When the spring rolls back around, it’s time to get back out into the garden! The sun is going to be shining again and the days are going to be longer, which means your flowers and plants are going to be getting ready to bloom.
Perennial plants are a kind of plant that can live for more than two years and if you have some in your garden, you are going to want to make sure they have survived their first winter.
Annual plants only survive for a single year, so perennial plants are a lot more sought after because of their longevity.
Even though most plants need sun, there are quite a lot that actually die off if they get too much sun. This can be quite demoralizing, especially when you live somewhere that gets a lot of sun.
But fear not! We are here to help! Below, you will find a list of 16 different kinds of perennial plants that actually thrive in full sun and they are low maintenance too! So read on to find out more!
There are lots of different kinds of full-sun perennial plants that you can add to your garden, and if you are looking for some plants that are low maintenance too, then you have come to the right place!
If you tend to these plants in the spring, by the time summer rolls around, you will have a garden full of beautiful, vibrant perennial plants and you won’t have to worry about them not thriving in the sun!
If you are looking for the perfect perennials for your garden that will thrive in the sun, read on to find out more.
1. Red Hot Poker
First, on our list, we have the Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia). These perennial flowers are known for their fantastic red, orange, and yellow color and their flower spikes. These flowers will bloom during the summer, and they absolutely thrive in the sun.
The Red Hot Poker Flower can grow in height to anywhere from 16″ to 48″, so they can grow quite tall! They are perfect for gardens where you want a bit of individuality and flare.
These flowers are incredibly easy to grow and maintain as well, so if you are new to gardening, they are a great perennial flower to start with.
Along with being low-maintenance, the Red Hot Poker flower is also rabbit-resistant, deer-resistant, and drought-tolerant, which just makes caring for them even easier!
If you want a full-sun perennial plant that is super easy to look after and grow, then this is the perfect one for you to start with.
They are also perfect for anyone who wants to attract wildlife into their garden because they specifically attract butterflies and hummingbirds!
2. Pink Muhly Grass
Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia) is actually a type of ornamental grass rather than an actual plant, but it earns a spot on this list because it is incredibly beautiful and super low maintenance!
The pink plumes tend to bloom in the fall, and it is an incredible site. How many times have you seen pink grass? This is a wonderful perennial to keep in your garden and it will last years.
Pink Muhly Grass is especially great if you want a bit of extra foliage in your garden that is going to add a lot of color.
The pink plumes are most prominent in the fall, but you will see them start to bloom in the late summer, which is the perfect way to end the season. They usually grow about 4 feet in height, so they are quite tall, but they practically glow in the sun.
Another reason Pink Muhly Grass is so good is that it’s not as invasive as other ornamental grass species, so you don’t have to worry about it spreading to places you don’t want it, and it will make your garden look amazing.
Pink Muhly Grass is a fantastic plant/ornamental grass to add to your garden, and beginners will have no issues with the upkeep when it comes to growing it in their own garden.
3. Bee Balm
Bee Balm (Monarda) is a type of brightly colored perennial flower that is most commonly a beautiful shade of red, but you can also get them in a variety of other colors, some of which include pink, white, and even purple!
This flowering plant is another great one to keep in your garden if you want to attract wildlife. Because Bee Balm has tubular-shaped petals, it is very common to see hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies near them.
If you want to make sure that your Bee Balm re-blooms in the late summer, make sure that you deadhead the flowers after they have bloomed for the first time.
You also need to make sure that they get good air circulation because if they are kept anywhere too damp they will get mildew, but as long as you keep these two things in mind, you will have no issues in keeping them in your garden.
The seeds on the Bee Balm are also a fantastic source of food for birds in the fall and winter, so even when they aren’t blooming, they are still incredibly valuable for the wildlife that visits your garden!
4. Salvia
Salvia is a beautiful form of perennial plant and they are a part of the sage family of plants. This plant absolutely loves the sun, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants a low-maintenance plant in their garden during the summer months.
