Last updated on January 11th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Perennials are plants that live for multiple years, making them the opposite of annuals, which complete their entire life cycle in just one growing season. While annuals grow, bloom, set seed, and die all in the same year, perennials establish long-lasting root systems that allow them to survive through winter dormancy and return when conditions are right.
Once planted, perennials typically regrow each spring from their roots, crowns, or underground structures such as bulbs or rhizomes. As they mature, many perennials become larger and more vigorous, often producing more blooms and foliage each year. This makes them a reliable, low-maintenance foundation for garden beds and landscapes.
Perennials in the Southwest
From flowering plants like daylilies to fragrant shrubs such as lavender, perennials provide consistent color, texture, and structure season after season. Although some may die back to the ground in winter, they are very much alive below the soil, ready to re-emerge. Because they don’t need to be replanted every year, perennials save time, money, and effort while offering long-term beauty and stability in the garden.
Many of these plants will go into a dormant stage during the winter months. Most fruit and ornamental trees are perennials. However, fruit trees need at least so many chilling hours. It will depend on your garden zone for them to produce fruit.
Below is a list of perennial plants that we carry throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Photos will be added soon. Please bookmark this page for future reference.
What are perennials
In the Lower Elevations of the Southwest, these plants are considered perennials. They will either come back in seed or plant form. Some are biannuals which means they will come back after 2-3 years, but rarely after that.
Some of these plants could be considered annual – it depends on your garden zone. You can visit this page to find your plant hardiness zone.
Perennials for the Southwest
Agastache – Lots of varieties
Poppies in the Southwest– Japanese and Poppy Anemone
Aquilegia – Columbine.
Artemisia or Powis Castle – Powis Castle Artemisia
Artemisia lactiflora – White Mugwort
Artemisia schmidtiana Nana – Silver Mound Artemisia
Asters
Pink Beauty Bolton’s Aster
Snowbank Bolton’s Aster
Persian Cornflower
Centaurea montana – Perennial Bachelor’s Button
Centranthus ruber – Jupiter’s Beard
Chelone obliqua – Rose Turtlehead
Clematis – Vine
Coreopsis lanceolata – Also calledTickseed
Coreopsis lanceolata – Tequila Sunrise Tickseed
Coreopsis rosea – Rose Coreopsis
Corydalis flexuosa Blue Panda – Blue Panda Corydalis
Delphinium elatum – Also called Larkspur
Dianthus – Sweet William Plants
– Numerous varieties
Bleeding Hearts
Strawberry Foxglove Digitalis
Yellow Foxglove Digitalis grandiflora
Echinacea paradoxa – Coneflower
There come in pink, yellow, reds and more in between.
Eichhornia crassipes – Water Hyacinth
Eupatorium purpureum – Joe-Pye Weed
Gaillardia aristata – Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata Burgundy – Burgundy Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata Yellow Queen – Yellow Queen Blanket Flower
Geraniums
Geraniums bring indoors where temps go below 32° or protect them from freezing temps.
Goniolimon tataricum – German Statice
Gypsophila repens Rosea – Pink Creeping Baby’s Breath
Helianthus Capenoch Star – Capenoch Star Perennial Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides – False Sunflower
Helleborus orientalis – Lenten Rose
Hostas – Outdoor
Daylily – Numerous of colors and species
Hemerocallis – Hybrid Daylily
Hesperis matronalis – Dame’s Rocket
Coral Bells Heuchera –
Coral Bells Heuchera sanguinea
Hibiscus – Rose Mallow
Hostas
Hosta – Hybrid Hosta
Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’ – Ginko Craig Hosta
Candytuft evergreen – Iberis sempervirens
Iceplant -Yellow, red, purple varieties
Iris – Bulb
Red-Hot Poker Kniphofia
Lavandula angustifolia – English Lavender
Little Miss Muffet Shasta Daisy
Silver Princess Shasta Daisy
Shasta Daisy
Lantanas – Gold variety is a cold-hardy plant
Lobelia siphilitica – Great Blue Lobelia
Lotus corniculatus – Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Lupine
Lychnis coronaria – Rose Campion
Lysimachia punctata – Yellow Loosestrife
Lythrum virgatum – Purple Loosestrife
Macleaya cordata – Plume Poppy
Monarda didyma – Beebalm
Roses, climbing roses
Scarlet Beebalm
Nuphar lutea – Yellow Water Lily
Nymphaea – Hardy Water Lily
Nymphaea odorata – Fragrant Water Lily
Mexican Primrose – Or evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa Mexican Evening Primrose
Opuntia brasiliensis – Brazilian Pricklypear
Opuntia compressa – Prickly Pear Cactus
Orontium aquaticum – Golden Club
Peony
Paeonia lactiflora – Peony
Paeonia suffruticosa – Tree Peony
Papaver orientale – Oriental Poppy
Papaver rhoeas – Corn Poppy
Penstemon – Beardtongue
Penstemon – barbatus
Penstemon – digitalis
Russian Sage – Perovskia atriplicifolia
Phlox
Phlox Bright Eyes
Phlox carolina
Snapdragons
Chinese Lantern
Blue Balloon Flower
Bethlehem Sage Pulmonaria saccharata
Mexican Hat – Ratibida columnifera
Rheum rhabarbarum – Rhubarb
Coneflowers
Orange Coneflower – Rudbeckia fulgida
Black-eyed Susan – Rudebeckia
Salvia’s for the Southwest
Pincushion Flower – Scabiosa columbaria
Santolina chamaecyparissus – Lavender Cotton
Sedums
Sedum Autumn Joy Stonecrop
Sedum Orange Stonecrop
Sedum reflexum – Stone Orpine
Sedum sexangulare – Tasteless Stonecrop
Sedum sieboldii – October Daphne
Sedum spectabile – Showy Stonecrop
Hens-and-Chicks Sempervivum
Goldenrod
Curly Tansy
Sunflower
Thymus or Thyme
Lemon Thyme
Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’
Blue Speedwell
Yarrow
Yuccas
Yucca filamentosa – Adam’s-needle
Yucca flaccida – Golden Sword Yucca
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