First Federal Bank Blog

Perennials bloom year after year, bringing color to your garden every spring and summer. Native plants provide essential food and shelter for native wildlife and supporting biodiversity. And are easy to maintain once established, because they have adapted to your climate. Why not try some native perennials to spruce up your yard? Here are a few to consider if you live in Florida:

Bee Balm (Monarda)

Bee Balm plants are prized by gardeners for their vibrant, bright flowers. These herbaceous perennials grow beautifully in North America because they’re native to our continent. Another interesting fact is that they’re also considered to be a part of the mint family, so technically, they are also herbs.

The leaves of the Bee Balm plant are aromatic and have lots of medicinal and culinary uses. This versatile plant will produce clusters of tubular flowers that are purple, pink, or scarlet. They bloom in mid-summer and are long-blooming perennials for your garden. Expect these plants to grow up to three feet or taller.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

For a burst of traditional color, you can't go wrong with black-eyed Susans. These flowers are tall perennials that bloom from early summer into fall. The bright yellow flowers grow on top of stems that are between two and three feet tall.

Black-eyed Susans thrive in full sun and work perfectly at borders, in cottage gardens, or at the back of flower beds. You can grow rudbeckias in partial shade, but they thrive in full sun. Another benefit of these cheerful flowers is that they're drought-tolerant.

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)

These perennials grow as wildflowers in some areas of the United States. That's just how hardy they are. Blankets tolerate extremes of cold and heat, making a wonderful ground cover in large flower beds and even meadows.

An exceptionally long-blooming flower, the blanket flowers thrive in sunny landscapes and blooms from early summer through the last days of autumn. These flowers are great for pollinators and attract butterflies and bees alike.

Calamint (Calamintha)

The flowers range from very pale blue to white, and they will surely add liveliness to any garden. These blossoms bloom profusely and produce thousands of tiny buds. These flowers are the perfect size for attracting honeybees, and the blooms are fragrant. Calamint blooms from early summer through early fall…

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Coneflowers bloom profusely all summer long in most areas. Equally important, these gorgeous long-blooming perennial flowers are extremely cold-hardy. The plants are tall, growing up to four feet in height, and the cone-shaped flowers can be found in shades of red, pink, purple, yellow, and orange.

Since coneflowers are so tall, they're perfect for garden borders, flower beds, and as a background for other flowers in your garden. These perennial flowers love the sun and thrive best in well-draining soil.

Leather Flower (Clematis)

Every garden needs a beautiful climbing flowering plant, so why not give Clematis a place in your perennial garden? Year after year, Clematis will deliver gorgeous blooms in whatever color you like…

Clematis enjoys full sun and likes to climb, so be sure to plant it near a wall, trellis, or arbor. The delicately scented flowers bloom from late spring through fall. Small evergreen varieties are also available that can grow in containers or flower beds in clumps.

Tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata)

Tickseed (sometimes called false sunflower), grows to be only about 12 inches tall, makes an excellent border flower, and thrives in average soil and all-day sun. Once they're established, these flowers are drought-tolerant. Even better, there is no need to deadhead them to get them to bloom all the way from late spring to early fall.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is technically an herb that blooms from June through September on stems between two and three feet tall. Traditionally, yarrow has white flowers, but you can find cultivars in several colors, including yellow, pink, rust-brown, and red.

Gardeners love yarrow because it is a beautiful and low-maintenance flower. The plants need to be divided every three to five years, and if you deadhead them, the flowers will bloom for longer. Plant yarrow in full sun.

You can read about more perennials here.

It is important to research the USDA Hardiness Zone for each flower you want to plant, as well as the best soil and sun conditions, to determine if they would be a good match for your property. If not, there are plenty of other options. Stop by your local nursery and ask for assistance choosing the best native perennials for your garden.