Welcome to our database of perennial flowers that like the sun. If you want to design a garden, check out these garden design software options .
We continually update this database, so please bookmark it and check back weekly.
Find out more about each sun-loving perennial by clicking the toggle button below the images. Ordered A to Z by default.
Sun-Loving Perennials Gallery
Common Name: Adriatic bellflower
Scientific Name: Campanula garganica "Dickson's Gold"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: African tuliptree
Scientific Name: Spathodea campanulata
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Reddish-orange with yellow corolla margin
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers
Hardiness Zone(s): 10 to 11
Height At Maturity: 360-480"
Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade
Scientific Name: Agave geminiflora RASTA MAN
Flower Color: Greenish-yellow
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, container
Hardiness Zone(s): 9 to 11
Height At Maturity: 24-36"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Aster alpinus
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Blue-violet rays with yellow centers
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Common Name: American blue vervain
Scientific Name: Verbena hastata
Flower Color: Purplish-blue
Special Characteristics: Attracts birds, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 24-72'
Common Name: American boneset
Scientific Name: Eupatorium perfoliatum
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, deer-resistant, cut flowers, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 48-72"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: American century plant
Scientific Name: Agave americana
Flower Color: Greenish yellow
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, container
Hardiness Zone(s): 8 to 10
Height At Maturity: 36-72"
Common Name: American century plant
Scientific Name: Agave attenuata
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Yellow green to white
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, container
Hardiness Zone(s): 10 to 12
Height At Maturity: 24-36"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Agastache foeniculum
Flower Color: Lavender to purple
Special Characteristics: Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, deer-resistant, showy flowers, fragrant, cut flowers
Height At Maturity: 24-48"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Anise-scented sage
Scientific Name: Salvia guaranitica
Flower Color: Deep blue with purple-blue calyx
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, deer-resistant, fragrant, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Hardiness Zone(s): 8 to 10
Height At Maturity: 24-60'
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Annual honesty
Scientific Name: Lunaria annua
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 24-36"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Mentha suaveolens
Flower Color: Pink to white
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, deer-resistant, tolerates rabbit, showy flowers, fragrant
Height At Maturity: 12-24"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Aruncus "Misty Lace"
Flower Color: Creamy white
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 18-24"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Ashy sunflower
Scientific Name: Helianthus mollis
Special Characteristics: Attracts birds and butterflies, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 24-48'
Scientific Name: Persicaria odorata
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, deer-resistant, tolerates rabbit, showy flowers
Hardiness Zone(s): 9 to 11
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Aster sedifolius "Nanus"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Blue rays with yellow center disk
Special Characteristics: Attracts butterflies, showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 12-18”
Scientific Name: Geum "Borisii"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Geum "Mrs. J. Bradshaw"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Orange/scarlet
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Height At Maturity: 12-24"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Geum "Totally Tangerine"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Orange-peach
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Height At Maturity: 12-30"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Geum coccineum "Cooky"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Orange with orange-yellow stamens
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Scientific Name: Geum coccineum
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers, easy to grow
Height At Maturity: 12-18”
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Azure monkshood
Scientific Name: Aconitum carmichaelii
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Deep purple (inside) and pale blue (outside)
Special Characteristics: Deer-resistant, showy flowers
Height At Maturity: 24-36"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Baby blue eyes
Scientific Name: Nemophila menziesii
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Hardiness Zone(s): 2 to 11
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Baby's breath
Scientific Name: Gypsophila paniculata "Bristol Fairy"
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, cut flowers
Height At Maturity: 24-36"
Common Name: Balloon flower
Scientific Name: Platycodon grandiflorus "Astra Blue"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Balloon flower
Scientific Name: Platycodon grandiflorus
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Height At Maturity: 12-36"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Basket of gold
Scientific Name: Aurinia saxatilis "Gold Dust"
Flower Color: Bright yellow
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers
Common Name: Basket of gold
Scientific Name: Aurinia saxatilis
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers
Common Name: Bear's breeches
Scientific Name: Acanthus "Summer Beauty"
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Flower Color: Creamy white subtended by purple bracts
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, tolerates rabbit, cut flowers
Hardiness Zone(s): 6 to 10
Height At Maturity: 36-72"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Common Name: Bear's breeches
Scientific Name: Acanthus hungaricus
Water: Needs moderate moisture
Special Characteristics: Showy flowers, easy-to-grow
Hardiness Zone(s): 5 to 10
Height At Maturity: 36-48"
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Related: What is a Dianella Plant | Our list of the 30 Prettiest Perennial Flowers
As we all know, perennial plants are those that bloom perfectly during their growth seasons in spring or summer and would wilt to dormancy during winter. However, these plants will most likely sprout back to life during their active seasons through their rootstocks and these types are known as herbaceous perennials.
What’s nice about perennial plants is that most of them love the sun and would prefer to stay exposed all throughout the day, while some considerably cannot tolerate too much sun exposure but are otherwise reliant to a few hours sun bathing for their greenery and pigmentation and would likely need moist soil to survive. See our gallery of perennials that like shade as well.
Perennialss are important ornaments for non-shady and sunny locations like front yards and pathways, as these locations do not need distractive shading and coverings blocking the house’s view.
Some examples of these sun-loving perennials are artimisia, bearded iris and beardtongue, which we will give you further info below.
There are also self-seeding or self-sowing perennials plants that naturally grow in spring and summer without further efforts to cultivate them. Once spring or summer arrives, you will be amazed how they magically start to sprout out and cover the ground.
And as promised, here are a few of the best perennial plants you can grow outdoors. We have included some important requirements like the appropriate light and water they need as well as the best season and zones for these sun-loving foliage.