11 Colorful Perennial Flowers That Will Thrive All Summer

Phlox Paniculate "Peppermint Twist"

American gardens have featured phlox, an iconic groundcover, since colonial times. "Phlox paniculata is a classic; adored for its heady clouds of blooms," says Norris. "Modern varieties like Peppermint Twist rate best-in-class for their hardy flowers, stouter compose, and heady fragrance—ideal for a summer garden."

Zone: 4 to 8
Size: 24 to 36 inches tall x 24 to 36 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full to partial sun; moist, well-drained soil

Cuphea "Strybing Sunset"

If you live in zone 9, you should grow Cuphea Strybing Sunset, a perennial favorite—no excuses or exceptions, says Norris. "When grown in this climate, it will grow into a compact, colorful shrub with hundreds of tubular, orange-zest flowers," he says. "It's a head-turning container plant, dressed with citrus-y pizzazz."

Zone: 9 to 11
Size: 36 inches tall x 36 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Cuphea "David Verity"

"A hybrid of the shrubby, many-flowered C. micropetala and the low-growing C. ignea, David Verity just keeps producing gorgeous little flowers, whether grown in Georgia as a landscape shrub (where it just keeps getting bigger), or in Chicago as a container feature," says Norris.

Zone: 8 to 10
Size: 24 inches tall x 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist to dry soil

Gaillardia x Grandiflora

"Gaillardia × grandiflora Moxie is an all-star, regularly flowering from mid-May through frost, even without supplemental watering," says Norris. "Though in the heat of summer its effusion of perennial flowers may not equal its spring and fall displays, its ever-present radiance is hard to deny."

Zone: 5 to 9
Size: 18 to 24 inches tall x 18 to 24 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; dry, well-drained soil

Gaillardia Aristata

Watch Gaillardia aristata flower from Memorial Day through Labor Day, lending its bright color to your garden all summer. "The cheery yellow flowers will look radiant in the sunshine and provide beautiful ground cover," says Norris.

Zone: 3 to 8
Size: 24 to 30 inches tall x 30 inches wide
Growing condition: Full sun; well-drained soil

Lobelia Laxiflora

Norris loves the vivid flowers of Lobelia laxiflora's flowers. "It reminds me of a festive display of candy corn and Red Hots," he says. But he also appreciates the plant's ability to adapt: "This plant looks just as fine in Oregon as it does in North Carolina and Texas, regardless of the sun exposure or soil type," he says. "Its flowers sizzle through high summer in defiance of dry weather and intense sunshine."

Zone: 7 to 11
Size: 30 inches high x 48 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil

Coreopsis "Cranberry Ice"

The yellow centers and red-and-white petals of this plant are a sunny addition to your garden. "The flowers of Coreopsis "Cranberry Ice" pile on with each passing week—perhaps presenting us with the quintessential lesson of summer: Let there be flowers, effusively, please," says Norris.

Zone: 6 to 10
Size: 8 to 10 inches tall x 15 to 20 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Henry and Augusta Duelberg Sages

This pair of vibrant sages includes the deep purple Henry Duelberg and the silvery-white August Duelberg. "These cultivars were originally collected from old cemetery plots in central Texas bearing the grave markers with the cultivar namesakes," says Michael A. Arnold, professor of landscape horticulture and director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University. "These cultivars are thought to be hybrids between Salvia farinacea and another unidentified native Salvia. They are more florific and vigorous than most S. farinacea, and they are not a preferred deer browse."

Zone: 7 to 10
Size: 36 inches tall x 36 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun; moist soil

Blue Plumbago

While blue plumbago blooms all year in tropical climates, it also presents its pretty blue flowers from spring to fall in northern regions. "Irregularly rounded mound of rich green foliage serves as a backdrop to the terminal clusters of blue to white flowers," says Arnold. "Blue flowers range from dark indigo blue to pale blue, and white flowering cultivars are available."

Zone: 8 to 9
Size: 36 to 48 inches tall x 36 to 60 inches wide
Growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, well-drained soil

Red Yucca

"Unlike true yuccas, red yucca does not have sharp pointed foliage," says Arnold. "Dark evergreen clumps of yucca-like foliage provide a succulent-like appearance." They're a bold backdrop to the spikes or panicles of tubular flowers in shades of coral, salmon, yellow, and red.

Zone: 6 to 13
Size: 36 inches wide x 60 inches tall
Growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

Turk's Cap

Turk's Cap foliage looks like maple leaves—the medium to dark green shoots are a foil for this flower's red, pink, or white flowers, explains Arnold. "This is a preferred hummingbird and butterfly nectar source, with blooms present from spring to frost," he says.

Zone: 8 to 13
Size: 3 feet to 8 feet tall and wide
Growing conditions: Moderate to light shade; fertile, well-drained soil