Did you know that 94% of plant species are perennials, living for more than two years and gracing us with their presence season after season?1 This means the options for adding height and interest to your garden are practically endless.
Add some vertical drama to your garden with tall perennials that can bring height, structure, and year-after-year beauty to your outdoor space.
1. Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)
These enchanting biennials grace the garden with tall spires of tubular flowers in shades of purple, pink, white, and yellow. Their unique form adds a touch of whimsy and drama to any border.
Foxgloves are perfect for cottage gardens or woodland settings, attracting pollinators like hummingbirds and bees.
2. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian is a delicate beauty with tall, airy clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers. Its graceful form and sweet scent make it a favorite for pollinators and a lovely addition to mixed borders.
It also boasts medicinal properties and is known for its calming effects.
3. Monkshood (Aconitum spp.)
With its distinctive hooded flowers in shades of blue, purple, or white, monkshood adds an air of mystery and intrigue to the garden.
Its tall spires create a striking vertical accent, and its late-season blooms provide nectar for pollinators when many other flowers have faded. However, it’s important to note that monkshood is highly toxic and should be handled with care.
4. Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Elecampane, also known as Elfdock, is a statuesque plant with large, yellow, daisy-like flowers atop sturdy stems. Its impressive height and bold blooms make it a standout in any border.
It has a long history of medicinal use and is known for its respiratory benefits.
5. Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
Sneezeweed brings a burst of sunshine to the late summer garden with its masses of yellow, orange, or red flowers. Its tall, branching stems create a vibrant display and attract butterflies and other pollinators.
The name “sneezeweed” comes from its historical use in making snuff, not because it causes sneezing.
6. Meadow Rue (Thalictrum spp.)
Meadow Rue is a graceful plant with delicate, feathery foliage and airy clouds of tiny flowers in shades of lavender, pink, or white. Its ethereal beauty and unique texture add a touch of elegance to the garden.
This tall perennial thrives in partial shade and moist soil.
7. Desert Candles or Foxtail Lily (Eremurus spp.)
Desert Candles, also known as Foxtail Lilies, are showstoppers with their towering spires of brightly colored flowers in shades of orange, yellow, or white. Their exotic appearance and impressive height make them a focal point in any landscape.
These plants are native to arid regions and thrive in full sun and well-draining soil.
8. Chimney Bellflower (Campanula pyramidalis)
This architectural wonder boasts tall, pyramidal spikes of bell-shaped flowers in shades of blue, purple, or white. Its bold presence and long bloom time make it a favorite for cottage gardens and borders.
9. Globe Thistle (Echinops bannaticus)
The Globe Thistle is a striking plant with large, spherical flower heads that resemble globes covered in spines. Its unique form and metallic blue color add a touch of drama to any landscape.
Globe Thistles are drought-tolerant and thrive in full sun.
10. Bugbane (Actaea simplex)
Bugbane is a stunning plant with tall, dark stems topped with clusters of white flowers. Its bold foliage and late-season blooms make it a valuable addition to shade gardens.
This plant is also known as Baneberry, but it’s important to note that its berries are poisonous.
11. Plume Poppy (Macleaya cordata)
Plume Poppy is a statuesque plant with large, feathery leaves and tall spikes of pink or white flowers. Its bold form and long bloom time make it a standout in any border.
It is native to China and Japan and thrives in full sun and well-draining soil.
12. Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
Hollyhocks are classic cottage garden flowers with tall, stately stems topped with large, single or double flowers in a variety of colors. Their impressive height and long bloom time make them a favorite for borders and backdrops.
They are easy to grow and thrive in full sun and well-draining soil.
13. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Big Bluestem is a native North American grass that adds a touch of the prairie to any landscape. Its tall, swaying stems and feathery plumes turn golden brown in fall, creating a beautiful display.
It is a valuable plant for pollinators and provides winter interest in the garden.
14. Torch Aloe (Aloe arborescens)
Torch Aloe is a succulent plant with tall, branching stems topped with clusters of orange or red flowers. Its unique form and vibrant blooms make it a standout in any garden.
Torch Aloe is drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun.
15. Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)
Culver’s Root is a versatile plant with tall, slender spikes of lavender or white flowers. Its graceful form and long bloom time make it a valuable addition to borders and mixed plantings. These plants are native to North America and thrives in full sun and well-draining soil.
These tall perennial flowers are sure to add vertical interest and height to your garden, creating a stunning and dynamic display.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.