Add some flower power to your garden year after year with these tough-as-nails hardy perennials.
The size of the species in a plant genus often varies considerably.
For this list, we’ve picked 21 perennials that stand out by toughness and beauty alike.
Credit:BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Daylily
BHG / Evgeniya Vlasova
Practically indestructible,daylilies(Hemerocallisspp.)
will flower profusely in almost any sunny spot.
They’re drought-tolerant and insect-resistant and offer a wide range of colors and bicolors.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Daylilies are also available in early-, mid-, and late-season bloomers.
Plant a few of each in your garden for an all-season flower show.
Or,grow daylily varietiesthat are repeat bloomers, flowering from spring until fall.
Credit: Rob Cardillo
Barrenwort
One of the best shade perennials,barrenwort(Epimediumspp.
)is a real garden workhorse.
Thishardy groundcoveroffers both colorful foliage and flowers.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It’s also highly drought-resistant, making it an ideal choice for shady locations with dry soil.
Depending on the variety you grow and your region, the plants may also remain evergreen through the winter.
Barrenwort spreads slowly, gradually carpeting your garden with color.
Credit: Carson Downing
This American native is one of the most reliable perennials it’s possible for you to grow.
They also have few insect or disease problems.
Foliage varies between species and is either threadlike or broad.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
To promote even more flowers,remove blooms as they fade.
Its eye-popping bluish-purple flowers appear in mid- to late summer and retain their color for weeks.
Paired with the plant’s fragrant,silvery foliage, Russian sage is a must-have for your garden.
Credit: Susan Gilmore
Hellebores are deer- and rabbit-resistant.
Sedum
Putsedums(Hylotelephiumspp., formerlySedumspp.)
on the top of your shopping list if you’re looking for a hardyperennial that requires almost no care.
Credit: Laurie Black
One popular variety is called Dragon’s Blood sedum (shown here).
This fast-growing creeper has pretty red-and-green foliage, making it an excellentgroundcover for sloping sites.
Sedums prefer sunny locations, but they also grow in partial shade.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
It has pretty, blue-green, pea-like foliage that looks terrific even when the plants are not in bloom.
Size:2-4 feet tall and wide
Coneflower
Native to the American prairie,coneflowers(Echinaceaspp.)
are one of the most widely grown and hybridized perennials in the country.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Colors vary from the traditional purplish-pink to white, orange, yellow, and red.
They bloom from early summer to fall and attractbirds and butterflies.
Bloom time varies but most put on their biggest flower show in early to midsummer.
Credit:Blaine Moats
Some are also lightly fragrant.
These spectacular plants produce bouquets of richly scented flowers from mid- to late summer.
Colors include pink, rose, white, pale orange, and cream.
Credit: Blaine Moats
Many are also speckled and striped.
Some taller varieties might require support in windy locations.
Dig and divide the bulbs every few years in the fall to keep the plants vigorous.
Credit: Bob Stefko
These gorgeous sun lovers will bloom reliably for decades, getting bigger and better every year.
becomes the star of the garden.
The whole plant is covered with wands of rich blue flowers thatstand up to heat and drought.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Taller varieties that reach 3 feet high make excellent planting partners for roses, peonies, orornamental grasses.
Place shorter catmints that grow just 12 inches tall at the edge of your garden beds.
The low-growing plants will spread to carpet an area.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
is a favorite for hot, sunny gardens.
The plants don’t mind heat anddroughtand come in pink, purple, or white flowering varieties.
Blazing star forms a clump of narrow leaves topped in mid- to late summer by 2-foot-tall spikes of bloom.
Credit: Bob Stefko
This striking perennial is also a favorite with butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
Some phlox also offers variegated foliage.
The large, fragrant flower heads appear from midsummer to fall.
Credit: Denny Schrock
The jewel-like flowers of moss phlox (Phlox subulata)open early in spring, often appearing alongsidedaffodilsandtulips.
This hardy perennial groundcover is an excellent candidate forrock gardensor slopes.
Colors include violet, pink, white, blue, and bicolors.
Credit: Greg Ryan
The plants are also deer-resistant.
These cheerful flowers bloom mid- to late summer and stay colorful through early autumn.
In addition, Culver’s root is attractive tobutterfliesand other pollinators.
Credit: Janet Mesic Mackie
boast some truly spectacular varieties.
Their mounding colorful foliage comes in purple, orange, chartreuse, and silver in various patterns.
Some types also offer attractive flowers that lure pollinators.
Credit: Denny Schrock
These hardy perennials handle some drought.
Rabbits and deer tend to leave it alone.
Bee balm tolerates some drought, too.
Credit: Lynn Karlin
