Have you ever gone into a home and garden store and walked up and down the aisles determined to find some plants to put in your yard? If so, then you know how many choices stare you in the face. Sure, there are the easy decisions to make like what colors you would like, how big you want them to be and what kind of leaves you'd like to feature. But what about the more difficult decisions: Which plants are best for the region I live in? Which plants would live best in the shade and which in the sun? And exactly what is the difference between perennials and annuals? What do those terms even mean?
It can be an incredibly daunting task, but one that can be made easier with the help of HowStuffWorks. By definition, a perennial is a plant that lives longer than two years. It blooms in the spring and summer, and then it dies again every fall and winter. Then again in the spring, the blooms come out to greet the warmth and sunshine. While perennials have to live longer than two years to qualify as one, some have been known to live as much as 3,000 years. Now you won't be around that long to see if your plant thrives, but there are some things you need to know to make sure your plant has the best life possible.
Visit HowStuffWorks to wade your way through all things perennial, from which plants are considered part of the family to how to care for them properly. We'll take the guess work out of your yard, so you can spend your time digging your cares away. So get those shovels and sprinklers ready as we take a trip through perennial paradise.
The encyclopedia of perennials helps you select and care for perennials. Learn all about your favorite perennials in the encyclopedia of perennials.
If you love gardening, you'll enjoy planting perennials for average soil. Many perennial flowers grow in average soil. In this article, we'll give you the list of average soil perennials, broken down by color. See more »
Hosta fortunei is just one of many different kinds of hostas. Pale violet flowers add a nice touch to the plant, making these wonderful accents for shade. Read more about this species, which has beautiful variegated leaves.
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Hosta 'Francee' is a quick-growing shade plant that has large heart-shaped leaves of green and cream-colored edges. Spikes of lavender trumpet-shaped flowers appear in summer, enhancing the show. Learn about this perennial.
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Hosta sieboldiana is not fond of the sun; however, in the shade it will produce wonderful blue-gray leaves and lilac flowers. Like other hostas, it is easy to care for and will continue to flourish year after year. Learn more about it.
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Hosta sieboldii has narrow leaves with irregular edges. Besides being a great garden plant, it carries decorative pods. It prefers shade over sun, is well-suited as ground cover and is also highly frost tolerant. Read more about it.
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Hosta tardiflora grows slowly, unlike most other hostas. It does gain in size over time but will not spread much. Its dark green leaves have a thick texture, and the large racemes of pale purple flowers appear in autumn. Learn about this hosta.
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Hosta ventricosa usually comes true from seed. It has heart-shaped leaves that may be solid or variegated. Like most hostas it grows relatively quickly and is easy to care for. Find out about this garden perennial.
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Hostas, or plantain lilies, give color and texture to perennial gardens from mid-spring until mid-fall. Lilylike flowers bloom from late spring to late summer. Learn how to grow and care for hostas.
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Houttuynia grows to about one foot high and produces small, white flowers that resemble begonia blossoms. Learn to grow this versatile perennial, in shallow water or well moistened soil, in sun or shade.
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Hyssop, anise hyssop, is a herblike perennial with spikes of brightly colored flowers that bloom in later summer to early fall. Read about this showy plant and find out which animals it attracts.
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Inula is a clump-forming plant with thin, narrow leaves growing to 16 inches. It's bright yellow daisies bloom in early August. Learn about growing inulas in the front or on the border of your garden.
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The diverse iris genus contains more than 200 distinct species and countless cultivars. You can find iris bulbs in the flower garden in a rainbow of colors. Learn more about the colorful iris.
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Italian bugloss, a member of the forget-me-not family, is an easy to grow brilliant true blue blooming plant. Learn to use this perennial flower bunched in large clumps or in a border.
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Japanese primrose has a lovely leaves in the shape of hearts that frame pink or purple flowers 2 inches in width. Even plants in dormancy can bloom indoors during the off-season. Learn more about ideal propagation conditions of Japanese primrose.
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Jupiter's beard, or red valerian, is a cheerful and blowzy plant. It is not fussy and it has a long flowering period, starting in spring. Learn about this old perennial and find out how to grow it.
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Knapweeds are bright and cheerful stout-stemmed plants that bear thistlelike flowers blooming from June to August. Learn to make knapweeds a great border or a featured element of your garden.
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Knotweed, also called Himalaya fleece flower, has dark green, tapered leaves on creeping stems with tiny bright rose flowers. Learn to use this excellent ground cover as an edging plant for the bed or border.
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Lady's mantles are perennials grown for their foliage and their unusual chartreuse flowers that are nice in bouquets. The easy to grow plants have lobed leaves of silvery gray-green. Learn about lady's mantles.
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Ladybells have enormously beautiful blue flowers. It requires little maintenance; it self-seeds, and may persist for years. Read about this heat-tolerant flower and how to care for this easy-to-care-for flower.
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Lamb's-ears, also known as lamb's-tongue, have gray-white, woolly leaves that feel exactly like a lamb's skin. Learn more about growing this full sun annual as a border or in your rock garden.
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Lavender is a perennial aromatic herb that tends to be shrubby. Flower spikes are clusters of deep purple or lavender flowers. Most are familiar with lavender bath oil, made from this flower. Learn about lavender.
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