Perennials for Zone 9-10

Blue Perennials

• Use blue buttons (Knautia arvensis) to brighten up your perennial borders and attract hummingbirds and butterflies in zones 9 and 10. Their lavender-blue flowers emerge in June and endure through August on plants as tall as 3 feet. Blue buttons smell like honey and the perennial does very well in alkaline soils, since it grows in such settings in grasslands and woodlands. Hawaiian Blue Eyes is a blue cultivar of evolvulus (Evolvulus glomeratus) for zones 9 and 10. It is between 9 and 18 inches tall and it blooms all summer long into the fall. Hawaiian Blue Eyes functions in hanging baskets or as ground cover.

White Perennials

• From Chile comes the tall cupflower (Nierembergia scoparia), a flowering perennial for zones 9 and 10. Mount Blanc is a 12-inch tall cultivar with white flowers, suitable for rock gardens, edges and borders. Mount Blanc has a lengthy blooming period, extending from May through fall. Add a splash of white to your water gardens or a small pond on your property with floating hearts (Nymphoides cristata), an Asian plant for zones 9 and 10. It resembles a smaller version of a water lily, with 3-inch-wide leaves and a white flower shaped like a star that blooms from May into September.

Red Perennials

• A scent resembling that of pineapple is a feature of the leaves of pineapple sage (Salvia elegans). This perennial is a late bloomer in zones 9 and 10, generating red flowers from August into October. It grows to 4 feet high and induces visits from both hummingbirds and various sorts of butterflies with its red blooms. Blooming during summer into autumn, Arizona Red Shades is a cultivar of Gaillardia aristat, commonly known as blanket flower. It grows to 12 inches tall and this perennial requires a full sun site. If grown in the shade, it often flops over. The red flowers work well on a patio in zones 9 and 10.

Yellow Perennials

• The gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) is a form of the black-eyed Susan. It is a yellow flowering perennial. As such, they do not live for a long period, but they do bloom during their first year. The gloriosa daisy is up to 36 inches tall on a thick stem, supporting a 6-inch-wide flower with yellow petals around a brown center. Aquilegia "Swallowtail" is a type of columbine for zones 9 and 10 that produces a dazzling yellow bloom. 4-inch-long trailing spurs hang down from the yellow blossom, which opens in May and June. Tolerance of shade allows its planting in shade gardens; this perennial grows to 36 inches.