Full sun
Full-Sun Perennials That Bloom All Summer
A sunny border that stays in flower for months. These heat-loving perennials bloom and bloom right through summer.
A hot, sunny spot is the easiest place in the garden to get a long, generous display, because so many of our best perennials evolved in open, sunny meadows. The trick to a border that flowers all summer rather than peaking once is choosing plants with genuinely long bloom seasons, and a few that rebloom when you cut them back.
Everything here wants at least six hours of direct sun. Pair them with the full list of full-sun plants and use the bloom calendar on each to stack flowering times so the color never stops.
The longest-blooming sun perennials
Start with these. Each one flowers for many weeks, often the whole summer, and most ask for little more than sun and the occasional deadheading.
Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
A haze of pale-yellow daisies from early summer into fall, one of the longest-blooming plants there is.
Echinacea purpurea
Sturdy daisy heads for weeks on a tough native, then seed heads that feed the finches.
Rudbeckia
Golden and dependable, blooming for months and shrugging off heat and drought.
Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht'
Deep violet spikes that flower for weeks and rebloom if you shear them back.
Nepeta
A soft lavender-blue cloud over aromatic foliage that barely pauses all summer.
Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'
Compact and famous for reblooming, throwing fresh golden flowers for months.
Bold color and height for the peak of summer
Once the border is humming, these add the drama: hot colors, strong verticals, and big flowers that carry a planting.
Crocosmia 'Lucifer'
Arching sprays of fiery red trumpets that hummingbirds chase, on bold sword-like foliage.
Monarda
Shaggy red, pink, or purple heads that bees and hummingbirds cannot leave alone.
Phlox paniculata
Fragrant flower heads that fill the mid- to late-summer border with color and scent.
Salvia yangii
An airy violet-blue veil on silver stems, completely unbothered by heat and drought.
Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'
Crisp white daisies on strong stems that never flop, a clean foil for hot colors.
Liatris
Purple bottlebrush spikes that flower top to bottom and pull in the butterflies.
Achillea
Flat flower plates in warm and soft shades on ferny foliage, tough and long-lasting.
Hibiscus moscheutos
Dinner-plate flowers on a hardy perennial for a spectacular late-summer finish.
Keep them flowering
- Deadhead regularly. Removing spent flowers pushes many of these to keep producing more.
- Shear back early bloomers like salvia and catmint after the first flush for a strong second show.
- Do not overfeed. Lean soil gives sturdier plants and more flowers, while rich soil grows floppy leaves.
- Water deeply but only when needed once they are established, which keeps roots deep and plants tough.
What perennials bloom all summer in full sun?
Coreopsis, coneflower, black-eyed susan, salvia, catmint, and reblooming daylilies are among the longest-blooming. Most flower for many weeks and several rebloom if cut back.
How much sun do these plants need?
At least six hours of direct sun a day. With less, many will still grow but flower less and may stretch and flop reaching for light.
How do I keep my summer border flowering longer?
Deadhead spent flowers, shear back early bloomers after their first flush, avoid overfeeding, and choose a mix of plants whose bloom times overlap so there is always something open.
Design a garden with these plants
Open BloomsEye Studio with this guide's plants ready to drop onto a plan, then watch the whole bed bloom across the year.