Sun Perennials
Sun perennials are terrific when you want a garden that will last and thrive over the seasons.
The trick to growing a good perennial garden is to choose plants that will work well together.
The first measure is always light. Sun perennials need to grow with other sun perennials, because shade perennials are actually designed to perform in the dappled shade of a tree.
Below is an assortment of perennials that do well in the bright, hot sun. You might find that your yard has no trees or cover, or a spot out by the curbside gets solid sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. The mid-day sun is the hottest, and these perennials will flourish under the heat:
Salvias
‘May Night’ is an excellent choice for its strong, vertical stands of purple. As ‘May Night’ matures, it sends up bushier and denser blooms that look striking en masse. Even better, Salvia ‘May Night’ will produce heavy amounts of reliable nectar, making it an excellent feeding station for butterflies and hummingbirds in the spring and early summer. Another good choice is ‘Caradonna’—it’s more slender, more reddish-purple and has beautiful dark-purple stems.
Coreopsis
‘Early Sunshine’ is a Big Flower coreopsis, excellent in hot, dry places like around a mailbox or by a fence along a road. The flowers come up on tall stems and bloom in waves throughout the summer. Another good choice is ‘Moonbeam’—it has small but countless flowers over very finely textured leaves.
Tradescantia
‘Sweet Kate’ turns almost—not quite—golden under bright hot sun with deep purple flowers. Use ‘Sweet Kate’ where water is a problem—it prefers moist, boggy soils. This variety also does surprisingly well in rain catchment areas around downspouts or near water run-offs. Tradescantias have big, ground-gripping roots that hold onto soil so they don't wash away; several clumps will stand up and slow down water running by them. Another good choice is ‘Concord Grape’—it stays green in the sun and has more pink in its flowers.
Hemerocallis
‘Stella de Oro’ is a best-selling daylily known for its very tough habit. This is a landscaper’s favorite because it settles in almost any soil, gets so thick and bushy that weeds don’t grow in it, and produces beautiful golden daylilies in the middle of the summer. If you plant once and never return to the spot, this is the variety for you.
Carex
‘Evergold’ is a short, graceful grass with extremely polite garden manners. First, it stays put; it doesn't run or try to take over the garden bed. Second, it is short and cute. ‘Evergold’ features green and cream stripes running the length of the leaf blade. This grass makes an interesting accent inside the garden bed.
Stachys
‘Pink Cotton Candy’ has the fluffiest flower we've seen on a perennial—very close to that pink-stuff-on-a-stick look. Close-up, ‘Pink Cotton Candy’ is made up of florets that resemble hyacinths, but bigger and on much taller stems. This is a showpiece plant that looks best in a stand.
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