Perennial Flowers

Hellebore

The Lenten Rose. Elegant nodding blooms that thrive in deep shade.

Coral Aloe

Flat coral-orange rosettes produce vivid flower stalks in late winter. One of the hardiest aloes.

Lenten Rose

Nodding flowers in late winter when nothing else is blooming. Evergreen foliage adds year-round structure to shade gardens.

Bergenia

Bold rubbery leaves provide year-round structure and turn burgundy in winter. Early pink flowers arrive with the hellebores.

Bird of Paradise

Sculptural, crane-like flowers in orange and blue. Unmistakable.

Desert Marigold

Cheerful desert wildflower that blooms almost year-round in warm climates. Thrives on neglect.

Draba

Tiny alpine cushion plant smothered in bright yellow flowers in early spring. Perfect miniature scale.

Dutchman's Breeches

Finely cut foliage and clusters of puffy white pantaloon-shaped flowers in early spring. A charming ephemeral that disappears by summer.

Green-and-Gold

Bright yellow star flowers appear for months above mat-forming foliage. The best spring ground cover for the Southeast.

Gulf Coast Penstemon

Nodding tubular flowers in soft lavender shades brighten moist woods of the Gulf Coast.

Lungwort

Flowers open pink and turn blue on the same stem. Silver-spotted foliage looks great all season.

Rosemary

Aromatic evergreen herb with tiny blue flowers loved by early bees. Needs excellent drainage.

Virginia Bluebell

Woodland ephemeral with sky-blue bells. Disappears by summer, returns faithfully.

Aubrieta

Purple cascades spilling over walls and rocks in spring. Shear after bloom for a fresh flush of foliage.

Basket-of-Gold

Bright golden-yellow cascades over walls and rock edges in spring. Cut back after flowering to stay tidy.

Bleeding Heart

Arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers for shady woodland gardens.

Brunnera

Clouds of tiny forget-me-not blue flowers over heart-shaped leaves. Thrives in dry shade once established.

Columbine

Delicate, spurred flowers that dance on wiry stems. Hummingbird favorite.

Dwarf Crested Iris

Tiny lavender-blue iris flowers with gold crests on a spreading native ground cover. A spring woodland treasure.

Elliott's Bluestar

Pale blue starry flowers in spring give way to feathery foliage that turns brilliant gold in fall. Two seasons of beauty for zero effort.

Epimedium

Delicate fairy-wing flowers above leathery foliage. One of the toughest dry shade groundcovers.

Firecracker Penstemon

Spikes of scarlet tubular flowers that hummingbirds fight over. Southwestern native at its finest.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Hooded green-and-brown striped spathe sheltering a hidden spadix. Woodland curiosity followed by red berries.

Lily-of-the-Valley

Tiny bell-shaped flowers with one of the most intoxicating fragrances in the plant world. Spreads into lush carpets under trees.

Marsh Marigold

Glossy buttercup flowers in early spring along streams and wet areas. One of the first wetland bloomers.

Oregon Iris

Small purple iris flowers with yellow signals on wiry stems. A tough, underappreciated Pacific Northwest native.

Pacific Bleeding Heart

Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.

Prairie Smoke

Nodding wine-red flowers transform into feathery pink seed plumes that persist into summer. Native prairie gem.

Saxifrage

Mossy cushions dotted with dainty flowers. Tucks into rock crevices where little else will grow.

Sea Thrift

Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.

Shooting Star

Nodding flowers with swept-back petals resemble tiny shooting stars in spring meadows.

Texas Blue Star

Fine foliage and pale blue starry flowers are followed by golden fall color.

Trillium

Three leaves, three petals, pure elegance. The jewel of eastern woodlands.

Wild Blue Phlox

Loose clusters of sky-blue flowers float above woodland floors in spring on a fragrant, mat-forming native.

Wild Columbine

Nodding red-and-yellow spurred flowers that hummingbirds love on a self-sowing native that naturalizes along woodland edges.

Wild Geranium

Soft pink blooms over deeply-cut foliage. A woodland edge staple.

Aeonium

Dramatic rosettes on woody stems. 'Zwartkop' variety has near-black leaves. Stunning in containers.

Beverly Sills Iris

Coral-pink blooms with a tangerine beard. Named for the opera star and just as elegant.

