Plant Once, Enjoy For Years – These Perennials Absolutely Love an April Start
These perennials will reward a spring planting with years of color and beauty...
Spring is in the air at long last, which means it's the perfect time to start planting perennials – aka those same comeback kids that keep our gardens looking their blooming best.
Yes, April is the month when the soil is workable, the weather is warming, and your garden is practically begging for life. For perennial lovers, this is prime planting season. Plant one now, and with a little care, you’ll be rewarded for years to come – vibrant flowers, lush foliage, and, if you choose wisely, pollinators buzzing at your fingertips.
The beauty of perennials? That they do the heavy lifting for you. Unlike annuals that need to be replanted every year, these plants return from their roots, often getting bigger, bolder, and more beautiful with each passing season. Start them in April, and they’ll have time to establish strong roots before summer’s heat.
Article continues belowEven better? Many of the best choices are native to the US, which means they’re tough, low-maintenance, and great for local wildlife. Win win!
The Best Perennials to Plant in April
Planting in April is the very best way to give your perennials a head start, whatever USDA Planting Zone you find yourself in. They don't have to deal with the intense sun of mid-summer, and, if they do get hit by a little frost, the majority of these plants are strong enough to handle themselves.
Essentially, now is the time to get your hands in the soil – so long as it isn't The Neverending Story-levels of soggy or frozen. So, what to plant?
1. Coneflowers
A prairie classic, coneflowers attract bees and butterflies and tolerate drought once established. They produce sturdy, long-lasting blooms that look stunning in borders or naturalised plantings.
I you'd like to grow from seed, you can get this lovely heirloom coneflower seed pack from Amazon. Otherwise, give the PowWow® Wild Berry Coneflower from Nature Hills a whirl.
2. Black-Eyed Susan
Cheerful, hardy, and long-blooming, black-eyed Susans provide summer color and make excellent cut flowers. They also self-seed in sunny spots, giving your garden an effortless touch of wild beauty.
Try the American Gold Rush Black - Eyed Susan from Nature Hills for something that's cold and heat tolerant throughout USDA growing zones 4 to 9.
3. Bee Balm
Vibrant red, pink, or purple flowers that hummingbirds and pollinators adore. Bee balm prefers a sunny spot with well-drained soil and can benefit from a little division every few years to keep it flourishing. If you want one that promises to make a splash,. go for the bold SUGAR BUZZ® Grape Gumball Bee Balm; it's a pop of low maintenance color that works across Zones 4-8.
4. Daylilies
Virtually indestructible, daylilies bloom in a rainbow of different hues (personally, we love the Purple de Oro Daylily for its continuous supply of cut flowers from May to October). Plant them in clusters for impact, and you’ll have reliable summer flowers with minimal maintenance.
5. Hostas
Hostas are, for shady areas in particularly, pretty much unbeatable. Their bold, textured foliage pairs beautifully with ferns or woodland flowers, and they’re perfect for creating low-maintenance shade gardens. Just be wary of slugs; they'll chomp right through them if you aren't careful.
If you're wondering, this Fire & Ice Hosta (available from Nature Hills) is one of the most popular varieties around.
6. Lavender
It may not be a US native, butlavender thrives in sunny, well-drained spots and attracts pollinators. It’s a fragrant, evergreen option that rewards you year after year, and we're big fans. Big. Huge! Pre-order yourself some Phenomenal® Lavender from Nature Hills, then, and sit back and wait for its fragrant flowers to appear in early summer in the Southern growing zones up to 9 and a little later in the Northern cold hardiness zones down to 5.
7. Salvia
Who's in the mood for spikes of purple, pink, or blue flowers that pollinators love? Everyone, obviously. Salvias are heat- and drought-tolerant and provide long-lasting color in the summer border.
Bag yourself a Perennial Farm Marketplace Salvia n. 'Rose Marvel' (Meadow Sage) and wait for the buzz to quite literally start when butterflies and bees realise what an absolute gem you've gifted them.
And Three More Plant-And-Forget Options:
More than just a pretty face, this enduring perennial combines generous purple blooms with exquisite shimmering foliage edged with elegant markings.
These spring darlings wake up early and provide visual spectacle in April, then lose their hearts and quietly slope back into hiding, just in time for other dynamic perennial bloomers to awake.
For plumes that arrest the eye with showy neon pinky purples, this captivating member of the 'Visions' Series creates epic tones in quiet spots.
Listen, if you go away remembering one thing from this article, make it this: April is a gardener’s gift – a chance to set the stage for months of color, texture, and wildlife activity.
As such, planting perennials now is an investment that will reward you for years. Whether you opt for sun-loving coneflowers, shade-loving hostas, or pollinator-friendly bee balm, these plants prove that a little planning and a few hands in the soil can deliver beauty, resilience, and joy year after year.
Plant once, care a little, and watch your garden flourish? Hey,. it’s a simple formula, but one that never fails... and that's the kind of math we can get behind.
