21 Popular Perennials For North Carolina Gardens

North Carolina is a great place for gardening. With 4 distinct seasons, a moderate climate, and regular rainfall, there are a great many plants that will thrive here. Many plants on this list are well-suited not only for North Carolina gardeners but throughout the southeastern United States and beyond.

North Carolina encompasses USDA hardiness zones 6a through 8b, with a few mountaintop areas that fall into zone 5b. If you want to grow perennials in your home garden, the first thing you should determine is which plant hardiness zone you’re in. This will help you identify which plants are most likely to overwinter successfully.

	botanical name Lilium var.
	plant type herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to part shade
	height 2 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 4 to 8

The Asiatic lily is a herbaceous perennial grown from a bulb. It produces large, showy flowers each year, from late spring into early summer.

There are a number of beautiful cultivars available, with flower colors ranging from orange and yellow to pink and bicolor. Each tall, leafy stalk produces several long-lasting flowers.

Asiatic lilies do well in North Carolina. They withstand both heat and frost, but are a favorite snack food for browsing deer, so if you live with deer, you will need to grow your lilies in a fenced area. Bulbs should be planted in the fall or very early spring. Set them 4 to 6 inches deep in a spot with moist, well-drained soil and full sun.

Bearded Iris

	botanical name Iris germanica
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1.5 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 10

The spring-blooming Bearded Iris is sold as rhizomes during the spring and fall. Bagged and pre-packaged rhizomes are found at most nurseries and garden centers.

Flowers are large, showy, and fragrant and come in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, purple, pink, and bicolor. They bloom each spring reliably while the long dagger-like leaves persist throughout the growing season.

While these flowers may look fancy, Irises are actually quite easy to grow. They need full sun to do their best. They will grow in partial shade but won’t bloom as well, if at all. Soil should be rich and well-drained with medium moisture.

Over time, iris will spread by growing additional rhizomes. If the plants become too crowded, simply divide the rhizomes and transplant the extras to another location or give them away to neighbors.

Bee Balm

	botanical name Monarda didyma
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to part shade
	height 2 to 4 feet
	hardiness zones 4 to 9

Bee balm is a great native plant for a pollinator garden or wildlife garden. It’s related to mint and has fragrant leaves, though not with a characteristic minty smell. Bee balm produces clusters of small pink to red tubular flowers. The flowers are a favorite of both hummingbirds and butterflies.

You may attract plenty of birds and butterflies with this plant, but deer and rabbits won’t bother it. Plant your bee balm in a spot with plenty of sun or it will grow long and leggy.

Soil should be rich and moist. If given plenty of space, plants will eventually spread outwards and larger clumps can be divided to prevent overcrowding and unwanted sprawl.

Black-Eyed Susan

	botanical name Rudbeckia hirta
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	bloom colors Yellow
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1.5 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 7

Black-eyed Susan is a short-lived perennial. You probably won’t realize they are short-lived, however, because they will keep themselves going by self-seeding. The black-eyed Susan is an excellent plant for a wildflower garden or butterfly garden.

The flowers are showy and yellow. A cluster of black-eyed Susan plants produces an eye-catching display of brightly cheerful flowers. The flowers attract butterflies while blooming, and the following seed heads attract seed-eating birds, such as the American Goldfinch.

Blanket Flower

	botanical name Gaillardia x grandiflora
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 10

The blanket flower, or Gaillardia, is a popular plant with bright, colorful flowers. The flowers are dark orange at the center, with petals blending from orange to yellow.

The blanket flower has some cultivars that may be very compact or a bit taller and sprawling. They are all short-lived perennials that may self-seed if the hungry birds don’t eat all their seeds first. Flowers also attract butterflies and other pollinators.

The blanket flower grows best in full sun. Soil should be rich, moist, and well-drained, but they will tolerate a range of soil conditions.

If plants start looking messy by mid-season, you can remove the dead flower heads and trim any sprawling growth. This will not only make the plants look neater but also may extend the blooming period.

Blazing Star

	botanical name Liatris spicata
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	bloom colors Purple
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2 to 4 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 8

Blazing star is a native wildflower found growing naturally in prairies and grassy meadows of the eastern United States. It’s an excellent plant for a wildflower garden or butterfly garden. Flowers attract butterflies, followed by seed-eating birds that graze on the seed heads.

Blazing star has thin feathery leaves that are attractive by themselves. In mid-summer, a tall spike of ‘blazing’ purple flowers appears atop each stem, blooming from the top down.

Blazing star prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight. These plants can be grown from seed but may be a bit slow to mature.

Bugleweed

	botanical name Ajuga reptans
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	bloom colors Purple-Blue
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6” to 9”
	hardiness zones 3 to 10

If you are looking for an effective ground cover that won’t get entirely out of hand, try planting bugleweed. This low-growing plant develops a series of leafy rosettes and spreads by above-ground stolons or runners.

In late spring through early summer, the flowers emerge. The spikes of purple-blue blooms are pretty showy, especially when grown in large clusters.

