Flowers That Grow Well in the Southeastern U.S.

Yellow Giant Hyssop

• Yellow giant hyssop (Agastache nepetoides) may grow to 8 feet, and this herbaceous flowering perennial of the southeast grows rapidly. Yellow giant hyssop belongs to the mint family, but this particular mint does not have that trademark strong minty fragrance. The leaves, shaped like arrows, develop to 5 inches and the flowers will be in terminal clusters up to 5 inches long. The green-yellow blossoms pack into spikes at the end of the sturdy stems. Yellow giant hyssop grows in the wild in fertile woodlands and in thickets. The plant will grow in shade or sun, with its common landscaping uses being as part of wildflower and butterfly gardens.

Violet Wood Sorrel

• The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center describes violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea) as "delicate." Growing native throughout all of the southeastern states, violet wood sorrel inhabits fields, rocky forested regions and glades where acidic soil is present. Violet wood sorrel grows to 9 inches, allowing its use in rock gardens and as a border species. Violet wood sorrel develops from a bulb, which you can plant in autumn and expect good results. The flowers bloom in May, with the pink-lavender flower sometimes making an encore appearance in cool fall weather after the plant has lost its leaves, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The foliage resembles that of the clover and it is edible. Use it as salad greens.

Spring Beauty

• Growing native to such southeastern locations as Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, the spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) is a harbinger of the end of winter. The flowers bloom in April, with the white to pinkish flowers developing in groups at the tops of the stems. Spring beauties are fleeting, with the entire plant going dormant by the end of the spring months; the leaves fall off and like a similar species, the crocus, the plant dies back to the ground. Spring beauties handle sun and shade equally well. The plant is a good fit for venues such as rock gardens and woodland gardens. Spring beauties stay low to the ground, seldom exceeding 9 or 10 inches in height.