8 Fastest Growing Perennials to Fill Gaps and Bare Patches in Your Garden – It's the Easiest Way to Add Color

Bare patches in a perennial border can feel like unfinished chapters in your garden's story. Thankfully, the fastest growing perennials is an easy solution to the problem – and it comes with the added bonus of making life better for the (literal) birds and bees, too.

Yes, if you’re tired of seeing bare soil before your established favorites take off, choosing fast‑growing perennials is one of the most gratifying ways to knit your garden together. Particularly if, as pollinator populations fluctuate, you choose those plants that fill space and feed bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

Perennials that grow quickly not only provide color and texture sooner, they suppress weeds, improve soil stability, and help create a sense of fullness that makes a garden feel intentional.

When rooted well, these plants establish dense foliage or abundant blooms year after year, which ultimately reduces the need for replanting or frequent maintenance. All good stuff, as we're sure you'll agree.

The Fastest Growing Perennials to Fill Up Gaps and Bare Patches

If you're hoping to fill gaps and unsightly bare patches quickly, then look to native garden plants first. Uniquely adapted to their local regions, they’re often tougher, easier to grow, and more attractive to native pollinators than ornamental imports – and they make for some of the fastest growing perennials, too.

Choosing natives keeps your outdoor space vibrant and full of life, often with minimal fuss once they’re settled. Honestly, with so many great options available at nurseries and native plant sales, there’s no reason to let bare patches stick around.

To help you along your merry way, here are seven fast‑growing, pollinator‑friendly native perennials that can help you fill bare patches and create a lush, buzzing garden that feels complete quickly. Don't say we never treat you...

1. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

If you want something that fills space quickly and brings your garden to life with pollinators, bee balm is hard to beat. This native perennial forms generous clumps that bulk out borders in a season or two, making it ideal for plugging gaps fast.

Its bold, shaggy blooms are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, while its vigorous growth means it won’t leave you waiting long for impact (ideal for those who lack patience, no matter how virtuous it may be).

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Bee balm thrives in sunny spots with reasonably moist soil and will happily naturalize if left to its own devices. just be sure to provide good air circulation to prevent disease.

2. Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)

Perhaps best known as the host plant for monarch butterflies, milkweed also produces nectar‑rich flowers that attract a wide range of pollinators. Many butterfly species, bees, and beneficial wasps also visit milkweed blooms through the summer, for example.

Helpful and stunning, milkweed grow up quickly from plugs or plants, providing an upright presence that fills vertical space in a mixed border. Ideal for those who are buzzing to get their garden ready.

Try the Cinderella Swamp Milkweed from Proven Winners if you want fragrant rose-pink blooms and butterflies in abundance.

3. Coreopsis (Tickseed)

A classic prairie native, coreopsis produces bright golden daisy‑like flowers that attract bees and butterflies and bloom abundantly throughout the season. It self‑seeds readily, helping to thicken planting areas over time, and grows quickly in full sun and well‑drained soil, making them downright perfect for filling in sunny gaps in beds and borders.

We're big fans of the bold Li'L Bang™ Red Elf Coreopsis from Nature Hills, but be sure to choose the one that speaks to you and your tastes!

4. Lucerne Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

Don’t let the name fool you! This isn’t a grass at all, but a charming, fast-clumping native perennial that’s perfect for filling smaller gaps and weaving through borders. Lucerne blue-eyed grass produces delicate, star-shaped blue flowers with sunny yellow centres, creating a soft, naturalistic look that works beautifully in cottage-style or prairie-inspired planting.

Pollinators, especially small native bees, are drawn to this one's blooms, and once established, it’s wonderfully low-maintenance. Just plant it in full sun to partial shade, and it will quietly bulk out bare patches.

5. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

A favorite in native plant gardens, the perennially perfect (see what we did there?) purple coneflower is hardy, long‑blooming, and excellent at attracting pollinators of all kinds. Once established, it produces abundant blooms that can help cover bare patches and build volume in perennial borders. It also tends to self‑seed gently, filling in surrounding space over time.

Go big, go bold with the Magnus Purple Coneflower from Nature Hills; it's an award-winner for a reason.

6. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow’s feathery foliage and clusters of flat flower heads offer a different texture that fills mid‑garden gaps beautifully, not least of all because it's one of the fastest growing perennials around.

Tolerant of heat and drought, yarrow spreads to make clumps that help unify your planting scheme. Bees and other beneficial insects are frequent visitors to its blooms, and its long season means you’ll enjoy colour and activity from summer into fall. If you like the color pop of the variety above, opt for something like the Strawberry Seduction™ Yarrow from Nature Hills.

One word of warning: caution should be taken when growing yarrow, as in the right conditions, it can become invasive and will then be in need of control.

7. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

Heralded as a birth month plant by some, and as a weed by others (it isn’t!), native goldenrod is actually a nectar powerhouse for late‑season pollinators and a fast grower in sunny spots. It produces tall, plume‑like sprays of yellow flowers that quickly fill vertical gaps and add late‑season colour and life to your planting scheme.

We recommend you plant the Fireworks Goldenrod for some perennially reliable end-of-season color in your bare borders, then. You won't regret it.

8. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

If you’ve got low, bare patches that need covering fast, creeping phlox is a brilliant go-to. This native perennial forms a dense, spreading mat of evergreen foliage that quickly knits together empty spaces, especially along borders, slopes, or pathways.

In spring, it bursts into a carpet of color (think soft pinks, purples, blues, and whites) that not only looks stunning but also attracts early pollinators like bees and butterflies. And, on top of all that, once established, it’s drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, making it a reliable choice for gardeners who want maximum impact with minimal effort.

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Trust us: filling bare spots with some of the fastest growing perennials does more than just improve the look of your garden; it creates a helpful habitat for wildlife, reduces room for weeds, and builds a sense of continuity from season to season.

By leaning into native, pollinator‑friendly plants like these, you’ll not only see your garden fill out sooner, you’ll help support crucial insect populations that keep ecosystems thriving. And you'll get to feel pretty smug about helping the planet, too.

Whichever you choose, just be sure to plant in groups or drifts for the biggest visual impact, take care to mulch to help retain moisture as your speedy perennial plants get established, and, above all else, take the time to enjoy watching both your garden and its buzzing visitors flourish.

That is, after all, the best part about having a yard of one's own, right?