Blue False Indigo

Lupine-like spikes on a native that lives forever. Gets better with age.

Blue Flax

Delicate sky-blue flowers open each morning on airy stems over fine foliage.

Bowl of Beauty Peony

Hot pink outer petals cup a creamy center of narrow petaloids. Dramatic and unmistakable.

Caradonna Salvia

Dark purple stems set this apart from every other salvia. Vertical, architectural, electric.

Cat's Meow Catmint

Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.

Catmint

Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.

Chives

Cheerful purple pom-pom flowers on a kitchen staple. Edible blooms make any salad Instagram-worthy.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Culinary Sage

Spiky purple blooms above silver-green aromatic foliage. A kitchen herb that doubles as an ornamental.

Dianthus

Spicy-scented, fringed petals. One of the best edging plants there is.

Echeveria

Perfect rosettes in blue, green, pink, and purple. Bell-shaped flowers on arching stems. Frost-tender.

Festiva Maxima Peony

Pure white double blooms flecked with crimson at the center. Beloved since 1851 and still unmatched.

Foxglove

Stately spires of spotted, bell-shaped flowers. Cottage garden royalty.

Happy Returns Daylily

Lemon-yellow rebloomer with light fragrance. A bit taller than Stella with softer color.

Husker Red Penstemon

Dramatic burgundy-red foliage all season with white tubular flowers in late spring. The most striking native penstemon for gardens.

Immortality Iris

Reliable rebloomer with pure white ruffled falls. Blooms spring, then again in fall.

Iris

Elegant sword-leaved perennials with intricate, ruffled blooms.

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver and burgundy fronds unlike any other fern. Foliage plant that earns its keep on color alone.

Lady's Mantle

Chartreuse frothy flowers and pleated blue-green leaves that hold water droplets like mercury. The ultimate filler plant.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Lewisia

Succulent rosettes with brilliant striped flowers in hot sunset colors. Must have perfect drainage or it rots.

Lupine

Dramatic spikes in every color. Short-lived but self-seeds generously.

Matilija Poppy

Enormous fried-egg flowers on blue-gray stems. California's largest native wildflower. Spreads aggressively.

May Night Salvia

Perennial Plant of the Year. Dense indigo-violet spikes that rebloom if deadheaded.

Meadow Rue

Fluffy puffs of bloom on tall, airy stems above columbine-like foliage. Light and ethereal.

Native Spiderwort

Three-petaled flowers in blue-purple open fresh each morning on a tough native that blooms for weeks and seeds freely.

Ostrich Fern

Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.

Penstemon

Tubular flowers on upright stems. Native hummingbird magnet for dry gardens.

Peony

Lush, ruffled blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Lives for decades.

Red Hot Returns Daylily

Brilliant red with a small yellow center, compact and one of the earliest daylilies to kick into rebloom.

Rhubarb

Huge leaves and thick red stalks give a lush look while supplying tart harvests.

Rocky Mountain Columbine

Large blue-and-white spurred flowers bloom in late spring above lacy foliage.

Rocky Mountain Penstemon

Spikes of deep blue tubular flowers rise above glossy evergreen foliage in early summer.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Rosy Returns Daylily

Soft rose-pink blooms with a cream throat that keep coming from late spring to frost, absolutely tireless.

Rozanne Geranium

Violet-blue saucer flowers on a sprawling mound that blooms from late spring until frost. The most awarded perennial geranium in history.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Sarah Bernhardt Peony

Fully double, apple-blossom pink blooms so heavy they nod on their stems. The most planted peony in history.

Solomon's Seal

Arching stems hung with dangling white bells. Pairs of leaves create graceful, layered architecture.

Speedwell

Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.

Stella de Oro Daylily

The most planted perennial in America. Compact, reblooming, and basically indestructible.

Trumpet Gentian

Intense, almost electric blue trumpet flowers on a low mat. The holy grail of alpine gardeners.

Twinspike Coral Bells

Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.

Walker's Low Catmint

Perennial Plant of the Year. Billowy lavender-blue spikes that rebloom hard after a shear.

Western Red Columbine

Scarlet and yellow spurred flowers that hummingbirds follow through the Pacific Northwest's mountain meadows.

White Wild Indigo

Luminous white lupin-like spikes on a structural native that's practically indestructible and improves with every year.

