26 Full-Sun Perennials for Your Garden's Sunniest Spaces
These gorgeous flowers will give your garden years of color.
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A lot of work can go into planning out a garden before you ever get near the soil! After designing the layout and figuring out where the sunny and shady spots are going to be, you may want to plan out a mix of both annual and perennial flowers.
Annuals are nice for adding variety and color—and of course you can change them from year to year. But a solid base of perennials keeps you from having to start over every season, and gives you a pallet to work with. There are shade-loving perennials, but also plenty of sun-loving perennials with striking flowers that, once established, can be largely hands-off. Reliable perennials can be great for attracting pollinators, which will help keep your garden vibrant.
Related: 21 Garden Layout Ideas for Every Size Garden
If you know what USDA Hardiness Zone you're in, then you can start to think about what plants you may want. (Keep in mind that the zone map has just recently been updated.) To best catch the eye, it's useful to plant a variety of colors. But also keep in mind the heights of flowers and the bloom times.
Some other tips for planning a garden:
It helps to know what kind of soil you have, how it drains, as well as the PH levels of your soil, all of which can vary by region. You can send a sample of your soil—along with a few dollars–to your local Cooperative Extension, and they will tell you everything you need to know and everything you need to do to improve it.
"Full-sun perennials" need about 6 to 8 hours of direct light daily in order to thrive. If a space is on the shady side, avoid planting these plants.
Plant tags will tell you everything you need to know about how much sun, what kind of soil, and ideal zones that variety needs. Don't have a a lot of land? No worries. Many of these will work just as well for container gardens. Here, some of the best sun-loving perennials.
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Hibiscus
If you crave vibrant color and showy flowers, plant a hardy hibiscus in your garden. With huge blooms that can reach the size of dinner plates, these perennials instantly transport you to the tropics.
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Learn more: How to Grow Hibiscus
Daisies
These classic beauties are worth a sunny spot in any garden! Varieties can range from closer to the ground to several feet tall.
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Learn more: How to Grow Daisies
Dahlia
Dahlias really like full sun, but as with most plants, if you live in a super hot part of the country, you should try to provide them with a bit of afternoon shade.
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
Learn more: How to Care for Dahlias
Bee Balm
If you're looking to add color to the garden and attract birds, bees, and butterflies, bee balm is the right flower for you. It thrives in full sun.
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Read more: 21 Flowers That Hummingbirds Adore
Butterfly Weed
This native milkweed, called Asclepias tuberosa, not only has striking bright-orange flowers, but it's also a reliable attractor for pollinators of all kinds, but especially monarch butterflies. It tops out at 2-2 1/2 feet.
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Learn more: How to Design a Pollinator Garden
Elephant Ear
Flowers come and go throughout the season—foliage is forever. Taro or "Elephant Ears" (Colocasia esculenta) will thrive in full sun or partial shade.
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10
Learn more: Elephant Ear Care and Growing Tips
Canna Lily
If you're looking for pretty flowers and fabulous foliage, Canna lily is the right pick for you. This hummingbird attractant likes the heat and the sunshine, where it thrives.
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 12
Read more: 21 Flowers That Hummingbirds Adore
Peonies
This shrubby plant with glossy dark green foliage has lush, exuberant flowers with rich fragrance in late spring. Don’t plant too deep or they won’t bloom. The ants that visit the flowers aren’t pests; they’re sipping the nectar.
Varieties to try: Festiva Maxima, Sarah Bernhardt
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Read more: How to Properly Grow and Care for Peonies
Russian Sage (Salvia yangii)
Abundant spiky purple flowers and lacy gray-green leaves adorn this upright shrubby plant. It blooms mid- to late summer and tolerates a range of soil types.
Varieties to try: Rocketman, Denim ‘n Lace
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Read more: 20 Drought-Resistant Plants
Columbine
These graceful, elegant flowers bloom for weeks in late spring to early summer. The plants typically last only a few years, although they often drop seeds which start new little plants. Columbine also produce more blooms with some deadheading.
Varieties to try: Lime Sorbet, Swan Burgundy, and White
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Keep reading: Which Flowers Should You Deadhead?
Campanula (Bellflower)
Nodding white or purple-blue bells bloom in early to midsummer. Both upright and low-growing varieties are available.
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Varieties to try: Meteora, Superba
Learn more: How to Grow and Care for a Campanula Bellflower
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
These classic American wildflowers are gorgeous, grow 2 to 3 feet tall, and once established will basically grow themselves.
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Learn more: 15 Easy Plants That Give You More Bang for Your Buck
Chrysanthemum
With every color of the rainbow, you’ll find a type to love. But here’s the kicker: If you want mums to come back every year, plant them in the spring. If you plant in the fall (like most people do), the plants don’t have time to get established in time to survive winter.
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Hillside Sheffield Pink, Matchsticks
Learn more: How to Grow Chrysanthemums
Hardy Geranium
These mounding perennials (not to be confused with the type you usually see potted on a window sill) have a long flowering period and spicy fragrance. They’re sturdy plants that quickly double in size. Early summer is peak bloom.
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Varieties to try: Rozanne, Biokovo
Learn more: 25 Most Fragrant Plants
Catmint (Nepeta)
These early summer bloomers are hardy, fast-growing and fuss-free. Their pink, purple, or white flowers bloom for weeks in the landscape, and the foliage has a pleasant, light minty scent.
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Varieties to try: Walker’s Low, Blue Wonder
Learn More: 20 Fast-Growing Plants
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Big, gorgeous daylily blooms appear early to midsummer. These flowering perennials multiple quickly, so you can divide in a few years and gain more plants. Fun fact: Daylilies aren't acutally lilies! But they are actually beautiful. There are cultivars for nearly every hardiness zone.
Hardiness Zones: 1 to 11
Varieties to try: Chorus Line, Romantic Returns
Love Lillies? 17 Types of Lilies You'll Love to Grow in Your Garden
Lavender
Beautiful pale purple flowers, silvery foliage, and appealing fragrance make this perennial herb an all-around winner in any garden setting. The woody classic is cranky about being moved once established, so pick a spot and stick with it.
Hardiness Zones: typically 5 to 10, depending on variety
Varieties to try: SuperBlue, Phenomenal
Read more: How to Grow Lavender
Coneflower (Echinacea)
Bright daisy-like blooms come in a profusion of colors and sizes. They flower from early to midsummer for weeks. Keep the seed heads in place over the winter for the birds. The fragrant flowers can be used fresh or dried for echinacea tea!
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Sombrero Salsa Red, Lakota Fire
Learn more: 25 Fragrant Plants That Will Make Your Garden Smell Amazing
Sedum
These bullet-proof perennials come in every size, shape, form, and color from upright to ground-hugging. They’re an excellent choice in dry, sandy soils.
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to try: Dynomite, Angelina, Autumn Joy
Learn more: How to Grow Autumn Joy Sedum
Perennial Poppies
These bold, dancing blooms flower for a few weeks in early summer. They’re best planted en masse. Make sure you buy a type that is perennial (which come back from the roots), because some poppies are annuals (which are grown from seed).
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to try: Goliath, Forncett Summer
Learn more: Poppy Flower Facts and Symbolism
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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