Perennial Plants

Use this chart to compare our most popular perennial flowers by height, hardiness zone, light, bloom time and color. Click any plant to see it in the shop.

Start with three questions: how much sun the spot gets, what your hardiness zone is, and what the soil is like. Then pick plants that match, instead of trying to change the site to suit the plant. Our perennials are sorted into collections to make that easy.

Sun perennials

A spot with six or more hours of direct sun suits classic meadow flowers such as purple coneflower , black-eyed Susan , blazing star and blanket flower . Most are drought tolerant once established. Shop all sun perennials .

Shade perennials

Under trees and on the north side of a house, native woodland wildflowers shine. Virginia bluebells , trilliums, bloodroot and Solomon's seal bloom in spring before the tree canopy fills in. Shop all shade perennials .

Long-blooming perennials

For color all summer, combine plants with overlapping bloom times: creeping phlox in spring, coneflower and butterfly weed in early summer, black-eyed Susan and blanket flower into fall. Shop all long-blooming perennials .

Pollinator perennials

Butterfly weed and milkweed are the host plants monarch caterpillars need. Cardinal flower is a hummingbird favorite, and coneflower and blazing star draw bees and butterflies all summer. Shop all pollinator plants .

Deer-resistant perennials

If deer visit your yard, start with plants they tend to skip. Shop all deer-resistant perennials .

Wet spots

Cardinal flower , great blue lobelia and Siberian iris handle moist soil and low spots where other perennials rot. For standing water, see our wetland plants .

Packages are the easiest way to fill a new bed and save on each plant. Try the 10 Perennial Plants Package , 15 Old Fashioned Perennial Favorites or 15 Long Blooming Wildflowers .

Our perennials ship bare root, meaning dormant roots without soil, which keeps them healthy in transit and lets them settle in fast. Plant them as soon as possible after they arrive. Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots out, set the crown (where roots meet stem) at soil level, refill with soil and water deeply. If you can't plant right away, keep the roots moist and cool for a few days. Don't worry if nothing appears for several weeks; dormant perennials put down roots first and send up leaves when the soil warms.

What is the difference between annuals and perennials?

Annuals complete their whole life cycle in one growing season, then die, so they must be replanted every year. Perennials live for three years or more, coming back each spring from the same roots. Annuals often bloom longer in a single season, while perennials cost less over time and grow fuller every year.

Do perennials come back every year?

Yes. Hardy perennials die back to the ground in fall and regrow from their roots each spring, as long as they are planted in their hardiness zone. Choose plants rated for your zone, and give new plantings a layer of mulch their first winter.

When is the best time to plant perennials?

Spring and fall are best. Fall planting, at least four to six weeks before the ground freezes, gives roots time to establish in cool soil so plants bloom well the next year. Spring planting, once the ground can be worked, is ideal in colder zones. Bare-root perennials do best when planted while dormant.

What perennials bloom all summer?

Black-eyed Susan, blanket flower, purple coneflower and butterfly weed have some of the longest bloom seasons, often flowering from June into September. For color from spring to frost, mix early bloomers like creeping phlox with late bloomers like goldenrod and great blue lobelia.

How long do perennials live?

It depends on the plant. Some, like black-eyed Susan, are short-lived but reseed themselves. Others, including Siberian iris, trilliums and Solomon's seal, can live for decades. Most garden perennials benefit from being divided every three to five years when the center of the clump starts to thin.

Should I cut back perennials in the fall?

You can, but you don't have to. Leaving seed heads on coneflower, black-eyed Susan and blazing star feeds birds through winter, and hollow stems shelter native bees. Cut the old stems back to a few inches in early spring before new growth starts.

Do perennials need fertilizer?

Native perennials rarely need it. Too much fertilizer can make plants floppy and reduce blooms. A thin layer of compost or shredded leaves each spring is usually all they need.

Are native perennials better?

Native perennials are adapted to local soil, rainfall and winters, so they typically need less water and care once established. They also support native bees, butterflies and birds far better than many imported plants. Every perennial we grow at TN Nursery is a hardy native or a proven garden favorite.