Angelina Sedum

Chartreuse needle-like foliage turns golden orange in fall. Tiny yellow flowers are a bonus.

Astilbe

Feathery plumes that light up shady, moist spots like nothing else can.

Bee Balm

Shaggy, crown-shaped flowers that hummingbirds fight over.

Bela Lugosi Daylily

Deep, near-black purple with a small yellow-green throat, the darkest and most dramatic daylily you can grow.

Blanket Flower

Fiery bicolor pinwheels that bloom nonstop in the worst heat and soil.

Bridal Veil Astilbe

Graceful cascading white plumes on dark stems. Luminous in a shady corner.

Butterfly Milkweed

Vivid orange-red flat-topped clusters that monarchs and swallowtails cannot resist. Drought-proof once established.

Campanula

Open, nodding bells in clear blue on tall graceful stems. Self-sows into refined cottage garden drifts.

Century Plant

Grows for decades, then sends up a massive flower stalk up to 20 feet tall before dying. Worth the wait.

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower

A rainbow mix of coneflower colors from a single seed strain. Every plant is a surprise.

Chicago Apache Daylily

Scarlet red with a velvety texture. One of the best true red daylilies available.

Coneflower

Tough prairie native with long bloom season and medicinal history.

Daylily

Virtually indestructible perennial with trumpet blooms in every warm hue.

Delphinium

Towering spires of true blue. The tallest, most dramatic back-of-border plant.

Double Punch Coral Daylily

Fully double coral blooms like a small peony on a daylily, lush and completely unexpected.

False Sunflower

Cheerful golden-yellow daisies that bloom for months on a tough native perennial. The sunniest, most reliable workhorse in the border.

Fanal Astilbe

The deepest garnet-red of any astilbe. Dark bronze foliage makes those plumes glow.

Feverfew

Clusters of small white daisies that bloom for weeks. Historic medicinal herb that self-sows readily.

Globe Artichoke

Bold silvery foliage and large thistle-like buds are both decorative and edible.

Goatsbeard

Giant creamy plumes like an astilbe on steroids. Native woodland giant that anchors a shade border.

Hens and Chicks

Tight rosettes that multiply by producing offsets. The mother plant flowers once, then dies, replaced by chicks.

Hidcote Lavender

Compact and intensely dark purple. The standard against which all other lavenders are measured.

Hyperion Daylily

Tall, pale lemon-yellow, sweetly fragrant blooms on an heirloom variety that's been cherished since 1925.

Ice Plant

Neon-bright daisy flowers that shimmer in the sun over succulent foliage. Thrives in hot, dry rock gardens.

Japanese Iris

Huge, flat, ruffled blooms up to 10 inches across. Needs consistent moisture, especially during bloom.

Lavender

Fragrant silver-green mounds beloved by bees and humans alike.

Magnus Coneflower

The gold standard coneflower. Flat, non-drooping petals around a bold copper cone. Perennial Plant of the Year.

Mary Todd Daylily

Ruffled golden-yellow flowers with a lavender eye, large, showy, and sweetly fragrant in the summer border.

Masterwort

Intricate pincushion flowers surrounded by papery bracts in soft pinks and whites. Beloved by florists and shade gardeners alike.

Mexican Hat

Distinctive sombrero-like flowers sway on wiry stems in summer prairies.

Mountain Bluebell

Sky-blue bell flowers on tall arching stems along mountain streams. The showy western cousin of Virginia Bluebell.

Munstead Lavender

Earlier blooming and slightly softer purple than Hidcote. Gertrude Jekyll's favorite for a reason.

Oregano

Tiny flowers are a pollinator magnet when allowed to bloom. Let a patch go to flower for the bees.

Pardon Me Daylily

Compact cranberry-red with a yellow-green throat and one of the best reblooming habits in the entire family.

Phenomenal Lavender

Survives humidity and cold that kills other lavenders. Silver foliage stays tight and full.

Pickerelweed

Spikes of violet-blue flowers above glossy arrow-shaped leaves. Native pond and stream bank staple.

Powwow Wild Berry Coneflower

Deep rose-purple petals and a bronzy cone on a compact reblooming plant that won't sprawl.

PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower

Compact, heavily branched, and smothered in deep rose-purple blooms. Reblooms without deadheading.

