Best Low Growing Flowering Perennial Plants Guide

Learn about the beauty and usefulness of low growing flowering perennial plants. They are great for small gardens or adding color to tight spaces. These flowers need little care and can live in many places.

Key Takeaways

• Astilbe thrives in shaded areas with minimal sunlight daily.
• Bearberry prefers acidic soil, perfect for rocky or sandy environments.
• Bleeding Hearts provide unique blooms in shady garden spots.
• Blue-Eyed Grass requires full sunlight and well-draining soil.
• Compact perennial plants offer aesthetic appeal and low maintenance.
• Daylilies, though invasive, are renowned for their striking blooms.
• Minimal care perennials are perfect for sunny garden areas.

Create a beautiful garden that lasts all year with these tough and colorful plants. They are perfect for small or hard-to-reach areas.

Introduction to Low Growing Flowering Perennials

Low growing flowering perennials add beauty with less work. They usually reach 12 to 18 inches high, perfect for borders or ground cover. Their hardiness and low upkeep make them great choices for any gardener.

Hostas and Heucheras are favorites for small gardens. They stay low and don’t block your view, even when they bloom. Spurge (Euphorbia) varieties like ‘Bonfire’ are stunning all year, with bright spring yellow and colorful summer leaves.

Plants like delosperma and ajuga make great ground covers. They spread well and are ideal for shady spots or where grass struggles. These plants need little care but turn your space into a green haven.

For easy yet beautiful choices, try Creeping Phlox or Lewisia. Creeping Phlox is a pretty groundcover that flowers well and Lewisia can handle dry, sunny spots, growing just a foot tall.

Groundcovers don’t just look nice. They help nature by attracting useful bugs and reducing the need for lawns. This makes your garden both pretty and friendly to the environment.

Knowing about low growing perennials helps you pick the best for your garden. This way, you can enjoy a lovely and sustainable space every year.

Popular Low Growing Flowering Perennial Plants

Low growing flowering perennials are lovely and easy to care for. They’re great for borders, as ground covers, and in small spots. These plants make any area beautiful.

Astilbe

Astilbes add soft beauty to shaded gardens. They come in pink, red, and white. Plant them in well-fertilized and well-draining soil. These perennials do well in Zones 4 to 9, fitting many climates.

Autumn Fern

Autumn Fern shines with its copper-red fronds turning green. It’s perfect for wooded gardens and shady spots. Keep its soil moist. It grows in Zones 4 to 9, giving interest all year.

Barrenwort

Barrenwort, or Bishop’s Hat, is known for its toughness and colorful leaves. It loves drought and stays green all year. It blooms in pink, yellow, and orange. It grows in Zones 4 to 8.

Bearberry

Bearberry is tough and a great choice for sandy or rocky soil. It forms a thick mat and attracts butterflies. It thrives in acidic soil. This low maintenance plant grows in Zones 2 to 7.

Best Low Maintenance Perennials for Your Garden

Garden lovers and pros prize perennials for their beauty and ease. When looking for plants that need little care but still look great, turn to the best low maintenance perennials. These plants last for years, are tough, and grow well in many sunlight and soil types. Now, let’s explore some top small perennials. They each bring something special to gardens.

Blanket Flower

The Blanket Flower comes from central U.S. and Mexico, and loves heat. It shows off in bright orange, red, and yellow. Perfect for low care, sunny spots, it blooms from late spring to fall. This beauty does well in USDA Zones 3-10.

Bleeding Heart

The Bleeding Heart wows with heart-shaped flowers in pink or red, with white tips. It’s great for the shade and likes a bit of acidic soil. This lovely plant grows in USDA Zones 2-9, bringing a graceful flair to gardens. It’s a top pick among the best low maintenance perennials needing little attention.

Blue-Eyed Grass

Blue-Eyed Grass isn’t actually a grass but a charming plant with purple flowers. It loves the sun and well-drained, rich soil. A top choice for sunny, low care areas, it flowers from late spring to summer. It’s perfect for USDA Zones 4-9, brightening up gardens.

When you’re creating a perennial garden, these popular small perennials are worth considering. They come in different sizes, bloom at various times, and have specific light and soil needs. By picking native species, you boost your garden’s health with little work.

Compact Perennial Plants for Landscaping

Compact perennial plants are a top pick for creating well-structured gardens. They add varied colors and textures without taking up too much space. This makes them great for little areas or to enhance taller plants. They bring beauty and balance to any landscape.

Take the Fruit Punch ‘Cherry Vanilla’ Dianthus. It’s perfect for narrow spots, growing up to eight inches high and up to 12 inches wide. The Verbascum ‘Dark Eyes’ stands about 12 inches tall, adding visual interest without dominating small gardens.

Dwarf Helenium ‘Mariachi Salsa’ is both beautiful and tough, thriving in USDA zone 4. Then there’s the Tiarella ‘SYLVAN Lace’, which is just nine inches tall. It’s a smart choice for tiny garden areas.

If your garden is mostly shaded, miniature hostas are a sure bet. They’re adaptable and easy to care for. For a striking option, check out the Sedum x Sedoro ‘Blue Elf’. It reaches just three inches but makes a bold statement. English Lavender is also a good pick. It stays small and thrives in USDA zone 5, adding beauty and scent to your garden.

Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ adds a powerful presence at 36 inches tall, suitable for USDA zone 4. For ground cover, try Black Mondo Grass which reaches 12 inches high and wide. ‘Creme Caramel’ Coreopsis stands at 18 inches, offering lasting color for many garden types.

