15 Full-Sun Perennials That Come Back Better Every Year

Red crocosmia 'Lucifer' in flower — Photo:
Alex Manders / Getty Images

Perennial flowers are known for their ability to bloom year after year with beautiful colors and foliage. If your garden spot receives little to no shade, though, don't worry. There are plenty of full-sun perennials that not only thrive in the sun but are heat- and drought-tolerant as well, making them easy to care for. Here, we're sharing expert-approved perennial blooms for your sunny garden.

01 of 15

Lavandula Phenomenal

Lavender in a field — Pez Photography / Getty Images

Featuring fragrant, pretty purple blooms and silvery foliage, the Lavandula phenomenal is a sun-loving perennial that will add both height and color to your garden. Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins, says that Lavandula is highly adaptable to many different conditions and requires very minimal watering once it's well-established. "It is also heat and drought-tolerant, making it an ideal choice for sunny areas," she says. "Its resilience and easy-care characteristics make it a great addition to borders, hedges, or any landscape needing color and sweet fragrance."

Zones: 5 to 8
Size: 2 feet high x 2 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, moist, well-draining soil

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02 of 15

Echinacea "Magnus" Coneflower

Echinacea / Purple Cone Flower. Ruud de Man / Getty Images

Boasting large, bright pink blooms, the echinacea "magnus" coneflower has a long flowering season, stretching from the late spring to the fall, says Funk. The flowers can span from 4 to 6 inches in length and are a haven for birds and butterflies. This perennial is also drought tolerant, giving it the ability to truly thrive in sunny spots of your garden. "The resilience of ‘Magnus’ coneflower in heat and dry conditions and its versatility for garden beds and borders make it a top choice for gardeners looking to enjoy enduring blooms and effortless elegance," Funk says.

Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 3 feet, 6 inches high x 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full-sun, moist, well-draining soil

03 of 15

Penstemon 'Blackbeard' Beardtongue

Light purple blooms and deep purple foliage are the hallmarks of this full-sun perennial flower. "Its rich nectar and pollen content attracts a variety of pollinators, including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, enhancing the garden’s ecological diversity," Funk says. "'Blackbeard' is known for its strong, compact stems and upright climbing habit, making it suitable for container planting and grouping in beds or borders. It thrives in sunny locations with well-drained soil." This perennial also has a high tolerance for both heat and humidity, and it's drought resistant to boot, meaning it's an easy care choice for gardeners of any level.

Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 2 feet, 10 inches tall x 2 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, moist, well-draining soil

04 of 15

Blanket Flower

Blanket flower (Gaillardia) has dainty, daisy-like blooms that stun in shades of red, yellow, and orange, says Mary Phillips, Head of Native Plant Habitat Strategy/Certifications at the National Wildlife Federation. The blanket flower is a hybrid between two different types of gaillardia flowers (a perennial gaillardia (G. aristata) and an annual gaillardia (G. pulchella)) and has adapted to thrive in hot, dry, full-sun conditions. "It's perfect for sunny borders, butterfly gardens, wildflower meadows, or containers," says Phillips. "It attracts hummingbirds and beneficial insects such as butterflies, bees, native ladybugs, and lacewings."

Zones: 3 to 10
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 2 feet wide
Care requirements: Full-sun, moist, well-draining, loamy soil

05 of 15

Blazing Star

Dramatic and tall, blazing star (Liatris) has showy flower spikes filled with vibrant purple blooms, says Phillips. They have a pretty lengthy blooming period, from mid-summer to the fall, and are both heat and drought-tolerant. "They're ideal for the back of sunny beds, adding vertical dimension," Phillips says. Blazing star also attracts lots of pollinators, like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, providing a nectar source for them in the summer, while its seedheads provide food for birds in the winter.

Zones: 3 to 9
Size: 1 to 5 feet high x 6 inches wide
Care requirements: Full-sun, moist, loamy, well-draining soil

06 of 15

Native Asters

Floral background and natural pattern with violet aromatic aster (symphyotrichum oblongifolium) flowers blooming in the park. Cluster of purple aster flowers.Autumn beauty in the garden — Salomatin / Getty Images

Asters come in a variety of shades and offer delicate, daisy-like blooms. There are many types of asters, from ground cover plants to climbing vines—and all of them are easy to grow and care for, provided they get 6 or more hours of full sun. Asters are drought tolerant when established and are known for their resilience, says Phillips.

Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 6 inches to 12 feet high (climbing varieties) x 1 to 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, moist, well-draining, loamy soil

07 of 15

Buddleia

Full-sun exposure fuels buddleia's growth, specifically the Butterfly Candy variety, says Linda Vater, plant expert for Southern Living Plant Collection and Butterfly Candy Buddleia. It comes in five pretty shades, from purple and pink to white, and is drought-tolerant and easy to care for. "I find it so much fun to work in the garden with butterflies fluttering in and amongst these exquisite shrubs," says Vater. "They come in absolutely glorious colors and just keep on blooming throughout the season."

Zones: 5 to 10
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

08 of 15

Real Charmer Leucanthemum

Shasta Real Charmer — Courtesy of Blue Stone Perennial

Quaint yellow flowers are the star of this shasta daisy variety that is both pest- and disease-resistant. "Daisies couldn’t be any easier to grow, and I love that they have a long blooming period, and this pale yellow shade is a brilliant contrast against anything that has really dark foliage," says Vater. "I consider them the sweetest of all flowers."

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 22 inches high x 18 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

09 of 15

Jubilation Gardenia

An evergreen shrub, the jubilation gardenia is a sun-loving variety that produces large, fragrant, white double blooms, according to Vater. Once established, they require little effort and are disease-resistant. "Jubilation gardenias are a classic summer charmer with an intoxicating scent from spring well into fall and elegant blooms contrasting deep evergreen foliage," Vater says. "This compact grower has a tidy form and is a reliable repeat bloomer ideal for containers or flower beds near walkways, porches, and seating areas."

Zones: 7 to 10
Size: 3 to 4 feet high x 3 to 4 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

10 of 15

Lilies

Lycoris squamigera, also known as the magic lily, resurrection lily or surprise lily — gurineb / Getty Images

Show-stopping lilies (Lilium) are surprisingly easy to care for, says Peggy Anne Montgomery, horticulturist for Flowerbulb.eu. "Lilies are generally low-maintenance plants," she says. "They require a sunny site and well-draining soil but don't demand constant attention." Montgomery suggests growing Asiatic lilies if you prefer a fragrance-free flower or Oriental lilies if you'd like to infuse your garden with some fragrance.

Zones: 3 to 8
Size: 1 to 4 feet tall
Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

11 of 15

Crocosmia

Slim and upright, these perennials (also known as Montbretia) bloom in mid-summer till mid-fall in hot shades of red, orange, and yellows, says Montgomery. "These beauties attract hummingbirds and butterflies, but deer and rabbits don't care for them," she says. "They make excellent cut flowers, and they naturalize easily. They are also excellent planted in containers with annuals in similar hues to add a bright pop of color and surprise in mid-summer."

Zones: 5 to 9
Size: 2 to 4 feet high x 1 foot wide
Care requirements: Full sun, moist, organically rich, well-draining soil

12 of 15

Agastache "Pink Pearl"

Beautifully eye-catching with pink booms, the Agastache pink pearl is easy to care for and grows well in border gardens or containers. "Agastaches are native to sunny plains and even deserts throughout the American West and Southwest," says Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries. "These pollinator magnets enjoy moderately rich but well-draining soil, especially for the winter."

Zones: 6 to 10
Size: 8 to 16 inches high x 16 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun, moderately rich, well-draining soil

13 of 15

Coreopsis Honeybunch "Red & Gold"

This pretty perennial forms a tight, rounded mound of yellow and red flowers that blooms all summer long. "Relatives of Honeybunch 'Red & Gold' come from the sunny American plains and pine savannas, ranging from Ontario, Canada to the north to Georgia in the south," says Pavlich. "'Red & Gold' needs full sun and well-drained soil to be its happiest and have a long life."

Zones: 5 to 10
Size: 10 to 12 inches high x 15 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

14 of 15

Echinacea Cara Mia "Yellow"

Cara Mia Echinacea — Courtesy of Terra Nova Nursery

These unique blooms feature double yellow flowers that are fragrant and long-lasting, says Pavlich. Plant these in a sunny spot in your garden—they also make great cut flowers, too.

Zones: 4 to 9
Size: 16 to 20 inches high x 2 and a half feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun, coarse, mineral soil

15 of 15

Geum Tempo "Coral"

Tall, statement-making pink blooms make this full-sun perennial a dramatic addition to your garden. "Winter hardy throughout most of North America, this geum thrives in a sunny spot with minimal care: only some light summer watering and feeding are necessary to enjoy this garden gem," Pavlich says.