25 Best Full Sun Perennials

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Dahlia

Dahlias generally thrive in Zones 8 to 11. They 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.

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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 grows best in Zones 4 to 9 and thrives in full sun.

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Tropical Milkweed

Bring a splash of color and height to your garden (up to 4 feet tall!), with this sun-loving perennial that thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

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Taro

Flowers come and go throughout the season—foliage is forever. Taro or "Elephant Ears" will thrive in full sun or partial shade. They do best in Zones 8 to 10.

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Canna

If you're looking for pretty flowers and fabulous foliage, Canna is the right pick for you. It likes the heat and the sunshine, so it thrives in USDA Zones 8 to 12.

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Peony

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

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Russian Sage

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

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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.

Varieties to try: Lime Sorbet, Swan Burgundy, and White

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Campanula (Bellflower)

Nodding white or purple-blue bells bloom in early to midsummer. Both upright and low-growing varieties are available.

Varieties to try: Meteora, Superba

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Thrift

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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.

Varieties to try: Hillside Sheffield Pink, Matchsticks

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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.

Varieties to try: Rozanne, Biokovo

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Catmint

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.

Varieties to try: Walker’s Low, Blue Wonder

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Daylily

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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.

Varieties to try: SuperBlue, Phenomenal

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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.

Varieties to try: Sombrero Salsa Red, Lakota Fire

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Salvia

Spiky purple or pink flowers atop handsome mounded foliage make these summer bloomers a favorite garden perennial. They’re sturdy and trouble-free.

Varieties to try: Rose Marvel, Black & Blue

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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.

Varieties to try: Dynomite, Angelina

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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).

Varieties to try: Goliath, Forncett Summer

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Lamb's Ear

Fuzzy, silvery plants with tall spiked flowers make a statement. The flowers are interesting, but the soft, wooly leaves are the stars.

Varieties to try: Silver Carpet, Big Ears

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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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