Perennial Flowers Full Sun Zone 9

Upright varieties can remain well into early winter for four season interest, and the birds love them! Our favorite creeping variety is "Angelina", which is a fresh green to yellow green, and has pretty yellowish flowers mid summer. Four inches high, this stuff spreads, but in a good way. Easy to pull out if is plants itself in unwanted areas, this delicate looking but tough as nails plant quickly makes a garden look established or covers bare ground. Our upright choice is the old favorite "Autumn Joy"with a flat pink flowerhead, it grows to 2 feet. The flowers slowly turn to rust as the season progresses, and this looks amazing with ornamental grasses in the fall.

Variegated sage green, gold and lime foliage are found on this compact euphorbia that is perfect for containers or a central spot in the perennial garden. Evergreen and drought tolerant, chartreuse yellow flowers with red tips appear in late spring and early summer. This euphorbia looks amazing from spring through fall and even in winter when the plant changes color, getting tinges of pink, red and orange on the leaves. This plant is easy to grow and resistant to disease and pests. A popular mid-summer bloomer, Moonbeam Coreopsis bears hundreds of small, soft yellow flowers.Astilbe . Astilbe stands out among the longest flowering perennials.

Besides being super easy to grow, they thrive in both sunny and shaded gardens, and have feathery flowers that offers months of graceful color. And speaking of color, the blooms can be white, lavender, purple, bubblegum, deep pink, apricot, or red, often with bronze or purple foliage as well. The plants form tidy clumps with the flower plumes emerging in early to mid summer and persisting into winter. The plants do appreciate ample moisture and regular watering in dry summers can prolong the blooming period. Outstanding cultivars include 'Bridal Veil', 'Pumila', and 'Fanal'.

This lovely tall salvia produces large, deep blue flowers on long green stems from mid-summer to frost. Reaching 6 feet tall, Salvia guaranitica is perfect for garden beds and borders, cutting gardens, containers and for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Preferring moist and well-drained soil it is also drought tolerant and low maintenance once established. Salvia 'Amistad' is a recently introduced Salvia guaranitica that is receiving acclaim. More compact in stature, it has dark purple flowers that emerge out of a nearly black calyx. 'Black and Blue' is another very popular variety.

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' is one of the most popular perennials of all time. The brilliant gold flowers bloom for months and are beloved by pollinators and beneficial insects.Purple Flame Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens', zones 3 to 9). Maiden grasses add striking form and texture to the perennial border all summer long. By late summer, many cultivars produce soft, feathery plumes that emerge above the narrow foliage.

Purple Flame Grass is a medium-sized maiden grass, growing three to four-feet tall with foliage that turns from bright green to fiery reddish-orange in early autumn. The attractive plumes are silvery-white and persist on the plants throughout winter. Plant it in a sunny site with well-drained soil. Pruning is only necessary in early spring when the dried foliage and flower stems from the previous season are cut back before the fresh growth emerges. 'Walker's Low' is named for a garden in England, not for its height. It grows as high as 30" and can spread to 3 feet wide.

Lavender blue flowers bloom profusely in early summer, as early as April or May in warmer climates, and then sporadically until frost. Sheering after the first heavy blooming will encourage another bloom, but the plant will not reach 30". Sheering will also keep the foliage neat and fresh. The spicy scent is a nice addition to a vase of cut flowers, or in potpourri.

In addition to attracting cats, 'Walker's Low' will attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. Deer and rabbits are indifferent to the plant, being scented and gray foliage. 'Walker's Low' is hardy enough for zone 4 and will tolerate sandy soil, salt, humidity and drought. Seeds are sterile, so this perennial must be propagated by division. When in bloom during spring and summer, catmint (Nepeta spp.) becomes the star of the garden.

The whole plant becomes covered with wands of rich blue flowers that stand up to heat and drought. Plus, after they finish blooming, you can shear the plant back by a third of its height and it'll bloom again in the late summer and early fall. Taller varieties that reach 3 feet high make excellent planting partners for roses, peonies, or ornamental grasses. Place shorter catmints that grow just 12 inches tall at the edge of your garden beds.

