When you want to add an interesting feature to your garden, tall perennials are an excellent choice. These unique flowers come in a variety of colors that are perfect for adding character and dimension to your garden.
You just have to know how to care for them and which ones will go best in your garden. And that’s where we come in!
In this article, we have 15 tall perennial flowers that are going to transform your garden. From giving some much-needed height and color to providing some privacy to your property, tall perennials are wonderful.
Let’s dive in!
What Are Perennial Flowers?
Perennials, which live longer than their shorter-lived counterparts, annuals, are often cold-hardy plants that will bloom again the following spring.
There are some perennials that bloom repeatedly or for an extended period of time, such as the fern-leafed bleeding heart (Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’), which typically only blooms once per year during one of the three seasons (spring, summer, or fall).
Perennials frequently live for a very long time when grown in ideal conditions but don’t assume they will always be around.
Their lifespan varies, and some individuals may barely live for three to five years. The upkeep and maintenance requirements of perennials also vary substantially.
Some plants may require routine pruning and division to keep them healthy and orderly, while others are hardy and undemanding and appear to thrive on neglect.
Why Choose Perennial Flowers?
There are countless reasons why you should choose to cultivate perennial flowers in your garden. From color to height, they can bring character and life to your garden without needing too much care.
However, if you need some more convincing, below are 6 reasons why you should choose perennial flowers for your garden:
1. Complete Your Garden
Do you find yourself staring at your garden and feeling like something is missing? There is just one thing it needs but you can’t put your finger on it. Perennials are great for making your garden feel complete.
Tall perennials next to small flowers at the base give a natural feel that completes your garden. They go perfectly at the back of the garden or along the border to create a wall of color and diversity.
2. Cover Bad Spots
You can use tall perennials to disguise bins, unsightly walls, and other objects or constructions.
With their height and bright colors, they can transform dull spots into something incredible when they are in bloom. The dense foliage aids the illusion during the winter months so you have protection all year long.
3. Attracts Small Animals
Hedgehogs, frogs, and other small creatures can hide in and use these corridors as pathways.
Many perennials such as the Giant Lily and Chimney Bellflower also attract insects and birds with their large heads that can fill with water and offer nectar.
Some perennials are also deer and rabbit resistant, meaning your other plants are from being nibbled on through the summer.
4. They Are Eye Level
When designing your garden, think about what you tend to look at first. We generally look for plants that are eye-level before moving to taller trees and smaller flowers.
Perennials are a great plant for adding that layer or flowers that grab your attention at eye level giving the garden a fuller look. This is an aspect that many neglect and then wonder why their garden looks off balance.
Adding a layer of perennials to your garden will bring a sense of balance and attract the eye to the right place before moving on.
5. Adds Layers
The tall space between low-growing plants (like little flowers) and tall trees at the back of borders is crucial. Tall perennial flowers add another layer to your garden giving it an interesting look.
Don’t forget to make your garden interesting during the design process. Adding perennials will provide your garden with dimension, height, and color for a cool and natural look.
15 Beautiful Tall Perennial Flowers To Transform Your Garden
Finding the right perennial flower to bring your garden to life is a fun and easy task. With such a wide variety of flowers, you are almost overwhelmed with choices.
We have 15 of the most beautiful perennial flowers that are going to transform your garden.
1. Valerian
In addition to being a well-liked and healthful herb, valerian is also a tall perennial that grows up to 5 feet tall. (1.5 meters). But only when it is in bloom can you do this.
The flowers are many, light, and “lace-like” in appearance. They are pink and white. It works well in impromptu gardens and even in untamed plains. As a “wall,” hedge, or visual obstruction, it is not ideal.
Of course, you can have a lovely, flowering tall perennial in addition to a terrific herb to harvest.
Valerian requires quite a bit of sun and thrives best in well-drained, humus-rich soil. It prefers a dry environment making it perfect for those who live in warmer climates.
When you care for the valerian plant you will be graced with a tall perennial plant that is great for giving your garden a new look and even providing a bit of privacy.
2. Elfdock
Elfdock is an unusual-looking plant that can often be described as being similar to a sunflower or yellow daisy in appearance. They are extremely tall with long yellow petals.
It seems lively but disobedient and is related to the aster. Elfdock is ideal for the natural and wild aesthetic because of its naturally herbaceous appearance and other characteristics.
It is native to Eurasia, Spain and Xinjiang in Western China making it an adaptable flower that brings color and life to its environment.
The flowers are numerous and would look beautiful towards the back of borders that have a natural appearance.
Because of its broad and angular foliage, which is also highly ornamental, this plant works well in low-maintenance areas of a big garden. It is also known as a wildflower, and it is simple to grow from seed.