Purple de Oro Daylily

Deep purple-red blooms on a compact Stella-sized plant. Brings rich color to the front of the border.

Purple Prairie Clover

Brushy purple flower spikes rise over fine foliage and feed prairie pollinators.

Red Hot Poker

Torch-like spikes in fire-orange and yellow that hummingbirds zoom straight to. Bold and unforgettable.

Rodgersia

Huge textured leaves resembling horse chestnuts with fluffy plumes. Architectural shade statement.

Scarlet Gilia

Tubular red trumpets on a wiry biennial that hummingbirds adore across the Mountain West. Blooms its second year, then self-sows.

Shasta Daisy

Classic white-and-gold daisies that look fresh from a meadow painting.

Siloam Doodlebug Daylily

Tiny pastel pink blooms on a miniature plant, perfect for container gardens and tight spaces.

Stokes Aster

Fringed, shaggy-petaled flowers in shades of cornflower blue that bloom for weeks on a tough Southern native.

Sulphur Flower

Sulfur-yellow flower clusters on a silvery-leaved cushion plant. One of the toughest and prettiest natives of the Mountain West.

Sundrop

Bright yellow cups that open in daylight on a cheerful, drought-tolerant native that spreads into informal drifts.

Swamp Milkweed

Soft mauve-pink clusters that monarch butterflies seek out for egg-laying. Thrives where it's consistently wet.

Thread-Leaf Coreopsis

Thread-fine foliage and masses of tiny yellow stars bloom for months with zero effort. A perennial you can actually neglect.

Tickseed

Cheerful native daisy that blooms for months with almost no care.

Turk's Cap

Nodding red hibiscus flowers that never fully open are pure hummingbird candy across the Gulf South.

Water Lily

Floating jewels that transform any pond. Pads provide shade for fish while flowers dazzle above.

White Prairie Clover

Cylindrical white flower spikes with orange anthers on a delicate, drought-proof prairie native that feeds bees all summer.

White Swan Coneflower

Pure white drooping petals around a bronze-orange cone. Elegant and underused.

Yarrow

Flat-topped clusters on ferny foliage. Thrives on neglect in poor soil.

Yucca

Sword-like evergreen foliage sends up dramatic stalks of white bells. Tough, architectural, underrated.

Agastache

Licorice-scented foliage and tubular orange-pink flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies find irresistible. Thrives on neglect.

American Gold Rush Black-Eyed Susan

Narrow, fuzzy foliage resists the leaf spot that plagues Goldsturm. A worthy upgrade.

Anise Hyssop

Lavender-blue spikes with licorice-scented foliage. A pollinator powerhouse that blooms for months.

August Moon Hosta

Glowing gold foliage all season, and one of the best hostas for brighter spots with some morning sun.

Black-Eyed Susan

Golden prairie workhorse that lights up late summer meadows.

Blue Angel Hosta

Massive blue-gray leaves up to 18 inches long. One of the largest and most slug-resistant hostas.

Cardinal Flower

Screaming scarlet spikes. The most vivid red in the native plant world.

Compass Plant

Tall stems with large yellow daisies tower over deeply cut basal leaves that align north-south.

Culver's Root

Tall tapering spires of tiny white flowers that bees mob. Vertical and elegant at the back of the border.

Dragon's Blood Sedum

Creeping mat of burgundy-tinged foliage with starry red flowers. Turns deep red in fall.

Empress Wu Hosta

The world's largest hosta. Individual leaves can exceed two feet. A bold statement in any shade garden.

Fire and Ice Hosta

Stark white centers with deep green margins, high contrast that jumps out from a shady border.

Frances Williams Hosta

Classic blue-green heart-shaped leaves with wide gold margins that make this one of the all-time great hostas.

Garden Phlox

Billowing clusters of fragrant summer color. A butterfly magnet.

Giant Coneflower

Towering stems with dramatically elongated cones rise above huge blue-green paddle leaves. An architectural native that commands attention.

Globe Thistle

Perfectly spherical steel-blue globes on white stems that dry to perfection. Bees are absolutely obsessed.

Golden Tiara Hosta

Small, fast-spreading mound with chartreuse-gold margins and one of the easiest hostas you can grow.

Goldsturm Black-Eyed Susan

The gold standard rudbeckia. Uniform, floriferous, and utterly reliable in any soil.

