Herbaceous Perennials: Showy Blooms, Plus More!
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Herbaceous perennials are plants with soft green stems that usually die in the winter, while their roots thrive underground allowing regrowth in the spring. Most perennials are herbaceous. They are a great foundation for your garden, bringing many showy blooms and good ground cover.
Perennial Flax This is an herbaceous perennial from the Linaceae family that is hardy from Zones 5 to 8, tolerating wind, humidity, and heat. It blooms twice a year with blue and white flowers that last up to about six weeks. It is perfect as borders and in rock gardens. Perennial flax needs to be pruned right after flowering to avoid sparseness. Due to its meager root system, it is advisable to plant this herbaceous perennial in groups. Do not divide perennial flax; stem cutting is best. Although it is short-lived, it is self-sowing. Keep the soil well drained. Pink Carnations From the genus Dianthus, this herbaceous perennial has small to medium clumps of gray/green foliage with fragrant pink blooms. It attracts butterflies, birds, and bees, and makes good borders and beds. This herbaceous perennial requires full sun to partial shade, and is hardy to Zone 4. It grows well in containers. Water regularly but do not overdo it. If propagating from seed, wait until the pods are dry before opening them to collect the seeds. Be aware that these seeds are toxic if ingested. Do stem cutting to encourage more blooms. St. John’s Wort Also known as goat weed, it is an upright herbaceous perennial that is hardy to Zone 4. It has nice yellow blooms with fruit that changes color from yellow to red to dark purple. It grows as a bush and can be used as beds or by itself. Its day should be divided in half with full sun and then shade. Due to difficulty in germination, you may consider just buying seeds from your nursery. Otherwise, you will need to pre-chill your own seeds prior to planting, or sow this herbaceous perennial in autumn. Sedum Sedum, of the Crassulaceae family, is one of the easiest herbaceous perennials to grow. It boasts of long-lasting colorful blooms, and is quite attractive to butterflies and bees. Although it requires good drainage, it tolerates even very poor soil. Avoid rich soil if you want your sedum to look its best. It is drought, pest, and disease resistant. You have one problem, however, if you live where the deer are. They love this herbaceous perennial too! There are approximately 400 species of sedum. Thyme It is a popular USDA Zone 5 – 9 herbaceous perennial, with about 350 species. It is great for culinary usage and for borders and rock gardens. Known for its aromatic leaves, thyme makes good potpourri mixed with lavender and rosemary. It requires full sun and a well-drained bed. To promote growth, prune thyme in the early spring. It requires small amounts of water, so do not over-water it. Do not plant thyme in wet soil to avoid root rot. Thyme attracts bees and butterflies. If you are planning a pollinator garden, consider including this herbaceous perennial in your list of plants. It easily starts from seeds. Herbaceous perennials can be colorful, whether used as ground cover, border, or in containers to grace your home, in and out. More than that, some of these herbaceous perennials are edible! What else is there to ask for! More on Herbaceous Perennials!
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