Best perennials
By: Garden Gate staff
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Buy the best perennial
Looking over the rows and rows of perennials at the garden center, it’s hard to know which ones deserve your hard-earned cash or precious time — don’t spend another second on plants that don’t perform! The perennials ahead are recommendations from the research gardens at University of Georgia, where plants are tested for a minimum of three years before they get a rating based on criteria like number of flowers, leaf color and resistance to insects and disease.
Keep clicking for three of the best-blooming, most reliable perennials to invest in the next time you’re at the garden center!
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Summerific ‘Cranberry Crush’ hardy hibiscus Hibiscus moscheutos
No more gangly hibiscus here! Summerific™ ‘Cranberry Crush’ hibiscus has big cranberry-red blooms on a compact habit. And since the flowers are produced all along the stem instead of just at the tips, there are plenty of them to draw hummingbirds.
Blooms Deep red in midsummer and early fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 3 to 4 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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‘Georgia Peach’ coral bells Heuchera hybrid
If you’re looking for a coral bells that’s not green or burgundy, ‘Georgia Peach’ has must-have pinky peach foliage. This one’s also more vigorous than other similarly colored coral bells, too. Its creamy white flowers appear later than some other coral bells, and hummingbirds like them a lot.
Blooms Creamy white in early summer
Light Full to part shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 12 to 16 in. tall (30 in. in flower), 18 to 24 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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‘Green Jewel’ coneflower Echinacea hybrid
Vigorous ‘Green Jewel’ has eye-catching blooms 4 to 5 inches across with a mild, sweet fragrance. Sturdy stems don’t need staking, and they’re long enough that you can cut some for your vase, too. Leave a few seedheads on the plant — they stand up well during winter and make a great snack for finches or other hungry birds.
Blooms Green summer to frost
Light Full sun
Soil Well-drained
Size 18 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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