17 Bulletproof Perennials That Are Almost Impossible to Kill

Perennial plants are species that live for many years, often dying back in winter but returning in full force each spring. They’re ideal for low-maintenance gardeners who want to fill a spot semi-permanently with trustworthy, no-stress plants that always bounce back.

Experimenting each year with annual ornamentals and vegetables is fun, but sometimes you’re just looking for reliable perennials that aren’t so needy. Perhaps you want dependable flowers without any fuss, or you desire shade-loving species that add color to the dim corners of your yard.

Mint

	botanical name Mentha spicata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-2’
	hardiness zones 4

Anyone who has ever dared to plant mint outside of a container knows that it’s truly a bulletproof perennial. Mint comes back with a vengeance year after year, and it’s a challenge to remove it completely, especially where it is an invasive species. It spreads underground via rhizomes, in addition to spreading through seed.

Mint’s needs are flexible. It grows best with lots of sunlight, but it stays strong in partial shade. It prefers consistent watering, but it’ll keep growing in both dry and wet soil. In most situations of neglect, mint will just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Hosta

	botanical name Hosta spp.
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Gardeners rely on the many varieties of Hosta to be the tried-and-true, shade-loving perennials that you can pop in any shady corner of the garden. With literally thousands of registered varieties to choose from, you are certain to find one you like.

Once planted, these herbaceous plants will keep coming back with minimal care. They will die down when temperatures get below freezing in the winter, but rest assured, they’ll be back in spring. Plus, hosts send out beautiful flower clusters each summer.

When planting hostas, prepare slightly acidic soil that retains some moisture but is still well-draining. These plants don’t like to sit in wet soil. They will spread underground through rhizomes, filling any open garden space you have with even more shade-tolerant foliage.

Coneflower

	botanical name Echinacea purpurea
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Coneflowers are bulletproof native perennials endemic to much of the central and eastern United States, often bordering homes and bringing an array of attractive pollinators with them. These popular flowering plants adapt to many soil types, and anyone can successfully grow them.

You can plant coneflowers in full sunlight or in partial shade. They will put up with most stressors, including high humidity, intense heat, salt, and even deer. Once established, they’re not going anywhere. They will even reseed themselves and spread with a little help from the bees.

Though ‘Purple Coneflower’ may be the most recognized, you can choose from a long list of coneflower cultivars. Pink, red, white, orange, and yellow are among the potential flower colors. You will also find coneflower plants in multiple sizes, including dwarf varieties.

Daffodil

	botanical name Narcissus spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6”-3’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Daffodils are a sure sign of spring, popping up just as the snow begins to melt. Usually, you’ll spot daffodils in front of homes and mailboxes, but sometimes you’ll find a row of these flowering bulbs in the middle of the woods or off the side of the road.

Why are daffodils thriving in such odd locations? It’s likely that there was once a house or a barn there. Someone planted them, and the daffodils keep coming back with zero care or maintenance. That’s how resilient these plants are.

The best time to plant new daffodil bulbs is in the fall. Choose from an enormous list of daffodil cultivars, prepare some well-draining soil, choose a sunny spot, plant your bulbs, and wait. The bulbs will reward you in a few months. Once they’ve flowered, you can prune daffodils if you wish, though it’s completely optional.

Russian Sage

	botanical name Salvia yangii
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Russian sage is a perennial shrub that gets up to four feet tall, with sprigs of lavender-like purple flowers that grow from a woody base. Like many other species in the genus Salvia, this plant is known for its hardiness in mild zones.

To ensure that your Russian sage will last for many years, plant it in full sun and in well-draining soil. Lack of sun will stunt its growth, and this plant doesn’t like to have wet feet. Once it’s established in your garden, expect Russian sage to be a flowering staple.

Consider ‘Violet Queen,’ a hybrid that blooms all summer in a slightly wider range of hardiness zones.

Sedum

	botanical name Sedum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”-2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Sedum is a large genus of succulents, often called stonecrop, that have a few features in common. They need well-draining soil, they appreciate sunlight, and—if those conditions are present—they’ll live seemingly forever.