Salvia actually comes in lots of different colors, ranging from blue all the way to Fuschia pink. If you want them to rebloom properly in the summer, make sure to trim them back a bit as soon as the bloom starts to fade.
This plant is incredibly easy to grow from the seed, so it’s perfect for beginners or just anyone who wants a low-maintenance plant to soak up some sun in their garden.
Because there are so many different kinds of Salvia plants, make sure that you read the tags on the seed packets to check their growing zones.
Some kinds of Salvia are actually annuals as well, so keep that in mind before you add them to your garden!
5. Rose Mallow
Rose Mallow (Hibiscus Moscheutos) is a type of perennial plant that is actually native to the US, but it has a tropical feel to it that makes it feel exotic (for more tropical flowering plants, read here).
When it blooms, the flowers are huge as well, so they will really stand out in your garden and look good during the summer.
They are quite late bloomers though, and they are one of the very last perennial plants to come up in the spring, so if you are worried that they are taking a bit too long, don’t worry! They will bloom, they just need a bit of extra time!
Rose Mallows absolutely love the sun as well, so you will have no issues keeping them alive in the summer. They are incredibly low maintenance as well, so you can just wait for them to bloom and experience the beauty for yourself.
They tend to grow between 3 and 5 feet in height, and they will definitely stand out amongst the other foliage and plants in your garden. They do die off in the winter, but don’t worry! They will return again to their full glory the following year!
6. Polyantha Roses
Polyantha Roses are a member of the rose family, and practically all roses thrive in the sun. But Polyantha Roses get a spot on this list because they are incredibly low maintenance, which makes them perfect for beginner gardeners.
Along with thriving in the sun, Polyantha Roses are also completely disease resistant and they tend to bloom all summer long!
They are a type of heirloom variety perennial plant, and they are definitely worth incorporating into your garden if you get the chance!
The only maintenance that you really need to do is keeping an eye on the dead branches and cutting them off to thin out the plant, so new branches and flowers can grow.
Polyantha Roses look incredible in any garden they call home, and they will add a pop of vibrant color to your garden too.
Polyantha Roses tend to grow between 4 and 6 feet in height, so at their tallest, they are quite a presence in your garden!
7. Coneflower
Coneflowers (Echinacea) are a kind of perennial plant that will bloom all summer long! They can grow anywhere from 2 to 4 feet in height and they will complement the rest of your garden beautifully.
They absolutely love the sun as well, so you don’t have to worry about them dying off from too much sun exposure.
Coneflowers have daisy-shaped flowers and they come in many different colors, so you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking out the perfect kind for your garden.
They will add a wonderful pop of color to your garden and really elevate the whole space, making it the perfect place to relax during the summer months.
One thing to keep in mind about coneflowers is that they tend to seed by themselves and it’s not uncommon to find them growing in places you didn’t really want them to.
To stop this from happening, you may want to pull some of the Coneflowers out and you may need to keep a regular eye on them. Other than this though, you don’t have to worry about looking after them and helping them grow!
8. Shasta Daisies
Shasta Daises (Leucanthemum X Superbum) are a type of perennial flowers that are simple in design and color, but they are incredibly beautiful and the perfect example of “less is more”.
They are usually white in color with a yellow center, but the white really adds a wonderful pop of color to the foliage surrounding them.
Unlike roadside daisies, Shasta Daises are not invasive, so you don’t have to worry about them growing in places that you don’t want them to grow in.
You don’t even need to use fertilizer to help them grow and they are incredibly low maintenance, making them perfect for beginners.
One thing to bare in mind about Shasta Daises is that if you keep them in soil that is too rich, you will actually run the risk of stunting their growth!
Soil that is too rich will make Shasta Daisies grow plenty of leaves, but fewer blooms, so in this case, richer soil does not mean better!
Shasta Daises are another great perennial flowering plant to keep in your garden if you want to attract wildlife and they will attract lots of butterflies.
