Many gardeners love perennial flowers. Plant them once, and the blooms return year after year. The 20 perennials you see here are ideal for beginners—low-maintenance, no-fuss, vigorous, and high-performing!
What Are Perennials?
Perennials are those flowers that return reliably year after year—whereas annuals are those one-season wonders that add color and need to be replaced every spring. It’s the perennials that form the backbone of a garden, whereas annuals are planted for spots of color. Think of perennials as the foundation. Learn more about the difference between annuals and perennials.
An advantage of perennials is that they require minimal maintenance. After establishment, most perennials require minimal pesticides or pruning. They just need well-draining soil that’s amended with compost or organic matter. However, there are thousands of varieties of perennials, and while some are indeed as easy as pie to grow, others require at least as much attention as annuals. So, if an easy garden is what you seek, choose the right perennials!
One tip: Choose native perennials when possible. Don’t be tempted by a beautiful flower that grows in the far North or South if it’s not meant for your zone. See the USDA Native Plant database.
When to Plant Perennials
You can plant a perennial any time, but the best times are fall and spring. This allows the plant to get well established before winter or before a hot, dry summer. We prefer fall because the soil is already warmed. Planting in summer is okay, but you’ll need to water frequently.
The following are among the easiest perennials to grow that are common throughout most of North America.
Why These Perennials Are So Easy to Grow
The plants listed here are perfect perennials because they …
- do not need fussy care, such as pinching, staking, and deadheading (although some of these plants, like daylilies, can benefit from deadheading).
- are fairly resistant to pests and diseases and may even be unappealing to deer (although a hungry deer will eat just about anything).
- have a long life span (more than 5 years).
- adapt to a wide range of conditions.
- do not spread all over the garden via invasive rhizomes.
- grow and bloom well even if you do not divide them.
- are tough enough to hold their own against invasive neighbors.
- will grow almost anywhere in North America (Zones 2 to 9).
Check out these easy tips for perennial garden care.
20 Easy Perennial Flowers for Beginners
1. Black-eyed Susans
Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are a popular native flower and have been a staple for so long that just about everyone grows them. Sturdy stems bear cheerful golden daisy-like flowers with a black cone-like center. They occur singly atop 1- to 2-foot stems. Take note, though, that this is a late starter, flowering at the end of summer. ‘Early Bird Gold’ is a selection of the more common ‘Goldsturm’ that is physically identical to it but “day-length neutral”—it starts blooming early and doesn’t know when to stop, so it can bloom from late May until Christmas in some climates. (Northern gardeners can figure on a late June through October season.) Read our Growing Guide for Black-Eyed Susans.
2. Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
Echinacea purpurea, commonly known as coneflower, is a popular and easily grown native perennial in the U.S. that produces long-lasting lavender flowers on smooth 2- to 5-foot robust stems and bears a prickly, green-to-orange center. It blooms from midsummer to early fall, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers are used to make an extremely popular herbal tea. Read our Growing Guide for Coneflowers.
3. Daylilies
Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are the workhorses of the garden and are very low-maintenance, thriving in full sun while also tolerant of partial shade. It’s not an original native, but it’s been here a long, long time. There are lots of choices here, from big flowers to small, from dwarfs to giants, from early bloomers to fall bloomers—all featuring trumpet-shaped blooms that rise above attractive, arching, grasslike foliage. Some varieties, such as the ever-popular ‘Stella de Oro’ (yellow flowers), bloom all summer! Colors include yellow, orange, pink, purplish red, and white (well, more like cream), often with a contrasting eye. Each flower lasts but a day (thus the name, “daylilies”), but stems can produce dozens of flowers—and there can be dozens of stems!
4. Goatsbeard
Aruncus, commonly known as goatsbeard, has an extensive native range in North America. This is a big, tough perennial with stems so sturdy that they have survived tornadoes unharmed. The giant leaves are fernlike, and the frothy white flowers are rather like astilbe blooms. Goatsbeard is a bit slow to develop and thus may not reach its full size for 4 to 5 years, but it can live for 100 years or more in the same spot. Expect blooms in early summer.
