Perennials are the plants that come back after every spring. There are many varieties of perennials ranging from short growing perennials to tall growing plants, from those that produce colorful flowers to the plants which spread sweet fragrance. Perennials need to be planted just once and require low maintenance. Here are a few best perennials for zone 5 –
- Baby’s Breath – These are the perennials with tiny and delicate white to pink blooms over bluish-green foliage. They bloom from spring to summer. It requires alkaline soil and tolerates poor soil. Baby’s Breath is good for rock gardens and is drought tolerant as well.
- Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ – Mounded perennial with yellow flowers. The foliage is soft silver grey all season. It requires full sun or part shade with well drained soil.
- Ajuga - Chocolate Chip – This perennial is a useful ground cover with short spikes of blue flowers. Ajuga requires normal to sandy soil with moist conditions. The growth rate of this plant is very fast and it requires partial sun.
- Blanket Flower – This plant looks great with ornamental grass or in a mixed perennial border. It resembles a sunburst and the blooms last from summer until frost. Blanket Flower is a drought and heat tolerant perennial which attracts bees, birds and butterflies.
- Chrysanthemum, Mum – Chrysanthemum can grow up to 3 feet in height and blooms late in summer. The bloom color varies from yellow, white, pink, red and orange. It prefers moist, rich and a well-drained soil and should be planted in spring or fall.
- Buddleiaspecies – Butterflybush – The bloom color varies from white, pink, blue, yellow and deep purple which is from July to September. The plant is upright and somewhat vase-shaped. It requires full sun with average soil and the plant attracts butterflies in late summer.
- Lamb’s Ear – Lamb’s Ear is named so because of its fuzzy leaves. Even the foliage of this plant is fragrant. The plant requires not a fertile soil but a well-drained soil. It requires full sun to grow and avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
- Balloon Flower – This perennial plant is also known as Chinese bellflower and is popular for its large, showy blooms. It requires full sun; moist, well-drained and a slightly acidic soil. It is a low-maintenance perennial.
- Daylily – This is a very popular zone 5 flower which requires low maintenance and attracts butterflies. The bloom color varies from yellow, orange, red, pink and white. It grows best in rich, moist and well-drained soil and in full sun.
- Astilbe‘Sprite’ – This is a shell-pink colored flowering perennial which blooms around July. It is a mounded plant with plume-like flower. It grows very well in shade and requires moist soil.