Ajuga is tolerant of deer, rabbits, and even some occasional foot traffic. It does well in either full sun or light shade. It’s also not too picky about soil conditions, although it prefers medium-moisture, well-drained soil. If clusters grow too dense, bugleweed is easily divided and transplants well to a new location.

Chrysanthemum

	botanical name Chrysanthemum var
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 0.5 to 2 feet
	hardiness zones 5 to 9

You have probably seen an abundance of chrysanthemums for sale each fall. They are sold as potted plants and many people simply grow them as an annual for one season and then toss them.

Chrysanthemums are perennials, however, and grow wonderfully as such in North Carolina gardens. Flowers are abundant and showy, with colors such as white, yellow, orange, red, pink, green, purple, and bronze, as well as bicolor varieties.

Chrysanthemums grow best in full sun. Soil should be rich, moist, and well-drained. Keep your plants neat and compact by pruning them each spring and by pinching off spent flowers. Leaves and flowers are slightly aromatic, and plants are not typically bothered by deer or rabbits.

Columbine

	botanical name Aquilegia canadensis
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 8

Columbine blooms each spring with unusual and showy drooping, bell-like flowers that attract hummingbirds. The native columbine flowers are red, but cultivars with yellow and purple flowers also exist.

Plants grow readily from seed and take two years to mature to bloom. Columbine foliage is also attractive and a bit unusual in appearance.

Plants form rounded mounds of foliage. Towards late summer and into fall, the foliage may start to brown and fade, but don’t worry; these plants will start to grow fresh new foliage in late winter to early spring. Columbine can be grown in full sun and also tolerate quite a bit of shade. Soil should be moist and well-drained.

Dianthus

	botanical name Dianthus barbatus
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 0.5 to 2 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 9

Also known as Sweet William, Dianthus is indeed a very sweet plant. It blooms in the spring and the flowers are showy and bright, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.

Flowers may be white, brilliant shades of pink, or bicolor. This low-growing plant makes a good ground cover and also looks great planted in front of the perennial garden as a low-growing, edge plant.

Dianthus grows best in full sun with a bit of afternoon shade. Give it a location with rich to average well-drained soil. Deer don’t bother this plant. Dianthus may die back periodically, but it has a tendency to reseed itself without being aggressive, so it can remain in the garden for many years.

Hosta

	botanical name Hosta var.
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Shade to part shade
	height 2 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 8

If you have a shade garden that is protected from browsing deer, hosta is an excellent choice. This large, leafy plant grows into broad, rounded clumps throughout the growing season. In mid-summer, purple trumpet-shaped flowers bloom atop tall spikes. The flowers are quite showy and attract hummingbirds.

Hostas are popular shade perennials that do amazingly well in shady garden spaces. It needs rich, moist, well-drained soil. Unfortunately, this plant is a favorite of deer, so only plant it if you have a deer-free zone.

There are many hosta cultivars available, ranging in size from relatively compact to giant, from dark green leaves to green and white variegated. Hostas remain an attractive garden addition from spring through fall.

Lantana

	botanical name Lantana camara
	plant type Woody perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3 to 6 feet
	hardiness zones 7 to 11

Lantana is a deciduous woody shrub when grown in North Carolina. There are some varieties of lantana that won’t survive frosty winter weather, but there are other varieties, such as ‘Miss Huff’ and ‘Ham and Eggs’, that are winter hardy up to zone 7.

If you grow a winter-hardy variety, you can expect the leaves to die back after frost. At this point, the plant can be pruned relatively low and will quickly regrow the following spring.

Lantana has the potential to grow into a substantial shrub each year. From mid-summer through frost, flowers will cover the plant and attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and a variety of other pollinators. The tiny flowers grow in multicolored clusters and are both showy and pungently fragrant. Deer and rabbits will not bother lantana.

Lavender

	botanical name Lavandula angustifolia
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	bloom colors Purple
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 5 to 8

Lavender is a familiar herb suitable not just for an herb garden but also grows well with other perennials or as a container planting. In the summer months, lavender blooms with small spikes of small pale purple flowers.

The leaves and flowers are quite fragrant and have an appealing and distinctive lavender scent. The flowers attract butterflies, and plants are not bothered by deer or rabbits.

Grow lavender in a place with plenty of bright sunlight. Soil should be of average quality, dry to medium moisture, and well-drained. High heat and humidity can cause these plants to look a bit scraggly later in the season. To improve appearance, remove spent flowers and any dead stems, and prune every few years in the spring to help maintain bushy growth.

Lenten Rose

	botanical name Helleborus orientalis
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Part shade to full shade
	height 1 to 1.5 feet
	hardiness zones 4 to 9

This is an excellent plant for the shade garden. Hellebore is low-maintenance and easy to grow, making it a popular choice for a shady landscape. It is not bothered by deer or rabbits and tolerates poor-quality soil conditions. If you need something simple and no fuss for a shady spot, Lenten rose would be a good choice.

