Clivia Picture courtesy www.newplant.co.zaDid you know that the word perennial comes from a Latin word, meaning ‘enduring’ or ‘perpetual?' Perennials appear year after year, flowering during their specific seasons; no wonder our grandmothers filled their gardens with them! Some are evergreen, and others are herbaceous perennials; which means that they will die down to the ground at the end of their growing season, and then re-grow from the same roots the following year. Unlike annual plants, which must be re-planted each spring, perennials are left in the soil, saving the gardener both time and money.
I hope the list below inspires you to include more perennials in your garden.
Gazania (Gazania)
Gazania flowers come in a stunning variety of warm bright colours, or lovely pastel shades. They love full sun and will bloom almost throughout the year, peaking in spring and summer, but continuing into autumn. They will grow quickly to +-30cm tall and +-20cm wide.
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Blue Marguerite (Felicia)Loved for its intense sky-blue flowers with bright yellow centres; ‘Alba’ has pure white flowers and Felicia ‘Variegata’ has blue daisies and green and white variegated leaves. Flowers can appear almost all year round in warm climates, with a main flush in spring and early summer, and sporadic flowering thereafter. Plants will grow +-30 to 45cm tall and +-50cm wide and love full sun.
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Heartleaf Bergenia (Bergenia)Produces clusters of flowers in late winter and spring, ranging from deep purplish pink to pale pink and occasionally white. Grows in full sun to +-20cm tall but the flower stems can reach up to 50cm high. The plants can spread up to 75cm, forming expanding clumps.
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Angelface (Angelonia) These charming plants are grown for their orchid-like flowers in shades of lavender, purple, pink and white. Angelonia will flower all summer and autumn. They love full sun and will grow +-30 to 40cm tall 20 to 30cm wide.
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Bloody Crane’s-bill (Geranium sanguineum) Flowers profusely in spring, and sporadically through summer and into autumn. Several cultivars have been bred, with flower colours including purple, white, and pale pink. It grows +-25 to 30cm tall with a 30 to 40cm spread, and takes full sun or light-shade.
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Trailing Daisy (Dimorphotheca) Modern hybrids are available in wine red, white, pink, yellow and terracotta. The main flowering season is in late winter to spring and again in early autumn, but some flowers can be found on the plants throughout the year. It grows in full sun to +-30cm tall and 50cm wide.
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Plantain Lily (Hosta) Grown for their striking leaves; in plain green, or variegations of grey-green, yellow and cream. In summer, lily-like flowers are producedheld on slender stalks; ranging from blue to lilac and violet, or green to white. Cultivars vary greatly in growth habit, with some reaching no more than 15cm tall and others up to 90cm. They grow beautifully in part shade to full shade.
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Stokes’ Aster (Stokesia) Stoke’s aster is loved for its large double, lilac, purple, blue, rose or white flowers; from summer to autumn. It flowers best in full sun and grows +-40 to 60cm tall, and can spread as wide, forming a low mound of leathery green leaves.
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Golden Rod (Solidago)This plant grows in clumps and produces panicles of golden yellow flowers in late summer and autumn. It grows quickly to +-40cm tall and 30cm wide and loves full sun.
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Spider Wort (Tradescantia) Produces blue, purple, white or rose flower clusters throughout spring and summer. It will grow to +-40cm tall and 40cm wide and can be planted in full sun.
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Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla) Popular around the world for its ornamental value and ease of growth. Its soft, velvety grey-green leaves and its huge spreading heads of tiny, star-like yellow flowers make the Lady's Mantle a fascinating garden plant. It grows best in semi-shade to +-35 to 45cm tall and can spread as wide.
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Cone Flower (Echinacea)Grown for its showy flowers in summer and autumn, the Cone flower thrives in full sun and will spread quickly to form clumps +-50cm tall and +-60cm wide.
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Perennial Phlox (Phlox paniculata) Phlox is easy to grow and flowers in summer and into autumn. The flowers come in shades of purple, scarlet, pink, mauve, salmon, and clear white. Phlox love full sun and grow +-50 to 80cm tall and +-50 to 80cm wide.
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Penstemon (Penstemon hybrids)These popular garden plants will flower from late spring to autumn, and are available in shades of pink, red, purple, lavender and white. They vary in height from +-30 to 80cm tall and require full sun.
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Lenten Roses (Helleborus) There are many species of Hellebores with flower stems varying in height from a few millimetres to 1m. Their nodding flowers appear in late winter and spring and vary in shape and size, from star shaped, round or anemone-centred. They grow best in dappled shade and are available in many shades of pink, plum, purple, yellow, grey, green cream and pure white.
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Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum)Many Marguerite hybrids are available, varying in size from dwarf compact varieties +-35cm tall, to larger varieties +-75 to 90cm tall. Hybrids produce single, semi-double or double flowers, in many shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, and pure white. They require full sun to flower really well.
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Large Spurflower (Plectranthus)Bears long flower spikes from late summer to May, peaking in April. The flowers are commonly a bluish-purple, but pink and white forms are available. It will grow in semi-shade to part sun, to +-1 to 2m tall, and can spread as wide.
