Perennials

Perennials are plants that live for more than two years, often coming back year after year with new growth from the same root system. They typically bloom and go dormant with the seasons, depending on the climate and species.

About Perennials

1. Lifespan: Perennials live for many years, unlike annuals, which complete their life cycle in one growing season, or biennials, which take two seasons.
2. Growth Cycle: They usually have a period of active growth (spring and summer) followed by dormancy (fall and winter).
3. Types:
   • Herbaceous Perennials: These die back to the ground each winter but return in the spring (e.g., hostas, daylilies).
   • Woody Perennials: These maintain above-ground structures (e.g., trees, shrubs).
4. Maintenance: Perennials typically require less maintenance than annuals since they don't need to be replanted each year, but they may need periodic division, pruning, or feeding.
5. Examples:
   • Flowering Perennials: Lavender, peonies, coneflowers.
   • Edible Perennials: Asparagus, rhubarb, certain herbs like sage and thyme.
6. Benefits: Perennials can save time and money in the long term because they don’t need to be replanted annually, and they often establish deeper root systems that help improve soil health and water retention.

Long-Lived Perennials

Below are some of the longest-lived of the perennials. This varies greatly by how favorable the site is, how much care they receive and how much competition they have from other plants. 

Aster (Symphyotrichon)

Astilbe

Balloon flower (Platycodon)

Bee balm (Monarda)

Blazing star (Liatris)

Bleeding heart (Dicentra)

Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Campanula

Catmint (Nepeta)

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Daylily (Hemerocallis)

Evening primrose (Oenothera)

False indigo (Baptisia)

Geranium

Hosta

Iris

Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium)

Lenten rose (Helleborus)

Peony (under the right conditions some peonies have survived 70-100 years)

Rudbeckia

Sedum

Yarrow (Achillea)