Perennials are plants that live from season to season in contrast to annuals that live one year or season and then die. Technically trees and shrubs are perennials but usually the term usually refers to herbaceous plants.
EVERGREEN PERENNIALS
Evergreen perennials usually bloom during one season and keep their green leaves all year.
Primrose (Primula polyanthus) comes in a wide range of colors and prefers part shade. It starts blooming in February and continues until June when the hot weather comes.
Primula ‘Belarina Pink’
Primula ‘Amethyst Ice’
Primula ‘Belarina Cream’
Primula ‘Belarina Lively Lilac’
Primula ‘Belarina Double Valentine’
Primula obconica
Erigeron ‘Cape Sebastian’
Beach Aster (Erigeron glaucus)
Erigeron glaucus ‘Wayne Roderick’
Sea Breeze Aster (Erigeron glaucus ‘Sea Breeze’)
Sun Drops (Calylophus drummondianus)
Catmint (Nepeta faassenii)
Fairy Wand (Dierama pulcherrimum) The gophers love this plant.
Aphyllanthus monspeliensis
Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa caucasica)
Blanket Flower requires a lot of deadheading. This deadheading took over an hour but resulted in flowers throughout the summer.
This deadheading took 20 minutes with the battery powered hedge clipper.
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ seed heads still look good even before deadheading.
Gaillardia ‘Fanfare Blaze’
Penstemon ‘Firebird’
Penstemon ‘Sour Grapes’
Penstemon pinifolius
Penstemon pinifolius ‘Mersea Yellow’
Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)
Giant-flowered Soapwort (Saponaria lempergii ‘Max Frei’)
Red-Hot Poker (Kniphofia hybrid)
Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos cv. )
Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis ‘Hidcote Blue’)
Mullein (Verbascum chaixii ‘Album’)
Throat Wort (Trachelium caeruleum)
This plant readily reseeds and is drought tolerant.
See post of November 13, 2023 “Trachelium ”
Rudbeckia fulgida spreads by rhizomes and blooms 3-4 weeks in the summer. It can become invasive.
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) is a clumping perennial and blooms longer than R. fulgida – up to 2 months.
DECIDUOUS
(herbaceous) PERENNIALS
Ground Orchid (Pleone formosana)
Oenothera missouriensis
Oenothera fruticosa ‘African Sun’
Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum) fall color. ‘Variegatum’ is top photo.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia)
Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’)
White Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’)
Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus). The flowers are chocolate color and smell like chocolate.
Astilbe chinensis var. taquetii
Astilbe chinensis pumila
Astilbe arendsii white variety
Pink Astilbe
Meadowsweet (Filipendula rubra)
Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro)
Coneflower (Echinacea)
See also Echinacea post of 8/4/19
Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia speciosa ‘Starship Deep Rose’
Lobelia gerardii ‘Vedrariensis’
Lobelia tupa
Hummingbird Bush (Dicliptera sericea)
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
See Daylily post of July 17, 2020
Ballon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
Foxtail Lily (Eremurus isabellinus)
Peach-leafed Bluebell (Campanula persifolia)
Campanula primulifolia
Verbena bonariensis This plant is more or less evergreen at Dawn Gardens but it is cut back every year.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) spreads by rhizomes.
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) doesn’t spread; the clump just gets bigger in diameter.
Rudbeckia ‘Henry Elders’
Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’
Helianthus maximillanii?
Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ (left) and ‘Moonbeam’ (right)
(Photo pending)
Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)
Canna Lily (Canna)
Allium ‘Millennium’
Japanese Windflower (Anemone x hybrida)
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
New England Aster (Aster ‘Purple Dome’)
Aster oblongifolius ‘Dream of Beauty’
New York Aster (Aster novi-belgii cv. )
Alstroemeria hybrids come in many different colors.
Sneezeweed (Helenium cv. )
Aster ‘Snow Furry’
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’
Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Alba’
Bidens ‘Bee Bold’
Russian Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolia)
See blog: “Russian Sunflower” posted Jan. 8, 2020
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)
See post of Dec. 22, 2019 – The Beauty of Winter
Disney Ginger (Hedychium ‘Disney’)
Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) fall color and blue flowers in the Spring.
Aster ‘Monte Cassino’
Copper Canyon Daisy (Tagetes lemmonii)
Falkia repens
Veronica spicata ‘Glory’
Culver’s Root (Veronocastrum virginianum)
Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Burnet (Sanguisorba obtusa)
Sanguisorba cv.
Corydalis flexuosa ‘Porcelain Blue’
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Columbine (Aquilegia Pagoda Pink & White)
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Dahlias