Don’t plant these succulents in regular old soil. They need extremely well-draining soil, or else they will rot. This makes them ideal for xeriscape landscaping and for rocky areas. Sometimes, you can even stick them in the crevices of rocky slopes.

Naturally drought-resistant, there’s really no need for you to water a sedum. Just let them do their thing.

Lily of the Valley

	botanical name Convallaria majalis
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 6”-10”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Lily of the valley is the perfect shade-loving, herbaceous perennial for growers who already have enough Hosta in their garden. These flowering plants are small but mighty, offering knockout flowers in a tiny package.

This rhizomatous species spreads underground, so you’ll have lily of the valley filling up your shady spots in no time. This is one reason this plant is classed as invasive in parts of North America. Each plant will be about a foot tall, and in spring, they’ll reveal lovely, dainty flowers that are super fragrant.

These plants are commonly planted under trees and in shady borders, where they’ll keep coming back with little to no care.

Catmint

	botanical name Nepeta spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 3-8

The Nepeta genus is home to multiple species known as catmint or catnip. These plants are in the mint family, so just like mint, they’re super hardy. Gardeners in anywhere from zone 3 to 8 can plant catmint and expect it to return each spring.

Catmint needs full sun and well-draining soil, but once it gets established, this perennial won’t need your help. It will grow and spread happily, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. 

Nepeta also repels aphids and squash bugs, making it an excellent companion plant. Grow catmint near your edible gardens and raised beds to help minimize unwanted pests.

Orange daylily

	botanical name Hemerocallis fulva
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3’-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Orange daylilies are perennial bulbs that grow in a variety of conditions, making them pretty bulletproof to harsh weather and poor soil. They can handle full or partial sunlight and poor-quality soil as long as it’s well-draining.

They’re so easy to grow that you’ll often find them on the side of the road and growing in ditches with zero care. In fact, one of the other most common names for this species is ditch lily. 

If orange daylilies can survive in all the caring conditions of a roadside ditch, then they’re certain to be reliable perennials around your yard. Their large, orange flowers will bloom each summer, and the foliage will otherwise prevent weed growth.

Butterfly Weed

	botanical name Asclepias tuberosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-2’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Butterfly weed has a very self-explanatory name. It attracts butterflies, and it grows like a weed. This sun-loving perennial thrives in most well-draining soils, including poor-quality soil. As long as it gets plenty of sun, butterfly weed will probably grow.

These plants are a food source for the Monarch butterfly, a threatened species whose conservation status is in flux. You can help Monarch butterflies in their migratory patterns by planting butterfly weed in states where it’s native, including most of the United States.

Hummingbirds, bees, and moths also love butterfly weed. Do your local ecosystem a favor, and consider planting ‘Butterfly Flower.’

Tickseed

	botanical name Coreopsis spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1’-4’
	hardiness zones 4-10

There are multiple species of tickseed to choose from, and most of them have cheery yellow flowers. Tickseed is a member of the family Asteraceae, just like many of the flowering weeds you’ll discover on the outskirts of your yard.

And like those weeds, tickseed is pretty hardy. This North American native perennial prefers full sun but will still grow in partial shade. It also likes well-draining soil and will really take off when planted in sandy and rocky soil.

Tickseed spreads quickly via seed, so once you plant it, you can expect to keep finding it nearby. In fact, if you don’t want tickseed to take over, try removing the flowers just as they start to fade before they mature into seeds.

Though most tickseed species have yellow flowers, others have shades of yellow and red. Try ‘Plains Coreopsis,’ which has yellow flowers with red centers, for a bold pop of color.

Agave

	botanical name Agave spp.
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6’-8’
	hardiness zones 9-11

If you’re in a hot, dry area within zones 9 through 11, then you can’t go wrong with an Agave plant. There are many bulletproof perennial types of Agave to choose from, offering different sizes, color, and variegation.

Agave is sometimes referred to as “the century plant,” because people used to believe that these plants only flowered every 100 years. They actually flower within a few decades and sometimes up to 80 years. But this inaccurate nickname is still a testament to how long Agave can live.

These plants must have desert-like conditions to thrive: well-draining soil, dry air, and full sun. In these conditions, Agave will be happy for quite some time. (Possibly more than a century!) They’re perfect for xeriscape gardens. 