Yarrow has long been one of our fav drought tolerant plants because of its strong architectural feel, long bloom time, low water needs and attractive, feathery foliage. There are many varieties, including ones in pink, red, coral and white, but our favorite is still the bold yellow "Coronation Gold'. Grows to 3 feet, is a great cut and dried flower, and brightens up any garden. The Rock 'N Low varieties are fantastic summer-flowering groundcover types of sedum. They make an easy-care, no-fuss ground cover for full sun gardens, rock gardens, even between stepping stones on a sunny pathway. There are currently two plants in this series.'Boogie Woogie' is a fun variegated groundcover with green and cream foliage that gives the plant a bright look all summer.

Sedum adores heat and handles tough conditions with ease. Bees and butterflies are attracted to their blooms. Smaller than their annual cousins, perennial sunflowers are robust, long-blooming plants ideal for the back of a bed or a border. Daisy-like flowers in showy shades of yellow, orange, red, cream, purple, and bronze bloom by the hundreds from midsummer into fall, attracting bees and butterflies. Plant with grasses and late-season perennials such as goldenrods, asters, and Joe Pye weed.

Tolerates a wide range of garden soils, but requires regular watering. Grows up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide, depending on variety. A very easy to grow and drought tolerant plant that blooms profusely in the garden from spring to fall.

Leaves are hairy, grayish green and flowers are sunflower-like surrounded by tubular red and yellow petals, flaring at the tips like trumpets. Gaillardia 'Fanfare' is compact in habit and is enjoyed by butterflies and bees. This plant looks great planted in containers or perennial borders.

Consider planting them in the perennial garden next to blue flowering plants, which really enhances their warm, earthy tones. Add color and fragrance to your flower borders with Oriental lilies (Lilium spp.). These spectacular plants produce bouquets of richly scented flowers from mid to late summer. Colors include pink, rose, white, pale orange, and cream. Oriental lilies are easy to grow from bulbs planted in the spring or fall. Some of the taller varieties might require support in windy locations, so set stakes in the ground while the plants are young.

The exquisite blooms make excellent cut flowers, but be sure to remove the stamens to avoid staining your clothes. Dig and divide the bulbs every few years in the fall to keep the plants vigorous. Similar to the Texas Bluebonnet, lupines are a wild plant complete with yellow, pink, white, red or purple blooms that look like pea flowers. After blooming in the spring or summer, these bright colors attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds!

Lupines prefer full or partial sun (zones 4-7) and have stems that can grow up to five feet tall. Due to their tall and strong nature, lupines serve as great natural fencing for a yard. It adds a unique texture in the garden with its 4-petaled, pink tinged or white, 1 in. Long (2.5cm), butterfly-like flowers borne at the top of the airy spikes.

Enjoys a long blooming season, typically from early summer into fall. Forms a lovely vase-shaped clump of erect or arching, densely clustered wand-like stems. Tolerates drought, heat, humidity, partial shade and dry soils. Deer and rabbit resistant, Gaura attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Adding striking colors to the garden in early or mid summer, Tanacetum coccineum is a fabulous perennial.

Wide daisies with a large central golden disc, elegantly contrasting with the white, red, purple or pink rays. They last over a very long season to the delight of butterflies but also repel insects, helping to keep your garden pest free! They rise above a strongly-aromatic foliage mound of soft, finely-divided, fern-like bright green leaves which remains attractive after blooming is over. Finally, Painted Daisies have always been popular as cut flowers thanks to their sturdy, straight stems that prolong their blooms' life in a vase. Add a burst of color to your late summer and fall garden with Russian sage . This tough-as nails plant is native to central Asia, so it's capable of performing in hot, dry conditions.

Its eye-popping bluish-purple flowers appear in mid to late summer and retain their color for weeks. Paired with the plant's fragrant, silvery foliage, Russian sage is a must-have for your garden. Russian sage grows 3 to 5 feet tall, dwarf forms are more compact reaching 3 feet in height. Salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' and 'Caradonna' are two sages that can easily be the stars of the late-spring border in Zones 5 to 9.

'Marcus' is a compact, 10-inch-tall plant that is covered with violet-blue flower spikes when in bloom. 'Cara­donna' has beautiful dark violet spikes, which rise above dramatic deep purple, upright stems that look black when backlit. Even though 'Caradonna' is about 2 feet tall, its linear, see-through flowers make it a prime contender for the front of the border. Both 'Marcus' and 'Caradonna' require full sun, average garden soil, and good drainage. They're blooming fools well into late summer, especially with deadheading. Growing wild in the American prairies,blazing star (Liatris spp.) is also a top pick for hot, sunny gardens.

