Colorful Perennials That Bloom All Summer

Perennials give you a lot of bang for your buck. You plant them once, and they do what they’re supposed to do year after year. Most perennials will self-sow or produce more plants through division. And if you want even more value, plant perennials that bloom all summer. Some perennials planted now will bloom and multiply for years to come.

1. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Bees and butterflies love bee balm (also known as wild bergamot and Oswego tea). This long-blooming perennial has many clusters of small flowers that are rich in bee balm. Bees are especially attracted to bee balm, as are butterflies and hummingbirds. To grow bee balm in your garden, plant it in rich, moist soil in a bright, sunny location. Bee balm can tolerate shade in hot summers, but blooms best in full sun.

2. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fluctuata)

Black-eyed Susan blooms all summer and is drought-tolerant, can be used as a natural dye, makes wonderful cut flowers, and is deer-resistant. By far, one of the hardest-working flowers in the garden.

3. Blanket flower (Gaillardia)

Gaillardia is a superstar in perennial flower beds with variegated dark gray-green leaves and stunning bright orange and yellow flowers - the blooms will last! If you're looking for long-blooming perennials for your garden beds or borders, blanket flowers are a must.

4. Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Butterfly weed is a native perennial lawn plant that tolerates poor soil and is drought-tolerant. The shrub is prized for its profuse clusters of bright orange flowers that attract a multitude of butterflies. Butterfly weed is a milkweed and an important food source for the monarch butterfly.

5. Catmint (Nepeta species)

Catmint (also known as catnip) is a bushy perennial herb with purple-blue flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Cats love catnip and will curl up on the plant if given the opportunity. When in full bloom, the plants are stunning, with dense, towering clusters of purple and blue flowers that almost completely cover the lower leaves.

6. Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea)

Coral Bells are sturdy, low-growing perennials that produce delicate bell-shaped flowers on stems that rise above dark green leaves. To prolong flowering, be sure to deadhead faded flowers. Coral Bells does best in cool climates and will not rebloom in warmer southern areas.

7. Daylilies (Hemerocallis species)

An easy-to-grow summer perennial, the daylily lives up to its name. It bears yellow, orange, or reddish-brown flower buds that open at sunrise. The trumpet-shaped flowers are borne in clusters on sturdy stems and are rarely without flowers during the growing season. To keep the plants blooming all summer long, daylilies need to be deadheaded daily.

8. Goat's beard (Astilbe species)

Astilbes are wonderful perennials for shade gardens. Astilbe's individual flowers are very small, but they appear in dense, plume-like clusters. Plant these beautiful feathery flowers in perennial borders and wild shade gardens.

9. Geranium Roseanne

Rosanne is one of the longest-blooming geraniums, blooming from June to October. While other geraniums die back by midsummer, Roseanne continues to bloom. These bushy purple flowering plants make an excellent ground cover or addition to a perennial border. The plants are sterile and do not self-seed, so there is no worry about the plants taking over garden beds.