If the conditions in your garden aren’t quite right for an Agave, you can try growing one of the smaller species in a large pot. Just make sure you fill the pot with freely-draining soil and put it in a bright, sunny location.

Chives

	botanical name Allium schoenoprasum
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12”-18”
	hardiness zones 4-8

As far as herbs go, you can’t go wrong with perennial chives. Plant them once, and you’ll have more chives than you could possibly need for many years to come. They also have classic Allium flowers in a pom pom shape that emerge early each spring.

Both the leaves and flowers are edible and have a light, onion-y taste. You may find that your chives keep getting bigger and bigger each year, no matter how much of them you harvest to eat. If so, chives are easily divided.

Make sure that chives are planted in well-drained soil, as their roots don’t like to sit in water for long. They’d even prefer sandy or rocky soil to wet soil. When choosing a location, a bright area is best, though chives will grow in partial shade, too.

In addition to standard chives, you can also grow garlic chives, A. tuberosum. These chives grow in nearly identical conditions, though they have more of a garlicky flavor and have white flowers instead of purple.

Trumpet Vine

	botanical name Campsis radicans
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30’-40’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Next on the list is trumpet vine, which is truly an unstoppable perennial. Its growth pattern is actually fairly aggressive, so plant it at your own risk. As long as the trumpet vine gets a few hours of sunlight, it will crawl up and over anything it can find, spreading far and wide.

Trumpet vines also spread via underground runners. You will find these runners popping right out of the grass in your yard, sometimes up to ten feet from where the vine is growing.

Hummingbirds love the trumpet vine’s orange flowers and they will assist in pollination, leading to even more spread from seed. Flowers mature into large, hanging pods. Plant trumpet vine on a fence near your flower garden, and observe the number of hummingbirds near your home double.

If you’re looking for a resilient, climbing perennial, trumpet vine is your answer. The plant is native to most of the U.S., so despite its pushy growth, it’s not formally viewed as invasive.

Black-Eyed Susan

	botanical name Rudbeckia hirta
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Black-eyed Susans are technically biennials or short-lived perennials, and they are bulletproof. Once they are established in the right conditions, they spread underground through rhizomes and above ground with seeds. Though the initial plant won’t last for many years, its descendants live on.

These popular flowers are often planted with coneflowers, and you may see seas of yellow and purple in mid-summer through fall. Black-eyed Susans aren’t too picky about soil as long as it drains, and they grow readily in full sun to partial shade.

This perennial can grow up to four feet tall and two feet wide. It resists many challenges, including deer, salt, and even drought. Really, as long as they’re planted in decent soil and decent sunlight, black-eyed Susans will do just fine, even when neglected.

Yarrow

	botanical name Achillea spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 3-9

There are countless types of yarrow with many different flower colors, though they all have one thing in common. They’re all bulletproof perennials that can tolerate poor conditions, including lack of nutrients and drought.

Like some other plants on this list, you’ll find yarrow growing on the side of the highway. If highway conditions are enough to keep yarrow going, surely your garden or yard can house this plant as well.

One of yarrow’s enemies is strong wind, especially those that come from unexpected summer storms. Plant yarrow in a sheltered area to avoid this pitfall. If your yarrow has already toppled over, worry not. It will bounce back soon.

If you love yarrow and want to grow even more of it, you can easily divide mature yarrow plants. Simply dig them up, cut the root ball into multiple chunks with their own roots, and then replant. This process won’t bother the host plant, which will carry on as soon as it’s back in the ground.

Yarrow flowers also respond well to deadheading. Whenever the flowers start to get dull and fade to brown, remove them with clean pruners. The plant will send out new blooms to follow.

Ostrich fern

	botanical name Onoclea struthiopteris
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 3’-5’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Ostrich fern, also known as fiddlehead fern, is an easy-to-grow, perennial fern that prefers shady conditions. It’s happy in partial shade, so avoid planting it in full sun. Once established, ostrich ferns can get huge, growing up to five feet tall.

These ferns are striking choices for shady areas or for growing under large trees. They require very little maintenance and will flourish without much assistance. As the years go on, you can divide them and spread them around your home.