On top of this, they are also rabbit-resistant and deer-resistant too, so you don’t have to worry about these species damaging your garden plants.
9. Daylily
Daylilies (Hemerocallis) are one of the best sun perennial plants because you really can just plant them and then forget all about them!
They will grow regardless of how much attention and care you give them, which makes them perfect for beginner gardeners or anyone who doesn’t have time to maintain their garden.
There are many different varieties and types of Daylilies and they come in many different colors, some of which include orange and purple.
They tend to bloom in the late spring and summer, but this will vary depending on which type of Daylily you are keeping.
Another interesting thing to know about the Daylily is that it only actually blooms for one day! But don’t let this put you off because that one day it does bloom is an absolutely wonderful site and definitely worth keeping them for!
Even though they only bloom for one day, the plant actually produces a lot of buds, so you can be sure that when the next bloom comes around, you will have lots more flowers to look forward to.
There are quite a few varieties of Daylily that will re-bloom as well, so you have plenty of choices when it comes to which varieties you want to keep in your garden.
They absolutely love the sun as well, so you don’t have to worry about them dying off because they won’t!
10. Lavender
Lavender is a very popular form of perennial plant to keep in your garden. It ranges from a deep lavender color all the way to a vibrant blue color and they smell absolutely amazing!
Lavender is known for its relaxing anti-stress properties, and one whiff of this plant will have you relaxing.
Lavender is incredibly low maintenance and easy to look after, but you do have to be patient with it at first. It can talk sometimes up to two years for it to actually get going, but once it does, it will bloom every single year!
You don’t have to do any maintenance or upkeep on your lavender if you don’t want to, but if you want to stop it from getting too out of control, all you have to do is shear off some of the flowers.
Doing this can actually be quite therapeutic and relaxing. Just bear in mind that if you trim your lavender plant back in the spring because if you cut into the woody stem, it can kill the plant.
Lavender absolutely loves the sun and it is drought tolerant as well, so you will have no issues in keeping it alive during the summer. It will look beautiful in your garden and it will smell even better!
11. Catmint
Catmint (Nepeta ×Faassenii) might look a lot like lavender, but we can assure you that it’s very much its own thing! They typically have silvery leaves and purple-blue flowers and they look wonderful in the sun.
Typically, Catmint blooms in the late spring right into the summer, and it absolutely loves the sun, so you will have no issues keeping it alive with little to no maintenance.
This is one of those plants that you can combine with lots of other plants and foliage to create a beautiful garden.
One thing you do have to bare in mind when you decide to keep Catmint in your garden is that cats actually love to roll in it… hence the name!
You will find lots of cats will find their way into your garden to roll around in it, and while they won’t hurt the plant, they might squish it a little. But if you love cats, this is the perfect plant to incorporate into your garden!
Catmint usually grows between 9″ to 18″ in height, so it is not the tallest plant, but it still adds a lot of depth to your garden.
12. Daffodils
Daffodils (Narcissus) are a unique and beautiful kind of flower that typically blooms in the spring. They absolutely love the sun and they are incredibly low maintenance, and they will add lots of depth to your garden if you choose to grow them.
As soon as you plant your Daffodils, they don’t really require any more maintenance, and you can quite easily forget about them and they will still grow!
They thrive in the sun and they come in different shades of white and yellow… in some cases, you can even get pink Daffodils!
Daffodils are a fantastic perennial flower to keep because they will re-bloom every year and they are incredibly reliable when it comes to reblooming.
Lots of different varieties of Daffodils actually naturalize to their area over time as well, and when that happens, you will see more growth in more places in your garden, but in a good way rather than in an invasive way!
13. Creeping Phlox
Creeping Phlox (Phlox Subulata) is a type of low-ground covering plant that is incredibly easy to grow and it will make the lower levels of your garden look absolutely beautiful!
Creeping Phlox is also known as Moss Phlox (Phlox subulata) so if you ever see it by this name, just know that they are the same thing!