5. Hostas
Ever popular, hostas are tough as nails as long as you remember two things: You must buy slug-resistant varieties (these usually have thick leaves), and be mindful of deer—they love hostas. (Read our advice for getting rid of slugs and deer in the garden.) Hostas come in various sizes and are grown mostly for their foliage—usually large leaves, with attractive veining in shades from dark green to chartreuse and blue, often with beautiful yellow or white variegation. The trumpet-shaped flowers are white to purple and usually fairly insignificant; however, there are some large-flowered, highly scented varieties. Hostas require full shade to partial shade and bloom from early summer to fall. Read our Growing Guide for Hostas.
6. Peonies
Your great-great-grandmother probably grew peonies (Paeonia spp.)—and, likely, they’re still exactly where she planted them! Peonies are about the longest-lived perennials around. The deeply cut leaves are a glossy dark green that reddens in the fall, but their main attraction is the huge, showy, blowsy blooms that are pink, white, or red (and, more recently, yellow or peach). Flowers can be single, semidouble, or double, but take note: Many of the double varieties require staking. Peonies bloom in mid- to late spring. Read our Growing Guide for Peonies.
7. Salvia
Salvias (also known as sages) have gained their new fame because they flower for a long period of time and also grow fairly rapidly. Many salvias will stay low enough to be used at the front edge of your flowerbeds. In addition to the colorful flowers and interesting foliage of salvias, one of the main benefits of growing sages is the hummingbirds and butterflies they attract. See our Growing Guide for Salvia.
8. Foxglove
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a stunning tall flower with tubular blossoms that often looks best at the back of a garden; it’s also rabbit- and deer-resistant. Common foxglove is a biennial, which means they form a rosette and leaves in their first year, bloom in their second year, and then die. Foxgloves reseed easily, so plant foxgloves two years in a row for flowering plants. Also, new perennial varieties of foxglove have been developed that flower in the first year. See our Foxglove Growing Guide.
NOTE: Foxglove is highly poisonous, so don’t plant it if you have pets or young children who might gnaw on the plants. Additionally, foxglove is not native to North America and may be considered invasive in some locations. Check with local regulations before planting.
Spotlight: The ‘Arctic Fox Rose’ foxglove is an annual that is hardy enough to survive northern winters.
9. Cushion Spurge
Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) is a native plant with chartreuse flowers that rise from mounds of green foliage. This plant blooms in early spring, turns a colorful chrome-yellow in early summer, and turns red in the fall. It’s a dramatic plant for the perennial border and is drought-resistant, deer-resistant, and butterfly-friendly!
10. Columbine
Columbine (Aquilegia) is a beautiful woodland perennial with drooping, bell-like red petals that attract hummingbirds. Once started, columbine propagates for years and, although perennial, increases rapidly by self-seeding. See how to plant columbine.
11. Russian Sage
This shrubby plant with sturdy white stems has silvery, highly aromatic leaves and a haze of lavender-blue flowers. Blooming from summer to fall, Russian sage is a robust plant that is drought-tolerant once established and very attractive to pollinators. Its softer look can provide a beautiful supporting role to bolder perennials, like coneflowers and rudbeckia. Read more about sage.
12. Showy Stonecrop
One of the taller members of the genus Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum), this popular garden plant is extremely easy to grow. White to pink cauliflower blooms appear over succulent, blue-green leaves. It blooms in fall. Read more about Stonecrop.
13. Astilbe
Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii) has a low-growing habit that makes it work as a border plant or ground cover. The flowers are fluffy pink or white panicles above dense fern-like foliage. See our Astilbe Grow Guide.
14. Siberian Iris
This is the easy iris—it produces abundant blooms in purple, lavender, pink, white, or yellow in attractive, grass-like foliage. It blooms from late spring to early summer. Read more about growing irises.
15. Phlox
A very common wildflower, phlox blooms anytime from late spring through the summer months in pastel pink, purple, or white flowers. Most species need full sun to thrive. Butterflies and hummingbirds love phlox! Read more about growing phlox.
16. Baptisia australis (aka False Indigo)
One of the oldest perennials known to exist, this most-native Baptisia species is an upright perennial and features blue-lavender, lupine-like flowers on mountains of clover-like, blue-green foliage. Baptisia australis has dark seed pods formed in fall that are a good counterpoint in cut flower arrangements. A carefree plant that grows in full sun or light shade, it is typically deer-resistant and attracts butterflies.
