When creating a colorful garden, perennials and shrubs are often the mainstays that anchor the garden. The plants featured in this article are our longest blooming, stalwart plants. Their blooms will reliably grace your garden. Read on to learn more about these gorgeous plants.
Shrubs and perennials are usually a bit more costly than annuals, but they also tend to be some of the most durable plants in our gardens. When selecting shrubs and perennials it makes sense to try and maximize the impact of these plants. While structure and foliage are certainly critical for creating a beautiful garden, the main attraction for most of us are their flowers. If you are looking to maximize the flower power from your shrubs and perennials, the plants showcased here are a great place to start.
The plants listed are all long blooming. In some cases, we are showcasing a specific plant within a series as being special. That is the case with the Double Play® series of Spirea. The series is great, and they all flower prolifically, but Double Play Doozie® Spirea is extra-long blooming. In other instances, we are showcasing a series of plants rather than a specific variety. Either way, these plants will all help maximize color in your garden for the long haul.
Shrubs
FAQs
Summer Flowering Shrubs: Butterfly Bush
With arching spikes full of purple, white, pink or yellow florets, butterfly bush will bloom from midsummer through the first frost. Gardeners prize it for its impact—it can grow up to 15 feet, with hundreds of blossoms—and because it will endure drought and heat.
What is the longest blooming perennial? ›
Longest Blooming Shrubs and Perennials
| Firefly Yarrow | Stand By Me Bush Clematis | Tuscan Perennial Sunflower |
|---|
| Pyromania® Red Hot Poker | Sweet Romance® Lavender | Amazing Daisies® Shasta Daisy |
| 'Cat's Pajamas' and 'Cat's Meow' | 'Cloudburst' Tall Cushion Phlox | Opening Act Hybrid Phlox |
| Luminary® series | Profusion Perennial Salvia series | |
Butterfly Blue pincushion flower is a nonstop perennial that blooms all summer. The cushion-like blue flowers are on slender stalks reaching 12 to 15 inches tall and are a surefire way to attract butterflies.
What bush looks good year round? ›
Some of the most common evergreen shrubs include arborvitae, boxwood, false cypress, holly, juniper, wintercreeper, azalea and rhododendron.
What is the easiest flowering shrub? ›
Easiest to Grow Flowering Shrubs: Shrub Rose
Every garden needs at least one rose bush, and shrub roses are the least fussy type of rose to plant, as they are hardy and disease resistant. Some also are fragrant.
What is the best flowering shrub for full sun? ›
Forsythia is an incredibly hardy shrub with golden-yellow blooms. 'Most varieties of forsythia prefer full sun or mostly sun growing conditions,' says Tabar Gifford, plant expert and American Meadows master gardener. Growing happily in US hardiness zones 5 - 8, forsythia thrives in a sunny spot in the yard.
What kind of hydrangeas bloom the longest? ›
Panicle hydrangeas are a fantastic choice for adding late-season interest to your garden. As other plants start to fade, panicle hydrangeas burst into bloom, stealing the spotlight with their showy panicles of flowers. Their long-lasting flowers persist well into the fall, extending the beauty of your garden.
How long do azaleas bloom? ›
Coveted for their spectacular blooms in a wide range of shapes and colors, Azaleas and Rhododendrons usually proudly display their colorful blooms in spring for about three weeks, depending on the weather.
Is there anything that blooms all year long? ›
Penta. Pentas can bloom throughout the year and come in a variety of colors. You'll recognize the penta thanks to its delicate branches and lovely groups of small white, lilac, pink, or red flowers. This typically hardy species is able to flower even during colder months, and it doesn't require much care.
Which plants last longer annuals or perennials? ›
Perennial plants regrow every spring, while annual plants live for only one growing season, then die off. Perennials generally have a shorter blooming period compared to annuals, so it's common for gardeners to use a combination of both plants in their yard. We're sharing a little bit about both types of plants below.
Butterfly bush have one of the longest bloom times of all garden plants: they seem to never be without flowers from early summer through autumn. This makes them perhaps better called “continuous bloomers” over rebloomers, since they don't really take a break like other plants on this list do.
Is there a shrub that blooms all summer? ›
Shrub Rose
Not all roses are finicky, high-maintenance plants. Modern shrub roses flower all summer long and into autumn on disease resistant, easy to grow plants. The flower colors differ by variety, but you'll most commonly see shrub roses in shades of pink, red, white, and yellow.
How long do hydrangeas bloom? ›
With flowers starting in spring and often last throughout summer into early fall, hydrangea flowers can be the foundation plant of your landscape.
What is the best flowering shrub for the front of the house? ›
Best shrub for the front of the house for a show-stopping display. Part of the rhododendron family, azaleas are beautiful flowering shrubs that are favored for their long-lasting blooms. Popular plants for flower bed ideas, azaleas are great shrubs for the front of the house as their large size makes a bold impression.
What is the most hardy shrub? ›
The toughest shrub may be Japanese barberry (shown below). These durable plants come in a wide range of colors including purple, yellow and green. Barberry can withstand heat, drought and poor soil. Its stems have sharp spines that make it deer-proof.
Are there any plants that bloom all year? ›
Known as a landscaping workhorse, lantana is a flowering shrub that grows quickly and blooms year-round in frost-free zones, where it's grown as a perennial. Even in colder climates, where it's grown as an annual, lantana blooms from planting clear through the first frost.