Elfdock can grow up to 6 feet tall and spread up to 4 feet. Ensure they are planted with well-drained soil and watch as they bloom in the summer and fall months. They are truly incredible when in bloom.
3. Meadow Rue
The 8-foot-tall perennial flower known as “meadow rue” (more than 2 meters). It caps it all off with spherical flowers that resemble snowflakes and grow in graceful inflorescences.
Depending on the kind, these might come in a range of hues. However, they “specialize” in delicate hues such as lavender, cream, light yellow, and even green yellow.
Placing meadow rue in your garden will add gorgeous height with a soft burst of lilac and pink. You can see it bloom in mid to late summer which is later than most other rues but they have a longer life cycle.
It does require a mostly drained soil with little moisture while soaking up the rays of the sun. It works best when placed at the back of the borders as a soft transition into your garden.
Another wonderful feature of Meadow Rue is that it’s rabbit and deer resistant which is great for keeping your other plants safe and thriving.
4. Chimney Bellflower
While its name is rather peculiar, this flower is truly outstanding. This perennial can reach heights of 5 feet that are graced with gorgeous bulbs of color.
With lilac to lavender colored bell-shaped blossoms that open like stars at the mouth, this bellflower has a classic appearance. The inflorescences are “pyramidal” or more accurately cone-shaped and quite lengthy, as the Latin name implies.
The Chimney Bellflower is great for planting along the borders of your garden for adding a gorgeous flush of color and shape. It works best in a natural looking garden where there is lots of room to grow and spread.
This perennial flower grows naturally in the drier climates of southeastern Europe and requires a lot of sun to survive. It can survive in some climates through winter but it is always best to bring it indoors for warmth.
The Chimney Bellflower requires watering regularly to ensure it is never thirsty and a liquid fertilizer should be added to its soil every two weeks during the summer of the second year when it begins to bloom.
5. Hillside Black Beauty
This is an excellent perennial that is going to add depth, height, and color to your garden. All at the same time.
It has lovely dark purple broad segmented leaves that make up its lovely foliage. But these will remain relatively low, growing into a lavish and sophisticated shrub.
However, the blooms will cover them, and they can grow to be extremely tall—up to 6 feet. (1.8 meters). On purple stalks, there are spikes of white to pink flowers.
This is a great option for giving beds and borders some leaf color. Although it also looks beautiful in casual gardens, it is a plant that adapts well to formal settings.
If you want to give it more height, you can grow it in lovely containers.
It is important to remember that the petals and the foliage from Hillside Black Beauty flowers are extremely harmful. Many opt to have this plant grow in containers to ensure it remains separate from other plants.
6. Hollyhock
Hollyhock is a popular perennial flower that many gardeners choose to have in their gardens due to their glorious height and magical colors. They can come in shades of pink, red, orange, purple, and even blue!
This is an extremely easy plant to care for and its bloom cycle can last for months at a time. It provides an elegant vertical line to your garden which is perfect for adding dimension and privacy to your garden.
Although hollyhocks are showy, their herbaceous nature makes them more suited for tall beds, borders, and gardens with a natural appearance. It is quite typical to decorate walls, walkways, and ditches.
Although hollyhocks may grow in any type of garden soil, they prefer fertile, well-drained soil that receives direct sunlight for the tallest flower spikes.
They tend to blow over, so pick a spot that is protected from severe winds. If you prefer to go the pot route, ensure Hollyhock is planted in spring or fall.
In the first several months, water young plants and seedlings often, making sure the top 15 cm (6in) of soil is wet but not waterlogged. After that, the garden’s plants should only require water during extended dry or hot times.
This flower is great for beginners who need something simple to get them started.
7. Torch Aloe
Have you always wanted a plant that is both beautiful and striking, Torch Aloe is an extremely aggressive looking perennial that is going to add much color to your garden.
Torch aloe is the ideal tall flowering perennial for a garden in a hot country. Although it is a lovely succulent and a close relative of the more well-known aloe vera.
It is significantly larger, reaching heights of up to 3 meters (10 feet), and it boasts gigantic, protracted blooms of fiery red flowers.
Aloe arborescent, often known as the torch aloe, is indigenous to Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.
It has dense rosettes of succulent, toothed, sword-shaped leaves, which in summer give way to tall, torch-like red blooms resembling kniphofia.
If you are new to gardening or don’t have a lot of time to care for your plants, Torch Aloe is a great option. It requires minimal watering and should not be watered between the months of September and March.
You will find it grows best when housed in a greenhouse through the colder months and can be moved to a slightly shaded area in the summer.
This shrub is fantastic for large flower beds. For the best results, you might also let it grow on its own. It is perfect for a variety of gardens, including formal and casual ones, gravel gardens, desert gardens, etc. perhaps not for a cottage garden…
8. Perennial Hibiscus
Although it may have the appearance of a delicate tropical plant, native perennial hibiscus can tolerate harsh winters.
