'Letitia') Full Sun Zones 5-9 12" Needs sharply drained soil; suitable for raised bed or rock garden.
VERBENA'Blue Vervain' (V. hastata) Full Sun Zones 3-7 5' Prefers rich, sandy soil; do not overwater; deadhead.
VERONICA 'GOODNESS GROWS' (Veronica spicata 'Goodness Grows') Full Sun Zones 4-8 12"-16" Prefers moderately fertile, loamy, moist soil.
WHIRLING BUTTERFLIES, WHITE GAURA (Gaura lindheimeri) Full to Part Sun Zones 6-9 2'-5' Prefers fertile, moist soil in full sun, but will tolerate drought and partial shade.
WHITE FLOWERED BUSH ZINNIA (Zinnia acerosa) Full Sun Zones 5-9 10" Prefers moderately fertile, well-drained soil; drought tolerant.
YARROW (Achillea spp.) Full Sun Zones 3-9 2'-5' Drought resistant; spreads rapidly; divide every 2-3 years.
YELLOW FOXGLOVE (Digitalis grandiflora or D. ambigua) Full to Part Sun Zones 4-8 30" Prefers moist, humus-rich soil; D. granidflora is longest blooming of all foxgloves.
YELLOW JASMINE (J.humile) Full Sun to Part Shade Zones 7-9 8' Bushy shrub; prefers fertile, well-drained soil.

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