Perennials for the South

Yellow Perennials

• U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 8, stretching across much of the Deep South from Texas to the Carolinas, supports the growth of yarrow hybrids such as Moonshine and Gold Plate, which produce yellow flowers. Butterfly weed and columbine, known for their rich yellow textures, grow in the South, as do American basket flower, yellow wild indigo and many kinds of tickseeds from the Coreopsis genus. Yellow coneflower hybrids such as Big Sky Sunrise grow to 3 feet in this climate. Sneezeweeds and yellow daylily cultivars like the 9-inch-high Eenie Weenie develop yellow flowers. The latter blooms from May into July in sunny or partly shady sites.

Orange Perennials

• The tetraploid day lily grows into USDA plant hardiness zone 9, which includes southern regions such as central Florida, the Texas Gulf Coast and southern Louisiana. Tiger Time is one of its orange hybrid forms. Day lily cultivars like Double Doodah and Lady Georgia are orange as well. Tiki Torch is a coneflower featuring orange rays, growing to 3 feet high and blooming in mid-summer. Few perennials outshine the black-eyed Susan hybrid called Prairie Sun. It has orange rays with yellow tips and a green central disc. The flower is a fit for cottage gardens in the South.

Lavender Perennials

• Summer Breeze is a lavender blooming form of giant hyssop that grows throughout the entire South, in USDA zones 6 through 9. The plant possesses spikes of flowers from June through September. A different lavender perennial is the clustered bellflower, taking its name from the many flowers blooming together in June at the top of the plant. Dittany, pale purple coneflower, cranesbill and specific kinds of day lilies, including Lavender Stardust, are all suitable for southern climates and have lavender flowers. The rich lavender hues of English lavender hybrids such as Munstead and Sharon Roberts sometimes reoccur during a late fall blooming after first appearance of these flowers in early summer.

Blue Perennials

• In the South, you may fulfill any craving for blue flowers by planting perennials like bugleweed. Hybrid forms such as Dixie Chip grow to just 6 inches, making them appropriate for rock gardens and foundations. Blue star, blue bugloss and several sorts of columbine feature blue flowers. Bellflowers, blue false indigo and Ohio horsemint are other blue perennials for southern settings. Containers and hanging baskets are appropriate for a blue Brazilian native called evolvulus, which blooms from June into late fall.