The gorgeous 12-inch-wide flowers on stalks that can tower over your yard are produced by this enormous plant in colors of red, pink, and white. In the spring, it takes a while to appear, but once it does, it grows swiftly.
Hardy hibiscus plants can produce dozens of eye-catching blooms up to 10 inches wide on a single plant. Although each flower only blooms for a day or two, when it does, a new bud develops, beginning a lengthy succession of blooms.
This plant’s major attraction is its tropical-looking blossoms, but the foliage is also extremely gorgeous. While some types generate deeply cut, maple-like leaves, others produce deep green, spherical leaves with slightly serrated edges.
Hardy hibiscus plants have a range of heights between 3 and 6 feet, depending on the cultivar.
This gorgeous plant is great for adding vibrancy to your garden through the summer months with long leafy foliage that is great for attracting visitors.
9. Delphinium
Use delphiniums to create beautiful cut flower bouquets. This perennial favorite of the summer garden features spikes of vibrantly colored blossoms in blue, purple, white, and pink hues.
The largest types can grow as tall as 6 feet, but if you have a tiny garden, you can also discover smaller options. To encourage another flush of blooms, remove the spent flowers.
Delphiniums come in a wide range of heights—from miniature hybrids to 6-foot tall beauties—so they can be planted in the front, center, or back of a perennial border. There are more than 300 delphinium species.
The majority of delphiniums are annuals that only live for two or three years in the garden. If the plants are routinely pruned back, certain types will bloom all summer long.
This plant does require some care and attention in order to thrive in any garden. Ensure it has plenty of water and access to the sun in order to grow to its full potential.
10. Boltonia
Boltonia is native to North America and is the perfect plant for adding brightness to your garden. With white-toothed petals and a vibrant yellow middle, it blossoms in the summer for a truly magical appearance.
It is often ignored or forgotten when it comes to selecting perennials for the garden. But it goes perfectly along the borders with its refreshing appearance.
You can find this wonderful flowering growing naturally along roadsides or in drier climates.
The blossoms begin to show up in the middle of summer and continue far into the first frost seasons. The plants thrive in moderate climates, and the blossoms draw pollinators like butterflies and little bees.
The plant gets its name from the blossoms, which also provide the late-season garden with vivid fall hues.
In clay or very damp soils, the perennial has the propensity to naturalize by seed. Every few years, you can divide the magnificent bush it grows into to create more plants. When growing false aster, pick sunny, well-drained (but wet) soil for the best results.
11. Giant Lily
The name of this incredible bulb is true. The giant lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) blooms in the summer with spikes of up to 20 trumpet-shaped, maroon-striped, white flowers that have a powerful aroma.
The plant itself can grow to impressive heights and does well in partial shade.
Bulb planting for giant Himalayan lilies involves placing them in a somewhat shaded area. You’ll discover that this plant kind of comes into its own afterward.
In fact, you shouldn’t anticipate blooms from huge Himalayan lilies until the fourth to the seventh year of growth. The majority of plants available for purchase online are already several years old.
These gorgeous plants should be planted in areas that are moist with plenty of shade. You want the soil to be well-drained and water them sparingly.
It does require some pest control as snails, slugs, and aphids are all attracted to the plant.
12. Foxglove
A traditional tall perennial, foxglove has lovely bell-shaped flowers that grow on long, upright spikes. It produces an abundance of color, vitality, and season-long blooms.
There are numerous variations available, some of which grow taller (like Digitalis purpurea) and others which grow smaller (like Digitalis obscura and Digitalis parviflora).
Among the flowering perennials in this genus, Digitalis purpurea ‘Camelot rose’, with magenta blooms, and Digitalis grandiflora, with lime yellow flowers, have won numerous awards.
Foxglove can grow between 2 and 6 feet tall depending on its type and spreads up to 3 feet wide. It is an incredible plant that will give your garden heights and those desired vertical lines.
13. Monkshood
Monkshood, also known as aconite, the queen of poisons, or devil’s helmet, is a stunning herbaceous tall perennial flower. The flowers are really remarkable since they resemble hoods, even enormous hooded monks.
They are extremely unique and grow on inflorescences with dispersed flowers. They appear to be incredibly light because of this.
One important thing about Monkshood is that it is extremely poisonous. It has not been known to be fatal but it is extremely toxic to touch and protective gear should be worn when handling it.
It has a faint fragrance making it excellent for having in the garden without being too overpowering. The plant requires wet but well-drained soil in order to grow.
14. Desert Candle
This perennial, which produces long, colorful spikes full of flowers, has the aptly named epithet “desert candle.” They come in a variety of colors, from white to vivid yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple, like fire blades.
