These perennials can live for many years without needing much maintenance from you.
Plant perennials and they’ll generally come back year after year, instead of needing replanting like annuals do.
But not all perennials are alike.
Credit: Janet Mesic-Mackie
Here’s a roundup of the longest-lasting perennial varieties to try in your garden.
Peony
If you want to leave a flowering legacy, plantpeonies(Paeoniaspp.).
These hardy perennials will last for decades.
Credit: Andreas Trauttmansdorff
Addgrid stakesaround your peonies to provide support when the plants are blooming to keep the flowers from toppling over.
liriope is has narrow, grasslike foliage that can be green or variegated.
It’s anexcellent groundcoveror edging plant that is often planted to control erosion onsteep slopes.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Thisproblem-solving perennialcan persist for years.
In fact, it has been found growing in long abandoned Southern gardens.
Size:12 to 24 inches tall and wide
Zones:5-10
Liriope is considered invasive in some areas of the country.
Credit: Bob Stefko
Daylily
As tough as they are long-lived,daylilies(Hemerocallisspp.
)are rugged enough to grow and bloom in commercial landscapes, along highways, andsteep hillsides.
Siberian andAfrican irisesare two other species that will persist in your garden with little attention from you.
Credit: Greg Ryan
In fact, it’s been found growing around long-neglected farmsteads.
Because it’s naturally drought- and insect-resistant, baptisia will last for decades in your garden.
Size:2 to 4 feet tall and wide
Zones:3-9
Sedum
Drought-tolerantand almost foolproof,sedums(Sedumspp.)
Credit: Rob Cardillo
return year after year.
Thesebeautiful rock garden plantswill slowly carpet your garden with color even under extreme weather conditions.
After flowering, cut back flower spikes to encourage more blooms.
Credit: David Nevala
The tidy mounds of green, aromatic foliage look attractive on their own, too.
This bold perennial is literally smothered in pink or purplish blue flowers from late summer into fall.
It’s a favorite plant for butterflies, particularly migrating monarchs, which flock to the nectar-rich blooms.
Credit: Susan Gilmore
Pinching the plant before mid-July helps keep it a bit more compact, butstakingmight still be necessary.
In Northern gardens, grow agapanthusin containersandmove the plants indoorsduring the winter.
offer trailing purple or white, fragrant spring flowers.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Look for a variety, such as ‘Blue Moon’, that was developed specifically for colder regions.
In the south, look for thenative varietiesthat are less aggressive than the Asian species.
)is a native wildflower that develops wave after wave of cheerful yellow blooms in mid to late summer.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
It’san unfussy perennialthat will flower even in poor soil or during times of drought.
Its nectar-filled flowers draw butterflies and other pollinators.
To maintain its form and to jumpstart a possible rebloom,cut back its stemsafter flowering by one half.
Credit: Karlis Grants
Size:6 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Yarrow
Yarrow(Achilleaspp.
)doesn’t mind drought or poor soil.
Even better: This plant can take everything from full sun to shade.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Just be sure the soil stays moist, and astilbe will pay you back with beauty for years.
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Credit: Jay Wilde
Credit: Kindra Clineff
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Karlis Grants
Credit: Brian E. McCay
