Top 10 Spring Blooming Perennials

When we think about color in the garden early in the year it is usually bulbs that spring to mind. We anticipate the emergence of the first crocus followed by daffodils and tulips, but there are also some perennial flowers that bloom in spring and they are the subject of this post. This article by Jessica Walliser which I found on the Savvy Gardening website describes her ten favorites.

Come summertime, there?s no shortage of perennials to pump up the color in your garden. But what about the early spring? You may be surprised to discover that there are plenty of early blooming perennials to fill your garden with color.

Here are 10 of our favorite early blooming perennials:

1. Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea): The sunny yellow flower in the feature photo of this post is a Golden Alexander. This tough, North American native requires only lean soil and full to partial sun. With blooms much like a yellow Queen Anne?s lace and parsley-like foliage, Golden Alexanders are in full bloom by the end of April in my Pennsylvania garden. They readily self-sow and reach about two feet in height when in flower.
2. Wood Phlox (Phlox divaricata): This charming, North American native phlox is a real stand-out in the spring garden. Reaching ten to twelve inches in height and bearing periwinkle blue flowers in late April, this is a must-have woodland perennial. While the flowers only last about two weeks, they look great combined with bleeding hearts and lungworts.

Wood Phlox

Wood Phlox

3. Leopard?s Bane (Doronicum orientale): The first daisy-like flower to appear in my garden every spring, Leopard?s Bane thrives in full sun to partial shade. Its dense clump of rich green leaves fill the garden until late summer, when it goes dormant until the following spring. I love it with forget-me-nots and a sweet little groundcover called Lamium.

Leopard's Bane

Leopard?s Bane

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