Lenten rose leaves are evergreen, providing foliage throughout the year. In early spring, flowers emerge in shades of pink and white. Flowers are large and showy, nodding slightly downwards.

In ideal conditions, Lenten roses will slowly spread by underground runners and from self-seeding, so you can allow them to grow into a larger cluster or divide them as needed.

Muhly Grass

	botanical name Muhlenbergia capillaris
	plant type Ornamental grass
	bloom colors Pink
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2 to 3 feet
	hardiness zones 5 to 9

Ornamental grasses are an excellent addition to the garden or landscape, and the pink muhly grass is a great choice for North Carolina. This grass is a slow-growing, clump-forming ornamental grass, but not aggressive or invasive. It grows best in full sun with dry to medium-moisture well-drained soil.

Pink muhly grass spends much of the growing season as a dense clump of thin, rounded leaves. In mid to late fall, taller spikes appear and burst into bloom for a spectacular display. Flowers in full bloom will adorn the entire outer edge of the plant with a delicate pink haze that is quite beautiful.

New England Aster

	botanical name Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3 to 6 feet
	hardiness zones 4 to 8

This variety of Aster is a fabulously showy plant that blooms in profusion each autumn. Flowers are daisy-like and rich pinkish purple in color.

Throughout the spring and summer, the plant just looks like a leafy green mass that slowly grows larger and larger, and then as days become shorter and nights become cooler, all the flowers seem to open at once, and your once-leafy-green mass becomes a purple-petaled-profusion!

For maximum flower production, grow New England aster in a location with full sun. Soil should be well drained. This plant prefers rich, moist soils but will tolerate some dry soil once it becomes well-established. If plants grow too large and fall over, they can be tied to stakes or pruned in early summer to encourage more compact growth.

Purple Coneflower

	botanical name Echinacea purpurea
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2 to 5 feet
	hardiness zones 3 to 8

Purple coneflower is a native wildflower of eastern grasslands and prairies. It’s an excellent plant for a butterfly garden, wildlife garden, or wildflower garden. Flowers bloom throughout the summer and are large and showy.

Flowers attract butterflies and a variety of pollinators, and the seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.

Echinacea purpurea is a surprisingly low-maintenance perennial plant. It does best in a location with full sun but will tolerate some light shade. Soil should be well-drained and of average quality, with dry to medium moisture levels. Plants will slowly spread in ideal conditions and can be divided and thinned if they become overcrowded.

Rosemary

	botanical name Salvia rosmarinus
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2 to 6 feet
	hardiness zones 7 to 10

Rosemary is a familiar culinary herb, and it happens to grow well in North Carolina. Leaves are highly aromatic and evergreen, providing attractive greenery throughout the year. In the spring, Rosemary blooms with clusters of tiny purple flowers that attract butterflies.

Rosemary grows best in a full-sun location with slightly acidic soil. Soil should be dry to medium moisture and well-drained.

Rosemary does not tolerate wet soil or heavy shade, so plan your planting accordingly. it does, however, tolerate some drought and is a good candidate for container gardening.

Stokes’ Aster

	botanical name Stokesia laevia
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 1 to 2 feet
	hardiness zones 5 to 9

If you are looking for a beautiful purple flower that blooms in the spring, get yourself a Stokes’ aster. These flowers are large and showy and won’t try to take over your garden. Leaves grow as basal rosettes and are evergreen in warmer climates but will die back partly or completely in colder regions.

Plants are tolerant of deer and rabbits. The Stokes’ aster prefers moist, well-drained soil. Once established, it can be pretty tolerant to occasional drought. It also tolerates areas with higher soil moisture, but the soil should still be well-drained rather than boggy.

Yarrow

	botanical name Achillea millefolium ‘Pomegranate’
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1.5 to 2 feet
	hardiness zones 4 to 8

Yarrow is readily available and easy to grow. There are several colors available, including white and yellow, but ‘Pomegranate’ is a deep red color and is a popular option.

Yarrow is not bothered by deer and is tolerant of average and poor-quality soils, so it’s a good choice for a low-maintenance garden.

Yarrow leaves are light green and feathery. In hot and dry summers, the leaves may die back completely but should regrow the following spring. Flowers bloom from mid to late summer and attract butterflies. Yarrow can spread to fill in an area, and because it’s low-growing, it makes a good ground cover.

Yucca

	botanical name Yucca filamentosa
	plant type Herbaceous perennial
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4 to 8 feet
	hardiness zones 5 to 10

The Adam’s needle yucca also called Spanish bayonet or simply ‘yucca’, is a North Carolina native plant that grows well throughout North Carolina. It’s a slow-growing plant that reaches its full height when flowering. The flowers are creamy white, large, and very showy. It blooms mid-summer and the flowers attract butterflies.

Yucca is not bothered by deer or rabbits. It grows well in average to poor soil with medium to dry moisture. This plant is quite tough and would do well in any sunny location with well-drained soil. Yucca is evergreen, so you can enjoy some desert-looking greenery throughout the year.