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Perennials—20 Gems Guaranteed to Wow with a Minimum of Work

Plants & Gardens News Volume 11, Number 2 | Summer 1996

by Allan Armitage

Perennials have been defined by gardeners as "any plant which—had it lived—would grow year after year." While some gardeners look for the newest (and often the most difficult) plants, the bulk of us seek success. We want plants that require little or no effort!

In late June while I was sitting in a bus touring English and Welsh gardens with 35 gardeners, I had the opportunity to ask them what perennials demanded their least effort. This group of travelers came from places across the United States—ranging from Schenectady, NY, across to Portland, OR, and south to Atlanta, GA—and the plant names poured forth with abandon. From my informal polling, I made a list of the 20 easiest-to-grow perennials. Certainly, regional differences apply and not all 20 perennials will be as successful in Florida as they are in Portland (everything succeeds in Portland, doesn't it?). But most should entice even the most intimidated gardener to take a chance.

There are no such things as idiot-proof plants, but these 20 perennials, if put in the ground and given minimum care, are almost guaranteed to reward even novice gardeners. This does not mean that if proper care were given, they wouldn't perform even better; it simply means these perennials are tough and colorful. Each perennial is given a brief description; also included are hardiness zones based on the USDA Hardiness Zone Map and the Sunset Western Garden Book, published by the editors of Sunset Books and Sunset magazine.

Achillea 'Coronation Gold' (gold yarrow)

Raised in 1953 to commemorate the coronation of England's Queen Elizabeth II. Yellow flowers in late spring, summer. Grows to about 3 feet. Able to withstand drought once established. USDA: 3 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by division or cuttings.

Amsonia tabernaemontana (blue star flower)

Tremendously underused. Blue flowers on 3- to 4-foot stems in early to mid-spring. Golden fall color. Native to the southeastern United States. USDA: 4 to 9/Sunset: 3 to 24. Full sun to partial shade. Propagate by seed, cuttings or division.

Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima' (grape leaf anemone) for the eastern United States, and Anemone x hybrida (Japanese anemone) for the Midwest and Far West.

Pink flowers bloom in late summer, fall. 'Robustissima' can grow up to 3 feet tall; USDA: 4 to 8/Sunset: 1 to 7, 15 to 17. Anemone x hybrida grows 2 to 4 feet high; USDA zones 4 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Partial shade. Propagate by root cuttings.

Baptisia australis (false indigo)

Native to the eastern United States, it was once subsidized by England for the colonists of South Carolina and Georgia as a substitute for indigo dye. Tremendously underused. Blue flowers in spring, early summer. Grows 3 to 4 feet tall. Once established can survive drought. USDA: 3 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed or division; seed requires four weeks of chilling for uniform germination.

Boltonia 'Snowbank'

White daisylike flowers in late summer, early fall. Can reach 5 feet. USDA: 4 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by division or cuttings.

Corydalis lutea (yellow corydalis)

Yellow flowers on 9-inch-tall plants in spring. Self-sows with abandon. Much better in the western United States than in the East. Best in moist soil. USDA 5 to 7/Sunset: 4-9, 14-24. Partial shade. Propagate by seed.

Dianthus 'Bath's Pink'

Pink flowers over gray foliage in spring. About 8 inches high. Discovered in a garden in Stone Mountain, Georgia. USDA 4 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by cuttings.

Echinacea purpurea (purple cone flower)

Many cultivars available. Showy white or purple flowers in late spring, summer. Stems to 3 and 5 feet; 2 feet for some cultivars. Native to midwestern and southern United States. USDA: 3 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed and division.

Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve' (purple wall flower)

Purple flowers in spring. Gray-green foliage; grows to 3 feet. Short lived but long flowering. USDA: 5 to 8/Sunset: 5 to 8, 14 to 17, 22, 23. Full sun. Propagate by seed or cuttings.

Helianthus angustifolius (swamp sunflower)

Spreads rapidly. Bright yellow flowers in late summer, fall. Stems can grow 6 to 8 feet tall; pinching early in spring encourages more compact, shorter growth. Prefers moist soil. Native to east coast as far north as New York, west to Missouri, Oklahoma and eastern Texas. USDA: 6 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed or division.

Helleborus orientalis (lenten rose)

Purple or white flowers in early spring. Grows to about 1-1/2 feet. USDA: 4 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Shade. Propagate with fresh seed, or allow seed to shed outdoors and germinate on its own.

Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro' (stella daylily)

Best known of long-flowering daylilies. Bright yellow flowers can grow 2 feet high in late spring and summer. USDA: 3 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed or tissue culture.

Hesperis matronalis (sweet rocket/dame's violet)

Biennial with fragrant mauve or white flowers to 3 feet in spring. Old-fashioned favorite. USDA: 3 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed. Self-sows like crazy; not recommended for gardens in the Midwest and Northeast, where this perennial can invade natural areas.

Iris pseudacorus (yellow flag)

Tolerates normal garden soil or will prosper in ponds and shallow water. Vibrant yellow flowers, from 4 to 7 feet high, in spring and early summer. Emblem of France and Quebec. USDA: 4 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by seed or division. Caution: can colonize waterways.

Kalimeris pinnatifida (asteromoea)

Very popular in the southern United States, but gaining fans throughout the country. White double flowers in late spring persist throughout summer. Grows to 3 feet. USDA: 4 to 9/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by division or seed.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus' (porcupine grass)

Many grasses are very easy to grow. This one has yellow and gold horizontal bars on its leaves. Silvery plumes in fall, ornamental throughout winter; grows up to 8 feet tall. USDA: 5 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by division. Caution: Miscanthus sinensis is beginning to turn up on invasive plant lists in Northeastern and Middle Atlantic states.

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' (yellow cone flower)

Showy yellow flowers with bronze centers in late summer and fall; grow up to 3 feet tall. Perhaps the easiest to grow of all the perennials on this list. USDA: 3 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by division and cuttings.

Sedum x 'Autumn Joy'

Pink to purple flowers in late summer and fall. Coppery-colored flower heads become ornamental clusters of purple seed in winter. Grows 2 to 3 feet tall. USDA: 3 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by cuttings only.

Verbena 'Homestead Purple'

Very early, deep purple flowers on 3-inch plants. Also terrific as hanging baskets. Found on an old homestead in Georgia, easily available. USDA 5 to 9. Full sun. Propagate by cuttings.

Veronica 'Goodness Grows' (grows about a foot high) and Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' (to 1-1/2 feet high).

Persistent deep blue flowers in late spring and summer. Both hybridized by American nurseries. USDA: 3 to 8/Sunset: all zones. Full sun. Propagate by cuttings.

Plants that Tolerate Some Shade:

Long-Flowering Plants: (6 weeks or more)

Plants for Wet Areas:

(These plants, although they do well in "normal" garden settings, tolerate wetter conditions, such as boggy areas and the edges of natural ponds and streams)

Dr. Allan Armitage is professor, Dept. of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. His column, "Tips of the Trade," appears regularly in Greenhouse Grower. He is author of Herbaceous Perennial Plants: A Treatise on Their Identification, Culture and Garden Attributes (Timber Press, 1-800-327-5680) and Allan Armitage on Perennials.