4 min read
Aside from warmer temperatures and longer days, the best part about spring’s arrival (especially after a long, cold winter) is seeing all the fresh spring flowers blooming brightly. There’s no transformation quite like a barren lawn turning into a colorful garden when spring comes around. Luckily, with these spring-blooming perennials, you can bring the natural beauty and vibrancy of the season to your own backyard—and enjoy the beautiful burst of life and color year after year.
Spring-blooming perennials are some of the most rewarding plants you can grow. They start flowering just when your garden could use a little color, and—like all long-lived perennials—they return every season for years on end. Whether you decide to plant dainty blooms, tall stems, or big focal blooms, these spring flowers give beds and borders a cheery boost that stays until the start of summer.
To keep your garden bustling all season long, the key is planting a mix of early, mid-spring, and late-spring bloomers. So, when one group begins to fade, the next group will already start sprouting, meaning you’ll have nonstop brightness and freshness for the entirety of spring—and every spring after that! If you’re wondering which ones to plant, we’ve compiled a list of the best spring-blooming perennials, from low-maintenance shade lovers to eye-catching sunbathers. Grab your gardening gloves, and let’s put down some roots!
Early Spring Perennials
Early spring perennials bloom at the start of the season, typically from March through April, so they’ll give your garden a much-needed pop of color after a dark, dreary winter. Here are some of the most popular early-blooming perennials:
Hellebore
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Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, are big, bold blossoms that start peeking their petals out of the ground as early as late winter and last for up to two months. This type of spring-blooming perennial is found in stunning shades of plum, pink, green, and white, and it thrives in partial shade.
Lungwort
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Lungworts are another spring-blooming, shade-loving perennial that pops up in late winter or early spring, typically the end of February or beginning of March. These clusters of small, drooping petals change from pink to blue as they mature, and they have speckled foliage that looks just as lovely even after the flowers fade.
Virginia Bluebell
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Typically blooming from March through May, Virginia bluebells start out as pink buds and turn blue once their petals start to fan out. Since they’re a native woodland flower, Virginia bluebells will give your spring garden an enchanting forest feel.
Pasque Flower
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Another March-through-May perennial is the Pasque flower, or Easter flower, since their blooming season lines up with the Lenten season. Known for its bell-shaped blooms, fuzzy petals, and rich lavender color, these hardy flowers can withstand late-season freezes, so you might see a few sprout in the snow!
Mid-Spring Perennials
With lush blooms and vibrant colors, mid-spring perennials generally peak from April to May. They’re known for being low-maintenance perennials that have a way of elevating any garden bed.
Bleeding Heart
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Bleeding hearts are show-stopping blooms in a hot-pink hue that’ll make your garden feel one of a kind. Just like the name suggests, these spring-blooming perennials have heart-shaped flowers that hang delicately from arching stems, giving them a whimsical, romantic feel. They do best in partial shade and moist soil.
Candytuft
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Candytufts are mid-spring blossoms that come alive in full sun and grow in dense clusters of white, pink, or lavender. If you shear the plant or remove dead flower heads, you might just see a second (lighter) bloom later in the season!
Brunnera
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From April through May, you’ll spot shade-loving Brunneras. These spring perennials have tiny, blue blossoms; tall, wiry stems; and stunning heart-shaped foliage. Depending on the particular type of Brunnera, some varieties even stay around until early summer.
Creeping Phlox
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With creeping phlox in the mix, your spring garden will look like it’s straight out a storybook. These mid-spring perennials are ground-cover flowers that create beautiful blankets of pink, purple, or white. Plant them around rocks, across sloping surfaces, or along borders for a seasonal display like no other.
Late-Spring Perennials
Spring perennials that bloom later in the season, typically from mid-May to early June, offer a gorgeous segue from spring into summer. These late bloomers are packed with bright color and bold texture, and they bring stunning structure to spring gardens.
Peony
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Ree Drummond is a huge fan of peonies—and for good reason! These fragrant flowers are big, bold beauties with soft layers of frilly, fluffy petals that shoot up in late spring and last through early summer. But aside from their long-lasting seasonal growth, their lifespan is pretty remarkable. They can live for up to a century!
Bearded Iris
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With peak flowering in May, bearded irises grow ruffled petals in every type of hue, from pink and purple to black and bronze. Note that these spring-blooming perennials take about two years to fully mature. Once they’re established, they’ll need at least six hours of full sun per day every spring and division every three to five years to keep them healthy.
Columbine
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Clumps of Columbine arrive in late spring and stay through June or July. They’re hardy, shade-loving perennials with intricate bell-shaped blooms and star-shaped spurs in dazzling shades of blue, purple, red, pink, yellow, and white. They’ll also attract a wide range of wildlife!
Basket-of-Gold
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As you’d suspect, basket-of-golds grow in a golden-yellow hue that simply shines. The glistening petals are accompanied by fuzzy green foliage that reaches up to one foot tall. These perennials require full sun, and once they’re established, they can usually withstand droughts!
Get Your Yard Ready for Spring
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
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