The best good flower that comes back every year is the purple coneflower. It handles zones 3 through 9, fights off pests on its own, and blooms for weeks each summer. You plant it once and it returns bigger every spring for a decade or longer without fuss from you.
The coneflower tops the list but your garden needs more than one variety. Other best returning perennial flowers worth your time are daylilies, black-eyed Susans, hostas, and sedum. Daylilies rank second because they grow in almost any soil for you. Black-eyed Susans spread fast and fill your beds with gold by year two. Hostas own your shade spots like nothing else can.
I tested this myself by starting with just five plants about four years ago. Two coneflowers, one daylily, one hosta, and one sedum. That first summer felt sparse and I questioned my choice. By year two every plant had doubled in size for me. Now in year four those five plants cover about 30 square feet (2.8 square meters) of solid color in my yard. I haven't bought a single new plant for that bed.
In my experience, my neighbor had the same results with her hosta garden. She started with three small plants from a garden swap two years before I started mine. Those hostas now fill a 10 foot (3 meter) shady strip under her oak tree. She divides them every few years and gives away the extras to friends on our block.
Why do some perennials come back better than others? Plants with deeper roots store more energy for you underground during winter. Broader zone ratings mean your plant handles a wider range of temps. Easy perennials that come back also fight off bugs and disease on their own. Look for all three of these traits when you shop.
Stella de Oro Daylily
- Zone range: Grows strong in zones 3 through 10 and adapts to almost any spot in your garden with ease.
- Bloom pattern: Reblooms from late spring through fall if you snap off spent flowers, giving you months of golden color.
- Care level: Needs almost nothing once it settles in and handles poor soil, partial shade, and dry spells for you.
Hosta for Shade Gardens
- Zone range: Thrives in zones 3 through 9 and prefers the shady spots under your trees where most flowers won't grow.
- Foliage appeal: Offers you leaves in blue, green, gold, and mixed patterns that look great from spring through first frost.
- Growth habit: Your clumps grow each year and you can divide them every 3 to 4 years to create free plants.
Sedum Autumn Joy
- Zone range: Handles zones 3 through 10 and thrives in the hottest, driest parts of your yard with no help.
- Drought strength: Its thick stems store water so your plant survives weeks without rain once roots have settled in.
- Season interest: Blooms shift from pink to copper to rust as fall moves on and dried seed heads look great all winter.
Plant your perennials in groups of three of the same type rather than scattering singles around your bed. Groups create visual punch from the first season and fill in faster for you. Space them based on the mature width listed on the tag so they merge into solid clumps by year two or three.
Give every new plant three full growing seasons before you judge how it does. The old saying goes: first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap. I've seen this prove true with every perennial I've put in the ground. That patience turns a small buy into a garden that takes care of itself for you season after season.
Read the full article: Best Perennial Flowers for Gardens