You can get Creeping Phlox in many different color varieties, some of which include white, blue, pink, and purple, so you will have plenty of choices when it comes to which style you want to incorporate into your garden.
They typically bloom in the spring and they will stay in bloom all through the summer.
Creeping Phlox absolutely loves the sun as well and it’s incredibly low maintenance, so you will have no issues keeping this plant alive in your own garden.
When we say that Creeping Phlox is a small plant, we really mean it! They only grow to about 6 inches in height, but they absolutely pop in color against other foliage and plants and they have no trouble in standing out!
14. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is a kind of succulent plant that is a late-season bloomer. It is one of the last perennial plants to bloom before the winter, which makes it perfect for a later summer bloom as the rest of your plants are starting to die off.
Like most other succulents, this variety stores water for longer periods of time than lots of other perennial plants, and it actually prefers drier, poorly fertilized soil, which is one of many reasons why it is so low maintenance and easy to look after.
It absolutely loves the sun as well, so you can very much leave this plant to its own devices.
When the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ first blooms, it will bloom beautiful pink flowers and as the weather gets cooler, the flowers will turn bronze.
The Sdeum ‘Autumn Joy’ plant will also attract lots of butterflies and bees, making it the perfect source of late-season nectar for these insects!
This is a very beautiful full-sun perennial to keep in your garden and because it’s so low maintenance, you won’t have to worry about it dying off at any point.
15. Russian Sage
Russian Sage (Perovskia Atriplicifolia) is another plant that looks a bit similar to lavender, but it is a bit paler in color and the foliage is more of a gray-green color.
It is an incredibly beautiful full-sun perennial and it is incredibly low maintenance, making it perfect for beginner gardeners.
Russian Sage has many incredible qualities. It is drought tolerant, which makes it perfect for the summer, as well as deer resistant, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to attract wildlife to their garden, especially bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
This plant will also grow in practically any soil you put it in, which is great if you have never planted anything before because it’s almost always guaranteed to grow wherever you put it.
Russian Sage really does require no maintenance, so you will be able to make your garden look great without having to put any effort into it!
On top of this, Russian Sage also doesn’t need any deadheading, dividing, or fertilizing, so just plant it in whatever spot you want and let nature take care of the rest!
The only kind of maintenance you can do is cutting it shorter in the spring, but you only have to do this if you really want to control the size of the plant, but this is absolutely not essential.
16. Black-Eyed Susan
Finally, we have the Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia). This perennial plant is perfect for the summer and it will thrive fantastically in the sun.
It is a native plant to the US and it is incredibly heat tolerant and drought tolerant once it has been established in the right environment.
Black-Eyed Susan plants need evenly moist, well-drained soil, but other than this, they don’t really require any other maintenance and once they are established, they grow of their own accord.
They have quite a long bloom time and you will see their beautiful yellow flowers throughout the summer. They will really put you in a summer mood and they will enhance the way your garden looks and feels so much!
This full-sun perennial plant will re-bloom by itself, but if you want to encourage the reblooming even more, make sure that you deadhead the old flowers first.
Black-Eyed Susan plants are great for beginners or anyone who doesn’t have much time to tend to their garden and you won’t regret including them in your garden design.
Conclusion
So there you have it! 16 perennial plants that love the sun and are incredibly low maintenance.
Whether you are a beginner gardener or you just don’t have enough time to tend to more complicated plants, each of these plants will be perfect for your garden.
The garden is one of the best places to relax in the summer, and each of these plants will thrive in the summer heat.
You wont have to worry about keeping an eye on any of these plants, so have a closer look into some of them and see which ones you love the most!
I love sharing my experiences with individuals in this community, and I enjoy sharing some of the best tips I have learned over the years caring for my own garden at home.
In my articles, you will find the best flowers, most fragrant flowers you can plant in your garden, how to care for your favorite plants, informative guides and how-tos so you can have the best backyard in town!
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