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Day Lily (Hemerocallis)These easy-to-grow plants are available in an outstanding array of colour combinations and flower continuously all summer. The hybrids vary in height, but average +-80cm, with a spread of +-60cm. They love full sun.
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Coral Bells (Heuchera)Coral bells is grown for its attractive green leaves and its pink, red or white flower spikes, in summer. It will grow quickly to +-60cm tall and 40cm wide, and needs full sun.
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Angel Wings (Gaura)Grown for their delicately shaped flowers on long stems, in spring, summer and autumn. Gaura is available in shades of pink, lilac and white. They will grow in full sun or light shade to +-40cm tall and 30cm wide.
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The Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) This unique Gaillardia has astonishing red and yellow-orange flowers, packed with mini-trumpet petals. It grows happily in full sun to +-40cm tall and 30cm wide.
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Balloon Flower (Platycodon) Flowers in shades of blue, purple, white or pink, from mid-summer into autumn. Grows in full sun to +-35 to 60cm tall There are many cultivars, from compact to tall varieties.
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Michaelmas Daisy (Aster)These plants flower from late summer and into autumn. There are single and double varieties available in shades of purple, violet, blue, pink, reddish-pink and pure white. They will grow in full sun or semi-shade and the varieties vary slightly in height but will grow +-30cm tall and 30cm wide.
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Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum)Grown for their brilliant white daisy-like flowers, which bloom all summer. The flowers vary greatly in size, from tiny singles to huge doubles. They love full sun and the plants form dense clumps +-30 to 60cm tall and 30 to 60cm wide.
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Inca Lily (Alstroemaria)Inca lilies bloom all summer and autumn, producing large clusters of azalea-like flowers in bright orange, yellow and golden yellow, various shades of pink, as well as lilac, rose, white, or red. They will grow +-1m high and 50cm wide and thrive in full sun. Lovely dwarf varieties are also available.
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Coneflower, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)Outstanding cultivars with daisy-like flowers in single, semi-double and double forms; in colours from lemon-yellow to gold, chestnut, mahogany, and bronze, and multi-coloured blooms. Most species bloom from midsummer through autumn. The flowering stems can reach +-90cm to 1m tall and the plants require at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
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Obedient Plant (Physostegia) In summer to late autumn it produces flowers in lovely pastel shades of rose-lilac, lavender, pink or white on tall upright stems. It will grow in full sun or semi-shade to +-1m tall and will spread +-50cm.
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Wild Irises (Dietes) Blooms can appear anytime in spring and summer. D. grandiflora has white blooms marked with yellow and violet, and D.'Bicolor' has light yellow blooms with three dark purple spots. Dietes will grow +-1m tall and can spread up to 1.5m, and will grow in full sun or semi-shade.
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Agapanthus (Agapanthus) Virtually all the Agapanthus that we grow in our gardens, are cultivars or hybrids of Agapanthus praecox. These plants are prized for their large balls of blue or white umbrella-like flowers from mid to late summer. They love full sun but will take light shade. Agapanthus is available in various heights, from tiny miniatures to giant varieties.
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Arum Lily (Zantedeschia) Arums are grown for their pure white flower spathes and their lush green leaves. They flower in mid winter and spring in the winter rainfall regions; and in mid-summer in the summer rainfall regions. They can be grown in semi-shade to sun and vary in height from 60cm to 1m, with the flower stems reaching 1 to 1.5m.
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Ribbon Bush (Hypoestes)A small shrubby perennial plant will reward you with abundant spikes of purple flowers in the middle of winter when very little else is in bloom. It will grow in semi-shade or sun and has a rounded shape, +-1.5m high.
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Persian Shield (Strobilanthes) Has striking iridescent leaves in shades of plum, pink and silver and produces clusters of bell-shaped flowers in summer and autumn. It will grow +-1.5m tall and +-2.5m wide, and can be planted in semi-shade to sun.
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Columbine (Aquilegia)Columbines flower in late spring and summer and the flowers come in shades of pink, red, blue, violet, rose, and burgundy, white, yellow and orange. There are very compact, dwarf varieties available which grow +-13 to 20 cm tall, as well as larger varieties which vary from +-40 to 75cm tall. They will grow in semi-shade to sun.
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Bush Lily (Clivia)Clivia are well-loved plants which are grown for their large clusters of striking orange or yellow flowers in spring, followed by red berries. They will grow +-80cm to 1m tall and can spread up to 1m. They thrive in semi-shade.
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Wild Rhubarb (Acanthus) Acanthus is a very ornamental perennial which grows into a large clump. Its large dark green leaves are very attractive and its tall spires of ivory-white flowers are clasped by showy purple or slightly pink bracts. The flowers can appear in late spring and early summer, and again in late summer. The plant will grow +-1m tall, but the flower spikes can reach 1.5 to 2m tall or more. It thrives in semi-shade and is excellent to plant in dry shade.
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Chinese Peony (Paeonia) Peonies are sought after for their voluptuous scented flowers in spring and early summer. The flower colours range from deep to soft pink, red, white, creamy-white, coral and yellow. Peonies take three years to flower but are long lived and will flower for up to twenty years if cared for correctly. They are not always easy to obtain, but are certainly worth looking if your climate is suitable to grow them.
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