Flowering Perennials That Can Grow in Full Sun
Below you will find a list of flowering perennials from our plant database that can grow in full sun. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant.
Uses for these perennials that flower vary by variety, and may also thrive in partial shade, partial sun or even full shade. Blooming perennial plants that flourish in sunny areas may do equally well in wet soil, average moisture or dry conditions and can be grown in the grown or in decorative containers, window boxes or hanging baskets. Container gardening, with a mix of annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses and tropicals are very popular because they are quick and easy to grow and look lovely all season.
Several wonderful native perennials that grow well in full sun with moist soil are American Cowslip (Caltha palustris) with it's beautiful shiny yellow blossoms; Blue Star Flower (Amsonia tabernaemontana) is graceful and delicate looking; great for bright red, white, pink or blue summer color, Bee-balm or Oswego Tea (Monarda didyma) form large clump or natural masses of blooms; California Fuchsia (Zauschneria californica) likes moisture as long as the soils drain; Common Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) offers huge red, pink and white blooms much of the summer; Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) add a stateliness to the fall garden with their tall stems and enormous purple blooms.
For average, well-drained soils, native perennial recommendations are: Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) that stays more compact with full sun; Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius) add much needed purple color to the fall garden; Gorgeous red blooms from May to frost from Texas or Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii), native to Texas, this sage is becoming mainstream as it becomes more well known and appreciated; Black-eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) flower longer in dry years; Butterfly or White Gaura, also called Whirling Butterflies, adds graceful flower-covered stalks that sway in slight breezes summer through Autumn; California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) blooms longer or repeats with extra moisture; for summer lavender, red, pink, white and purple blooms, Clump Verbena (V. canadensis) will light up the home garden; Garden Phlox (P. paniculata)with its wide range of flower colors enliven the summer garden; showy Evening Primrose or Showy Sundrop (Oenothera speciosa) are lovely.
As you look at the thumbnail images of the perennials for sunny locations, you will see that many of these flowers attract butterflies and birds, particularly hummingbirds.