Top 25 Best Large Flowering Perennials
Top 25 Best Large Flowering Perennials
We all know that perennials are often the mainstay of the garden and an investment plant which returns year on year. The large flowering perennial are also the superstars of the border – standing loud and proud for our attention as well as our affections. Here are 25 of our biggest, boldest and best offerings amongst the large, flowered varieties. With something to suit every garden:
25. Wisteria
Let’s have a little romance to bring things to a close. This enduringly popular bloom is truly romantic in every sense. Soft blue-purple panicles of flowers hang in delicate chains late spring into summer emitting a heady floral scent.
24. Viburnum Opulus
Snowball like white flowers embellish this shrub in summer providing an unusual and sculptural bloom. Great for bees and other pollinators who are sure to enjoy a nectar feast from these pom-pom flowers.
23. Strelitzia Reginae
A florist’s favourite thanks to the glorious structure from both the flowers and the foliage. Looking like an exotic bird this South African beauty wows in late spring and summer months and is sure to attract admiring glances.
22. Rudbeckia
Super dependable in the re-flowering stakes, Rudbeckia reappears every year with more vigour than the last. There are plenty of varieties to choose from in differing colours and sizes to bring joy for months through the summer and well into autumn.
21. Rose
These are a staple in so many gardens. The rose has everything required from a large flowered perennial – it is easy to maintain, comes in a range of colours, is often scented and is loved by bees and humans alike. Furthermore, it is popular knowledge that there is a rose for every garden – it is just a matter of choosing the one for you.
20. Rhododendron
A evergreen shrub with voluptuous mounds of flowers, available in many colours. Great for growing in shade and for acidic soil, with gorgeous waxy structural leaves to provide year-round interest.
19. Passiflora
Passion flowers – the quick climbing vines scramble over fences, walls and archways with fascinatingly detailed big flowers which both intrigue and delight with their white petals, purple coronas and golden stamens.
18. Peony
Large flowered perennials do not get much larger than the peony! Unassuming ping pong ball sized buds appear in late spring then morph into big, beautiful and blousy blooms by early summer. Not only do they add a riot of colour, they also have an enchanting fragrance, making them a sensual joy.
17. Narcissus
Known universally as the Daffodil, and as the quintessential spring flower. Incredibly distinctive with trumpet and collar of spring-coloured petals in a broad range of white, yellows and apricots. There are around 13,000 species of Narcissus some of the biggest (and best) are Tahiti, Dick Wilden or Iceberg for a big spring show.
16. Monarda
Commonly known as Bergamot or Bee Balm, as the Bees find these almost as delectable as we do! Unique flowers which resemble hats befitting of Ladies Day at Ascot. Furthermore, they have the most amazing spicy, citrus orange scent.
15. Lupin
14. Leucanthemum
The perfect perennial daisy and a must for this list. These daisies are tall and look skyward in the summer. They are easy to naturalise and will flower repeatedly through the summer if deadheaded regularly.
13. Kniphofia
Also known as the distinctive ‘Red Hot Poker’. Plants send up tall spires of spicy coloured flowers in the height of summer - giving any garden an exotic and tropical look so there is no need to leave the garden to get a holiday!
12. Japanese Anemone
A wonderfully consistent perennial which emerges in the late summer to grace the garden with their cute flower heads of pink and white on tall, slender stems. As an added bonus, seed heads last well into the winter and there is no competition when it comes to situation - Japanese anemones will flourish in every ground type and aspect.
11. Iris Sibirica
A joy to behold with its tall stems topped by a large frilly flower head, which is almost bird like, in late spring and early summer. Great for cutting and perfect for naturalising around a pond to give an injection of colour.
10. Hydrangea
With so many stunning types to choose it is little wonder that these plants are almost universally loved. Big and blousy with lace-like blooms to bring a focal point to semi-shady areas. Perfect as a cut flower or to enjoy on the shrub this reliable and easy going perennial will bring the ‘wow’ factor for years to come.
9. Hellebore
Commonly known as the Christmas or Lenten rose due to their winter flowering time. These are sophisticated flowers which brighten up the borders and bring interest in a sparse time. Interesting foliage emerges to remain all year – making Hellebores a ‘work horse’ of the garden.
8. Gerbera
The brightest of daisy shaped blooms, which stand proud of their foliage in a whole host of colours to bring summer colour on the patio in pots and containers.
7. Fritillaria Imperiallis
An exotic addition with tall umbrella like flowers which face groundward. In warm tones of citrus orange and yellow the large and unusual blooms last from late spring right through the summer and are sure to be noticed.
6. Echinacea
Large daisy like flowers which worship the sun to the point where they almost become shuttlecock shaped as the petals stretched backwards. These will act like a beacon for pollinators and are befitting of so many garden styles. A reliable, easy going perennial which comes in a wide range of colours.
5. Dahlia
These fantastic flowers are currently enjoying a revival as the superstars of the late summer garden. Offered in almost every colour imaginable with a variety of shapes from spiky cactus to pompom like ball heads, with blooms the size of dinner plates to boot!
4. Camellia
Glorious cup-shaped heads of colour against large waxy leaves. These will brighten up any shady part of the garden in late winter and spring as well as emitting a delightful floral fragrance. Varieties in a broad range of shades and types mean there is a cultivar for every garden.
3. Brugmansia
Pendulous trumpet shaped heads that resemble chandeliers with their droplets of bright coloured flowers against deep green foliage.
2. Alstroemeria
Or Peruvian Lilies. These are long flowering and provide a riot of colour all summer. A low maintenance lovely which is easy spreading and will fill gaps in the border. Also excellent for cutting and adding to a vase so that you can bring the joy inside.
1. Allium
Big globe like flower heads which appear in late spring. They stand to attention through the border and are beloved by bees as much as we gardeners. Available in various hues of purple and white giving beautiful structure to the garden long after the colour has faded.
