31 Flowering Perennials for Full Sun
Do you also have a very sunny garden? For example, a garden facing south or southwest? Then you're in luck: Lots of perennials love a spot in full sun!
So there are plenty of options when it comes to filling your perennial border. But that doesn’t mean all plants will take root just as easily in your garden! New and young plants are very likely to dry out. Small plants and cuttings often have a hard time taking root if they’re placed in a very sunny spot. Growing them temporarily in a pot is a good way to let your new plants grow a bit larger (and develop a stronger root system) before planting them in the sunny border.
Plants for Sunny, Dry Soil
Many plants that thrive in the sun are drought-tolerant. Ideal for a dry spring, a dry summer, or on dry sandy soil! Perennials with silvery-gray or gray foliage are particularly drought-tolerant. Examples include betony (Stachys), mugwort (Artemisia), bluebeard (Caryopteris), Russian lavender (Perovskia), catnip (Nepeta), globe thistle (Echinops), and sea holly (Eryngium). Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and lavender are also well-suited to dry soil. And let’s not forget the countless varieties of Sedum (stonecrop)…
Read more tips for gardening in dry soil here
Even sun lovers need water
By the way, just because plants can tolerate the sun and drought doesn't mean they don't need water when they're first planted and during their first growing season. Make it a habit to ALWAYS water new plants open water water it after planting. Also, water it during the first growing season extra water during a drought.
The Best Perennials for Sunny Spots
- Achillea (yarrow)
- Allium (ornamental onion)
- Agapanthus (African lily)*
- Agastache (licorice plant)
- Alcea (hollyhock)
- Aster (fall aster)
- Calamintha (mountain thyme)
- Campanula (bellflower)
- Coreopsis (girl's eyes)
- Crocosmia (montbretia)
- Delphinium (larkspur)
- Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
- Erigeron karvinskianus (wall daisy)
- Gaura lindheimeri (beautiful candle)
- Helenium (sunflower)
- Helianthus (perennial sunflower)**
- Heliopsis (sunflower)
- Kniphofia (fire arrow)
- Lychnis coronaria (crown-of-thorns)
- Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) ***
- Mediterranean herbs (e.g., rosemary, lavender, and thyme)
- Nepeta (catnip)
- Poppy
- Perovskia (giant lavender)
- Persicaria amplexicaulis (knotweed)
- Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
- Salvia (sage)
- Sedum spectabile (stonecrop; now known as Telephium)
- Ornamental thistles (such as Echinops and Eryngium)
- Stachys (lamb's ear)****
- Verbena bonariensis (verbena) *****
* Choose a variety whose leaves die back in the winter. These varieties of Agapanthus are the most hardy.
** Helianthus can grow quite large, and not all (new) varieties are equally hardy. Good varieties include “Anne” and “Carine.”
*** Lythrum grows naturally near water, but it also seems to have no trouble growing in dry soil.
**** The flowers of Stachys byzantina are often less showy. It’s often used as a groundcover. Feel free to choose Stachys officinalis for its flowers.
***** Verbena may die back during colder winters, but it self-seeds profusely and won't disappear from your garden anytime soon.
Combining Perennials in a Sunny Border
Ornamental grasses are ideal for combining with perennials that thrive in sunny locations. Most ornamental grasses also thrive in full sun. They pair beautifully with perennials, creating a sense of cohesion, adding structure, and significantly extending the blooming period and ornamental value—well into the fall or even winter! Ornamental grasses also require very little maintenance.
It’s no wonder this combination (also known as prairie planting or prairie borders) is so popular! Renowned garden designers, including Piet Oudolf, have been making extensive use of the combination of perennials and ornamental grasses in their garden designs for years.
Perennials also pair beautifully with evergreen shrubs (whether or not they’re topiary-pruned). The shrubs then add more structure to your border.
See also Evergreen shrubs and bushes for sunny locations (at the bottom of the article).