The plants don't mind heat and drought, and come in pink, purple or white flowering varieties. Blazing star forms a clump of narrow leaves that are topped in mid to late summer by 2-foot-tall spikes of bloom. This striking perennial is also a favorite with butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. This award winning Agastache produces tall spikes of deep purplish blue tubular flowers held on sturdy stems atop rich deep green fragrant foliage. The flower show lasts for an exceptionally long period and begins in early summer with butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds all showing up for the feast.

A drought resistant perennial preferring well drained mostly sunny sites, Blue Boa Agastache requires minimal care and provides big rewards. Drought tolerant native that is a favorite of butterflies. Tall stems with soft lavender petals attached to an iridescent cone. It prefers full sun to partial shade in well-draining fertile soils. An outstanding performer throughout our hot summer. A favorite for cut flowers and arrangements, Baby's Breath also deserves a place in the landscape.

Its airy clouds of white or pink tiny flowers add both contrast and texture to the perennial border from early summer to fall. Their billowy appearance is most attractive and has a softening effect on the surrounding plants. Few plants are named more accurately, as the flowers of red hot poker match the name precisely. Spent flower heads should be removed immediately, but no division of clumps is necessary.

Sunshine+Blue®+-+Bluebeard+-+Caryopteris+incana, Caryopteris begins flowering in late summer showing off blue to purple flowers through fall. The shrubs are drought tolerant, once established, not very tasty to deer and are attractive to butterflies. They are hardy in zones 5-9, prefer a sunny location and good drainage. Named for the shape of its seeds, cranesbill is also called perennial geranium. It produces white, pink, blue, or light purple flowers on slender, arching stems from late spring until fall.

Most varieties also have mottled or veined leaves that add to the color show even when the plants are not in bloom, especially in fall when the foliage flushes red. The low-growing plants will spread to carpet an area. Wormwood is one of those near perfect drought resistant plants, though its grown mainly for its foliage. Its tolerant of low water, poor soil and high humidity.

Wormwood's ferny, grayish green leaves are the perfect backdrop for any flowering plant. Once established, needs very little additional water, and very pest resistant. Full sun to part shade, we love "Powis Castle" that grows into a mound to 3 feet high and wide. Coreopsis is a happy and sunny daisy like flower for the garden, fine with hot, dry spots and blooming from spring through fall.

Though several cultivars exist, including a pink one, we love "Early Sunrise" for it's bright yellow, double blooms. It was the very first perennial I ever grew, and the amount of flowers you get is amazing. Blanket flowers (Gaillardia × grandiflora cvs., Zones 3–8) and I used to mix like oil and water. They always seemed to develop urban sprawl by the time they reached full bloom, creating an ugly mess. Ever since the newer, shorter cultivars came out, however, blanket flowers are again welcome in my garden.

Reaching 10 inches tall, the new plants do not flop, and their red-and-yellow blooms produce a riot of color from summer until frost. The selection 'Arizona Sun' has hypnotic flat red flowers edged in yellow. 'Fanfare' has a more unusual look with its fused, trumpet-like red petals with yellow tips. Like the rest of their kin, both plants are drought tolerant and have a long season of bloom, which can increase in abundance with deadheading. For those gardeners looking for something a little more subtle, 'Summer's Kiss' is a dreamy selection that boasts blooms in shades of yellow-apricot.

Rugged, beautiful shade lovers that send up long and colorful spikes above divided foliage in summer, a time when color in the shade garden is hard to come by. Bloom time varies by variety from mid-June to the end of August; Astilbe x arendsii hybrids are especially diverse. Group in a woodland border, mass them as a groundcover, or mix with hostas, hellebores, ferns, hardy begonias, and lungworts.

As spring has arrived, it's time once again to whip those gardens into shape. You should also consider the pros and cons of annuals vs. perennials. We vote that you check out the best perennial flowers and plants when drawing up your garden. By definition, perennial plants last more than two years. That means that, in the long run, they're going to save you money.