Best Perennials For Full Sun

Perennial plants live for at least two years or more, which means that they will last for more than one season.

It is important to choose the right perennials for your garden, to ensure that they will thrive in their conditions. There is no point planting perennials if they are going to perish too soon.

Best Perennials For Full Sun

If your garden is in full sunlight then it can be hard to find the right perennial plants. They need to be able to cope with the heat.

We have put together this list of the best perennials for full sunlight to help you choose the right plants for your garden. Keep reading to find out more.

1. Lavender

Lavender is a very popular perennial plant with a rich history. It dates back at least 2500 years and was used as a holy herb in ancient civilizations.

It is native to the Mediterranean, India and the Middle East, but it is now grown all over the world. Lavender is a hardy plant that can survive in various conditions and climates.

In warm climates it will stay evergreen all year round, and in cooler climates it will bloom in the Spring and Summer.

Lavender has a beautiful scent and pretty lilac or blue flowers. It is great for bees, the flowers have aromatherapeutic properties.

They can grow between 12 and 36 inches tall and a single plant can have a lifespan of 5 to 20 years depending on the variety.

2. Peonies

Peonies are a stunning flower with a wonderful fragrance. They thrive in full sun and require moist soil with good drainage.

They will look great in your garden as they have vibrant foliage as well as the tall flowers, forming a low shrub or hedge which is ideal for lining pathways.

You can also use peonies to support more fragile plants in your garden protecting them in adverse weather conditions.

They need to be started off in pots, then transferred to the ground. Make sure you plant them at the same depth as they were in the pot to make it easier for the plants to adapt.

If you look after your peonies the plant can live for as long as 20 years!

You will start to notice the number of flowers reducing after 12 years, so many people replace them when they reach 15 years old.

3. Echinacea

Echinacea, also known as the purple coneflower, is an excellent choice of perennial for a full sun garden. It is a hard-wearing plant that likes to get 6-8 hours of full sunlight each day.

They will thrive in pots or in the ground, and they prefer well drained soil. If you want your plant to thrive, make sure you pick off the fading flower heads as you see them.

You can expect your echinacea to grow between 18 inches and 36 inches tall. The plant is dormant during the winter and the flowers will bloom again in the spring.

Wild echinacea plants have been known to live for up to 40 years. In a garden environment it is recommended that you divide them every 4 years or so.

4. Gaillardia

The Gaillardia, also known as the blanket flower, is resistant to drought. This makes it perfect for full-sun gardens in dry climates.

The plant is native to the American Prairies and is very tough. They like well-drained soil and only need water intermittently.

They love full sunlight and can grow up to 22 inches tall. Each flower has a sturdy green stem, and the petals are very colorful.

Gaillardias make a perfect border plant and are very easy to grow and maintain.

You don’t even need to deadhead them, though you can expect more continuous flowering if you keep on top of deadheading and stem trimming.

They don’t last as long as other perennials – you can expect to get about 2 years out of them – as they bloom so persistently they burn out quickly.

5. Monarda

Monarda, also known as Bee Balm, is in the same family of plants as lavender and is native to North America. It will grow in partial shade but they prefer full sun.

If you want the best results, make sure the soil is rich, organic and moist. This colorful plant will not only look stunning in your garden, it will also attract all manner of bees, butterflies and birds.

You need to prune your monarda at the end of the summer and it will become dormant in the winter.

Each spring/summer it will bloom with more flowers than the season before, and it is best to divide it every 3 to 4 years.

6. Asclepias Curassavica

Asclepias Curassavica, also known as tropical milkweed or Mexican milkweed, is native to the American tropics. It loves full sunlight and a light, well-drained soil.

This plant is very important to the survival of the monarch butterfly, so it makes a great choice if you want to promote a varied ecosystem in your garden.

It will also attract bees and hummingbirds along with other types of butterflies.

Milkweed can be quite an invasive species. If you want to keep it under control, make sure you remove the seed pods before they burst.

Once the pods burst, the seeds will spread all over your garden. You also need to be aware that the leaves and roots are toxic to pets, so this isn’t an ideal plant for anyone that has dogs or cats.

7. Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia, also called black-eyed Susan, is a wildflower that is native to North America.

They are resistant to drought and very hard-wearing, and they have beautiful flowers in a bright yellow color.

Make sure you deadhead the plant to encourage new flower growth.

Depending on the climate in your area, you may need to cut back the plant in the fall so it can grow back in the spring. It is recommended that you divide the plant every 3 to 4 years.

These plants will thrive in pots, in landscaped flower beds, or along the border of a garden path. They love full sunlight and moist soil that is well drained.

8. Hemerocallis

Hemerocallis, more commonly known as the Day Lily, is one of the most popular perennial plants in domestic gardens.

The flowers only last for a few days, but there are so many that your plant will look full and beautiful from spring through to the first frost.

In the fall, cut back all the greenery to prepare the plant for winter. It will all grow back in the spring.

Day lilies need lots of sunlight so they thrive in full light gardens. They need occasional watering and will be at their best if you use a slow release fertilizer in the soil.

The soil should be moist but well-drained. If you look after the plant it should last for at least 3 years.

9. Taro

Taro, also called elephant ears, is a tender perennial. It is a root vegetable that is enjoyed in African, Asian and Oceanic cuisine.

However, the vibrant green foliage makes a wonderful addition to your garden. It can grow in partial shade, but it does best in full sunlight.

It likes moist soil so you will need to keep on top of watering. In the wild, it is often found growing around the edges of ponds.

The leaves are edible as well as the root, so you can pick them if you want to.

During the growing season the plant should be watered daily, then left to dry during the winter so the plant can go dormant.

10. Iris Germanica

Iris Germanica, or bearded iris, is often referred to as queen of the mist. It is one of the most popular varieties of iris in domestic gardens because it is easy to grow.

They will grow with 4 hours of sunlight a day, but they much prefer 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight. The soil should be well-drained.

The flowers will bloom until mid-summer, when you should cut them back and trim the foliage. During the fall remove all foliage and allow it to grow back next spring.

If you leave the foliage on the plant through the winter then the plant has a greater risk of developing a disease.

The flowers on this plant are flamboyant, with ruffled petals that create a beautiful effect when you plant a lot of them close to each other.

They come in different colors, from pale blue and lilac through to deep pink. To look after your plant, use bulb organic fertilizer after it blooms.

If your plant is well cared for it can live up to 20 years, but some only last for 5 to 8 years.

11. Lilium Auratum

Lilium Auratum, or the asiatic lily, is considered to be one of the varieties of ‘true’ lilies. It is native to Japan but can also be grown in other parts of the world.

They need 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight every day and they prefer well-drained soil.

Each year the bulbs will get bigger and bigger and every spring there will be more and more flowers blooming. To maintain the plant, divide it every 3 to 4 years during the fall.

This stunning plant can grow up to 24 inches tall and has flowers that range in colors from white and speckled to yellow, pink, orange and red.

The flowers are very fragrant and will attract pollinators like hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Asiatic lilies are rabbit and deer resistant, because all parts of the plant are toxic.

This means that you should not plant it in your garden if you have pets or smell children that could come into contact with the plant.

Summary

All of these perennial plants will thrive in full sunlight and would make a wonderful addition to your garden.

Diane Peirce
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