When planning a perennial garden that gets full sun, defined as at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, it’s important to choose plants that can handle the extra light and heat. Many beautiful perennial flowers and foliage plants thrive in full sun, as long as the soil is well-drained and plants are kept adequately watered.
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What are the best perennials for full sun?
Here are some top recommendations for perennials that thrive in full sun:
- Yarrow (Achillea species)
- Tickseed (Coreopsis species)
- Coneflower (Echinacea species)
- Blanket Flower (Gaillardia species)
- Sunrose (Helianthemum species)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis species)
- Beardtongue (Penstemon species)
- Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Salvia (Salvia species)
- Stonecrop (Sedum species)
- Geranium (Geranium species)
These perennials come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes – there are choices for virtually any full sun garden. Many are also highly attractive to pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Perennial flowers for full sun
Here is more detail on some of the best perennial flowers for full sun gardens:
Yarrow
With its fern-like foliage and flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers, yarrow thrives in full sun and dry conditions. There are many color options too, including white, pink, red, yellow, and orange. Yarrow spreads easily and makes an excellent cut flower.
Coneflower
Coneflowers like Echinacea purpurea are classic perennial flowers, with daisy-like blooms and a central cone. They come in colors like purple, pink, white, and yellow. Coneflowers attract butterflies and last well as cut flowers. Deadheading spent blooms encourages more flowering.
Tickseed
Tickseed offers vibrant color on thread-like foliage. Look for the cultivars like ‘Zagreb’ with bright golden yellow flowers or ‘Early Sunrise’ with golden yellow petals and a dark red center. Tickseed spreads easily and may need division every few years.
Salvia
Salvia is a hugely diverse plant genus with options for full sun. Some good choices include Salvia nemorosa (woodland sage) which produces spikes of blue, purple, or white flowers, and Salvia leucantha (Mexican bush sage) which has velvety purple blooms.
Daylily
Daylilies are classic perennial flowers that thrive in full sun. The trumpet-shaped blooms come in every color except blue and true white. Each flower only lasts a day, but daylilies produce many blooms over a long summer flowering period. Good cultivars for full sun include ‘Happy Returns’ and ‘Pardon Me’.
Perennial foliage plants for full sun
Beyond perennial flowers, there are also many perennial foliage plants that thrive in full sunlight. Consider adding some of these eye-catching leaves to a sunny border or rock garden:
Stonecrop
With succulent leaves in shapes like rosettes, spikes, and trailing stems, sedums can handle full sun and drought once established. They flower in summer and fall. Upright varieties like Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ grow 2 feet tall, while low growers like Sedum spurium spread as a ground cover.
Russian Sage
Russian sage offers silver-gray feathery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes that attract bees and butterflies. It does best in dry soil and full sun. Cut plants back hard in early spring to maintain a compact shape.
Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) is a classic perennial grown as much for its foliage as for its small pinkish-purple flower spikes. The soft, fuzzy leaves are a striking silvery gray color. Lamb’s ear spreads easily in full sun and dry soil.
Catmint
With blue-green foliage and purple blooms, catmint thrives in sun and is drought-tolerant when established. Varieties like Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ form a bushy mound of leaves and flowers. Cut back after initial flowering for a second flush of blooms in fall.
Best perennials for full sun by height
Here are recommendations for outstanding full sun perennials based on their mature height:
| Height | Full Sun Perennials |
|---|---|
| Short (under 1 foot) | Alyssum, Iceland poppy, sedum, thyme |
| Medium (1-3 feet) | Coneflower, coral bells, salvia, yarrow |
| Tall (over 3 feet) | Delphinium, false sunflower, ironweed, Joe Pye weed |
Best perennials for different soil types in full sun
When choosing plants, it’s important to consider your garden’s soil conditions. Here are perennials that thrive in full sun for different soil types:
| Soil Type | Full Sun Perennial Choices |
|---|---|
| Dry/sandy | Blanket flower, lavender, penstemon, Russian sage, sedum, yarrow |
| Moist/clay | Astilbe, bee balm, coneflower, coral bells, garden phlox |
| Average | Daylily, delphinium, salvia, Shasta daisy, tickseed |
low maintenance Full Sun Perennials
For gardeners short on time, choose these easy care, low maintenance perennials for full sun:
- Yarrow – Drought tolerant and spreads readily.
- Tickseed – Low, mounding habit and long flowering period.
- Coneflower – Remove spent blooms to encourage more flowers.
- Salvia – Cut back by 1/3 after initial flowering for fall rebloom.
- Daylily – Divide clumps every 3-5 years to promote vigor.
- Sedum – Leave seedheads for winter interest.
- Catmint – Cut back stems to rosettes of foliage after first flowering.
- Ornamental grasses – Cut back clumps in late winter before new growth emerges.
Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
In areas with high deer populations, choose these full sun perennials that deer tend to avoid:
- Yarrow
- Coneflower
- Lavender
- Catmint
- Sage
- Thyme
- Ornamental grasses
Planting perennials with strong scents typically helps deter deer. A fence around the garden also prevents deer from accessing plants.
Conclusion
Full sun perennial gardens allow for limitless possibilities when thoughtfully planted. Look for plants suited to the site’s soil type and focus on low maintenance varieties to reduce upkeep. Space plants appropriately and provide adequate water during dry periods. With the right plant choices, a full sun perennial garden will offer color and interest from spring through fall!