17. Heliopsis helianthoides, or False Sunflower
A native perennial often found wild along roadsides and in fields across the U.S. and much of Canada, this upright, sunflower-like perennial features daisy-like flowers with yellow-orange rays surrounding yellow center cones. The flowers will brighten your garden from midsummer to fall in full sun to light shade. Pollinating bees and butterflies enjoy the blossoms. The plant tolerates dry to average soils and does not require rich soil to thrive.
18. Bee Balm (Wild Bergamot)
Bee balm (Monarda spp.) blooms yearly in mid- to late summer. It’s beloved by pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, who enjoy the sweet nectar found in its tubular-shaped florets. In Zones 4 to 8, it grows in full sun to part shade and prefers average to consistently moist soil. Deer tend to leave it alone due to its minty-scented foliage. See our Bee Balm Guide.
19. Perennial Hibiscus (aka Rose Mallow)
Native to the Eastern U.S., this hardy hibiscus flowers from midsummer into early fall and grows best in full sun to light shade. Natives grow near bodies of water, so this plant needs consistent moisture to thrive and isn’t recommended for containers. Deer usually leave them alone, but bees and hummingbirds enjoy their blossoms. See our Hibiscus Growing Guide.
20. New England Aster
The native aster has colors ranging from lavender to blue to white, with showy flowers. The perennial’s hairy, clasping leaves are arranged densely on its stout stems, and the plant can grow to 6 feet or more in height. Learn more about growing asters.
| Perennial | Zones | Sun Needs | Bloom Time | Bonus Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-Eyed Susan | 3–9 | Full Sun | Late Summer | Pollinator-friendly |
| Coneflower | 3–9 | Full Sun | Summer–Fall | Drought tolerant |
| Daylily | 3–9 | Sun–Part Shade | Summer | Extremely hardy |
| Hosta | 3–9 | Shade–Part Shade | Summer | Great foliage |
| Peony | 3–8 | Full Sun | Spring | Long-lived |
| Salvia | 4–9 | Full Sun | Summer | Long bloom time |
| Astilbe | 4–8 | Shade | Late Spring | Moist soil–tolerant |
| Russian Sage | 4–9 | Full Sun | Summer–Fall | Deer resistant |
| Bee Balm | 4–8 | Sun–Part Shade | Summer | Attracts hummingbirds |
| New England Aster | 4–8 | Full Sun | Fall | Late-season color |
How to Choose the Best Perennials for Your Zone
Choosing the right perennial starts with knowing your USDA Hardiness Zone, which is based on average winter temperatures.
1. Check Your Hardiness Zone
Perennials must survive your coldest winter temperatures. If you’re in Zone 5, for example, choose plants rated for Zones 3–5 or broader ranges like 3–8. Find your gardening zone here.
2. Match Sunlight Conditions
- Full sun: 6+ hours daily
- Partial sun/shade: 3–6 hours
- Full shade: Less than 3 hours
Always match plant requirements to your garden’s light.
3. Consider Soil Type
Most perennials prefer well-draining soil. Some tolerate clay (daylilies), while others prefer moist soil (astilbe, hibiscus).
4. Think About Bloom Time
Mix early, mid-, and late-season bloomers for color all season long. Find a three-season perennial garden design here.
5. Choose Native When Possible
Native perennials are often easier to grow, more resilient, and better for pollinators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest perennial to grow?
Black-eyed Susans, daylilies, and coneflowers are among the easiest perennials for beginners due to their hardiness and low-maintenance needs.
Do perennials really come back every year?
Yes. True perennials regrow from their roots each spring, provided they are suited to your climate zone.
When is the best time to plant perennials?
Spring and fall are ideal. These seasons allow roots to establish before extreme heat or cold.
How do I know if a perennial will survive winter?
Check the plant’s USDA zone rating and make sure your zone number falls within its survival range.
Which of these easy perennials is your favorite? Do you have any favorite perennial flowers? Which you would recommend to the Almanac community? Please let us know below!
Getting Started with Flower Gardening
Building a Raised Flower Bed Garden
Choosing Flowers
Types of Flower Gardens
Growing Flowers in Containers
Spring and Fall Bulbs
Caring for Flowers
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