In summary, picking these compact perennial plants for landscaping can really lift your garden. They offer a delightful mix of beauty, consistent flowers, and a touch of grace. Perfect for small areas or low spots.

Low Maintenance Ground Cover Plants

Ground cover plants turn gardens into beautiful, easy-to-care-for spaces. They provide a thick, green layer that needs little upkeep. Let’s look at some top choices for a stunning yet practical garden.

Blue Star Creeper

Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatilis) is a ground cover with a carpet of small, star-shaped flowers. It can handle being walked on and does well in places with colder winters, from Zones 6 to 9. The plant is a great fit for those looking for easily managed ground cover.

Calla Lily

The Calla Lily (Zantedeschia spp.) is loved for its elegant flowers shaped like trumpets. It does best in sunny or partially shaded areas within Zones 8 to 10. This makes it a top pick among sunny spot perennials that are simple to care for.

Catmint

Catmint (Nepeta) delights with its blue-lavender, deer-resistant blooms. Thriving in full or half day sun, it’s a gem for Zones 4 to 8. It’s easily one of the best perennials that need very little care. Perfect for sunny edges.

Coral Bells

Coral Bells (Heuchera) offer eye-catching foliage and flowers shaped like bells. They prefer slightly acidic soil and full or part sun in Zones 4 to 8. These are very tough and easy-care ground covers, fitting perfectly in low-maintenance gardens.

Using ground cover plants is a smart way to beautify your garden without much work. Options like Blue Star Creeper, Calla Lily, Catmint, and Coral Bells are great for creating a gorgeous, easy-to-manage outdoor space.

Perennial Flowers for Small Spaces

Choosing the right perennial flowers for small spaces is key to make places look great. By picking compact perennial plants for landscaping, you can turn small areas into beautiful spots. They will be full of color from flowers and green from leaves.

The ‘Fruit Punch Cherry Vanilla’ Dianthus is a good example. It grows up to eight inches high and is eight to 12 inches wide. This makes it perfect for small gardens. Likewise, the ‘Creme Caramel’ Coreopsis adds color without taking over the space. It stands at about 18 inches tall.

For low areas, try the Sedum x sedoro ‘Blue Elf’, which is about three inches high. Black mondo grass reaches eight inches and looks great as ground cover. The Armeria maritima also fills space well, up to 12 inches wide. Then, there’s the hardy Dwarf helenium ‘Mariachi Salsa’ for USDA zone 4.

If you want your garden to stretch up, consider the Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’. It grows to about 36 inches but fits in smaller places. English lavender and the Tiarella ‘SYLVAN Lace’ stand out, too, adding nice smell and looks.

In USDA zone 4, ‘Kim’s Knee High’ Purple Coneflower thrives. It stands out and brings color. Lastly, Verbascum ‘Dark Eyes’ adds a big, beautiful look to small gardens.

Choosing low growing flowering perennial plants means you’ll get beauty all the time. They’re easy to care for and perfect for making the most of small spaces.

Low Growing Flowering Perennial Plants Shining in Borders

Adding short blooming perennials to your garden border brings both color and sturdiness to the design. The key is choosing plants that look great and are useful. By exploring top options, we find plants that are both pretty and practical for gardens.

Creeping Mazus

Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans) is a favorite for its durability and evergreen leaves. It does well in Zones 5-8 and likes various soil types. It can even handle being stepped on, which means less work for you.

Creeping Thyme

Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) not only smells good but can be eaten too. It has beautiful pink, white, or purple flowers in the summer. This plant is great for rough or sandy areas and grows in Zones 4-9. It’s loved for its beauty and how little care it needs.

Daylilies

Everyone loves Daylilies (Hemerocallis) for bringing color across seasons with their big blooms. They’re easy to care for and flexible about where they grow, in Zones 4-9. As a top choice, they fill your garden with long-lasting beauty without being too tricky to manage.

Here’s a table that shows what makes these low-growing perennials special:

Easy Care Perennials for Sunny Spots

Easy care perennials make a vibrant, low-maintenance garden possible. They love the sun and add color and life to your garden. Coneflowers, coreopsis, sedum, and bearded iris need little care and are stunning.

These perennials do well in full sun, part shade, and need well-drained soil. They can be 18 inches to 5 feet tall and wide. From early summer to fall, they bloom in purple, white, yellow, and other vibrant colors.

These plants fit in USDA zones 3 to 10, so they work in many climates. They also attract important pollinators like butterflies and bees. They need simple care like mulching and a bit of pruning.

Top choices include Sedum Autumn Joy with its red fall color and bearded iris with purple blooms. Catmint and black-eyed Susan are also great. They come in different shapes that suit different garden looks.

Choosing these plants makes your garden lively and colorful with less work. They are great for filling borders or adding beauty to sunny areas. Easy care perennials truly change your gardening game.

Conclusion

Low growing flowering perennial plants add beauty to any garden. They are easy to care for and come back each year. Plants like daylilies and peonies bring bright colors and variety all season.

Zone 8 has mild winters and hot summers, perfect for many perennials. Sun-loving Black-eyed Susans and Lavender, or shade-friendly Coral Bells and Hostas thrive here. These plants make gardening easy for everyone, creating stunning results.

In places like Alabama, choose perennials that love the climate. For colorful displays, consider Purple Coneflower and Bearded Iris. Keeping the soil right, watering deeply but not too often, and avoiding too much fertilizer is key. These plants are perfect for borders or filling small spaces, making your garden beautiful and lasting.