Gooseneck Loosestrife

Gracefully arching white flower spikes that curve at the tips like a goose neck. Spreads vigorously in moist soil.

Guacamole Hosta

Chartreuse-gold leaves with dark green margins and sweetly fragrant white flowers that perfume the shade garden.

Halcyon Hosta

The bluest hosta you can grow. Thick, heavily textured leaves resist slugs better than most.

Hardy Hibiscus

Dinner-plate blooms up to 12 inches across on a native perennial that dies to the ground and returns bigger each year.

Hosta

The undisputed queen of shade gardening. Foliage in every green and blue.

Hot Papaya Coneflower

Fiery double blooms like tiny orange dahlias on a coneflower. A showstopper that earns every bit of the hype.

Joe-Pye Weed

Towering native with mauve domes that butterflies swarm in late summer.

June Hosta

Gold center streaked with blue-green margins. Color shifts through the season. A collector's favorite.

Liatris

Blazing star. Spikes that bloom unusually from top to bottom.

Ligularia

Bold, dinner-plate leaves with daisy-like flowers. Loves wet feet and will wilt dramatically if dry.

Luna Red Hibiscus

Compact variety with enormous crimson blooms that stays tidy enough for a large container.

Night Embers Daylily

Deep burgundy-red with a black eye and yellow throat, smoldering in the summer border.

Obedient Plant

Spikes of snapdragon-like flowers that can be pushed and stay where moved, earning a very literal common name.

Patriot Hosta

Dark green leaves with crisp white margins. Classic variegated hosta that brightens shady spots.

Prairie Dock

Huge basal leaves and tall stalks topped with yellow daisies give strong prairie structure.

Rose Mallow

Enormous pale pink blooms up to 12 inches across on a wetland-loving native. Grow near a pond and you'll never look back.

Russian Sage

Airy lavender clouds on silver stems. Thrives in heat and poor soil.

Sacred Lotus

Massive blooms rise above umbrella leaves in shallow water. Seedpods are as ornamental as the flowers.

Sagae Hosta

Huge gray-blue leaves with creamy margins on a stately, vase-shaped plant that wins awards for good reason.

Sea Holly

Metallic blue bracts and cones turn the whole plant a vivid silvery-blue. Otherworldly and completely drought-proof.

Stained Glass Hosta

Glossy gold center with dark green margins, like light through a cathedral window.

Sum and Substance Hosta

Chartreuse giant that can take more sun than most hostas. Heart-shaped leaves grow enormous.

Tall Phlox David

Pure white fragrant phlox with the best mildew resistance in the species. A reliable, clean performer for the late-summer garden.

Vintage Wine Coneflower

Wine-purple petals that age to rose on a robust, well-branched plant. One of the most floriferous echinacea you can grow.

Visions in Pink Astilbe

Compact and more drought-tolerant than most astilbes. Dense, rosy-pink plumes.

Wide Brim Hosta

Blue-green leaves with wide creamy-white margins that age to a clean white, a standout performer in any shade garden.

Wild Bergamot

The wild cousin of bee balm. Lavender puffs alive with pollinators. Tougher and more mildew-resistant.

Aster

The grand finale of the garden season. Essential for fall pollinators.

Autumn Joy Sedum

Broccoli-like heads open pink and age to copper-bronze. Four-season interest, zero maintenance.

California Fuchsia

Low mounds of gray foliage are covered in tubular red-orange flowers in late summer.

Goldenrod

Wrongly blamed for allergies. A vital late-season pollinator magnet.

Great Blue Lobelia

Intense blue flower spikes that hummingbirds and bumblebees fight over in late summer. The bolder, taller cousin of cardinal flower.

Helenium

Warm-toned daisy-like flowers with raised centers bloom as summer turns to fall. Loves moist soil.

Japanese Anemone

Graceful, swaying blooms on tall stems. Elegant in partial shade.

Monkshood

Deep indigo-blue hooded flowers on tall spikes in late summer. One of the few genuinely blue flowers that grows in shade.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Showy Goldenrod

Upright spikes of bright yellow flowers feed late-season pollinators on dry prairies.

Turtlehead

Snapdragon-like flowers shaped exactly like a turtle's head. Loves wet feet.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Toad Lily

Orchid-like spotted flowers when everything else is done. A late-season shade garden gem.