Beginning at the bottom, the long spikes will begin to bloom before “lighting up” to the top with numerous star-shaped flowers.
The Desert Candle plant is indigenous to North America and is found in warm, arid regions. It has the site requirements of a desert succulent but actually belongs to the Brassica family, which also includes mustard and broccoli.
It also receives tiny flowers put in a typical arrangement, much like these vegetables.
Surface Plant the seeds in the succulent soil, then lightly cover them with fine sand. Mist the flat or container to maintain a thin mist of moisture.
Keep the container in a warm, well-lit area and cover it with a plastic top or clear plastic bag. To let extra moisture escape and avoid rot and mold, remove the covering once daily.
15. Cup Plant
The 8-foot-tall branches of the cup plant, which towers over North American grasslands (or your yard), bear golden daisies from midsummer to early fall.
Cup Plant is a common plant that can be found in most moist areas across the United States.
These hardy prairie indigenous will self-sow and require lots of sunlight and space; one plant can grow to be 7 or 8 feet tall and 6 feet across.
This plant requires most, moderately rich, well-drained soil. They are extremely adaptable but providing the right environment will allow them to thrive in your garden. Ensure they are planted in a sunny area that has a small amount of shade.
Tips For Growing Perennials
Perennials rarely need a lot of maintenance, however, they still require some care to help them blossom and thrive in your garden. We have put together some tips and tricks to ensure that your perennials are forever growing.
Grow Them In Pots
Use what are essentially high heels for plants, pots, and—even better—open pots if you require the extra height. Pots are a great way to plant your perennial plants before they need to spread.
Most perennials require warmer climates and so potting them allows you to bring them inside during the winter months to avoid soil freezing.
Utilize The Foliage
How you use them may depend on how dense the vegetation is. Use species with dense foliage, such as Russian sage, if you wish to create a complete “green wall” where these cease.
However, if you want a transparent impression, pick tall perennials with sparse leaves, like foxglove.
Often, people only think about the bulb of the plant but the foliage aids in the appearance of the flower. From thick foliage to lighter, you can alter the look of your garden depending on the perennials you use.
Easy Access
Due to how easy perennials are to care for, they are often planted at the back of the garden and forgotten about. However, they do need some watering and pruning every once in a while.
When planting your perennials, make sure to have easy access to them whether they are the only flower in that area or you leave a small path to them. It will make pruning and watering the flowers a lot easier.
Pair With Smaller Flowers
A common reason for having perennial flowers in your garden is for their wonderful height. It adds a lovely dimension to your garden and makes it interesting to look at.
One great way to utilize their height to your advantage is to pair them with smaller flowers.
A gradient effect of height makes for an intriguing garden. You may want to pay attention to the shape and color of the flowers you pair together but it will always have a magical result.
Common Mistakes When Growing Perennial Flowers
Consider the size of the garden, the surroundings, and the other plants while selecting a tall perennial. You should ensure that you establish balance.
Plan your composition so that there isn’t just one tall plant standing out among the shorter plants in the garden. Consider making your planting drifts into odd numbers.
Pay close attention to the plant tags. They’ll show you your plant’s potential height and eventual spread. Despite the fact that it may not seem ideal at the time, leave room accordingly.
The secret is to wait patiently for the luscious, full appearance you want. But while you wait for your plants to grow in their assigned spot, you’ll have to deal with the gaps.
Another common mistake is giving your perennial flower too much sun or too much shade. Perennials generally require a lot of sun in order to grow, however, they also enjoy some shade when the sun becomes too intense.
Select an area that has access to the sun with some shade and be mindful of where the sun is coming from.
Staking is common when cultivating perennials due to their height. With such a long stem and a heavy head, they can often fall over meaning you don’t get the benefits of their magnificent height.
Staking will give perennial flowers support but must be done before everything fills in.
Final Thoughts
iDecorating your garden with tall perennial flowers is a great way to add height and color to your space without compromising on floor space. These wonderful plants are great for a wide variety of gardeners and environments.
Above are 15 beautiful tall perennial flowers that will transform your garden into a world of color and life. With a wide variety of colors, shapes, and heights available you can select which ones work for you and will give you the best result.
We have also included some tips for caring for your perennials so that they bloom year after year and have your garden looking sensational.
Frequently Asked Questions
Perennials are easy plants to care for overall. However, the Black-Eyed Susan and Salvia are some of the easiest to care for and grow.
Daylilies stay true to their name and may be the most straightforward of all summer perennials to grow. They have blooms that emerge in the morning and close tightly at night.
The blooms are yellow, orange, or reddish. Although daylilies may tolerate some shade, they actually require at least six hours of direct sunlight each day in order to thrive.
A perennial flower called a peony serves as an illustration of a herbaceous stem. The largest herbaceous plant is said to be the perennial, tree-like banana plant.
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