If you’re trying to find easy-to-grow, flowering perennials that love the sun as much as we do, look no further! We’ve outlined our top picks for the best color-popping perennials that will thrive in those full sun areas in your garden.

1. Bee Balm

Bee Balm is an attractive perennial that loves to grow in full sun, though it can tolerate some shade. Bee Balm gets its name from the sweet-smelling fragrance it produces, which attracts pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies—plus humans love it, too!

This easy-to-grow perennial stays relatively compact, reaching heights of 2.5-4 feet but can come in a much smaller dwarf variety as well. The bloom time for bee balm starts in mid-summer (around July) and continues to the fall. Flowers can be red, pink, purple, or white, and the foliage is a pretty blue-green color. We recommend you deadhead all spent flowers to prolong a more extended and showier flower display during the summer.

2. Coneflower

These perennials are a classic addition to any garden for their easy-to-grow nature—and they thrive in full sun. As a bonus, the pretty daisy-like flowers are beneficial to wildlife, including bees, butterflies, and songbirds, for both their nectar and seeds. You can enjoy the flower blooms, which come in a rainbow of colors, all summer long! Coneflowers typically grow between 2-4 feet high and regularly self-sow, so they are as low maintenance as they are attractive.

3. Daylily

Another classic addition to the garden, these gorgeous perennials sport stunning flowers. Daylilies get their name from the single-day blooms they produce, but don’t worry! They are prolific bloomers and many varieties will keep producing flowers all summer long.

Also popular because they’re remarkably hardy and can grow in just about any conditions. While daylilies will certainly thrive in full sun, they are also often chosen as rain garden plants for their indifference to wet feet. Beginner gardeners will love adding this perennial to their garden for their ease of care alone.

4. Garden Phlox

You know it’s officially summer when this sun-loving perennial shows its color! Garden Phlox, also known as summer phlox, is the tallest phlox variety reaching 3-5 feet in height and their showy blooms last from July through to September. The flowers appear in small, pretty clusters in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and orange. By planting these perennials in full sun, you get the added benefit of richer, more brilliant flower color as they happily soak up that vitamin D. As an added bonus, they give off a sweet yet subtle perfume!

5. Lavender

This ever-popular perennial is most coveted for its heavy, intoxicating fragrance, but it’s also an easy-to-grow plant. The varying shades of purple flowers can be enjoyed as cut, aromatic arrangements or try your hand at drying and preserving them. Lavender absolutely thrives in full sun and is in fact, not shade tolerant at all. Plant in sunny locations to ensure compact, bushy growth, numerous flower buds, and attractive silvery-green foliage all summer long.

6. Perennial Mums

Hardy chrysanthemums are a go-to garden addition as, like most plants on this list, their care can feel effortless. For the best results, plant these perennials in full sun to enjoy the flower show into the fall. You can choose from a variety of bloom colors, including orange, white, yellow, pink, red, and purple.

A fun fact about mums is that they contain a toxin called pyrethrin, which acts as a natural insect repellent. With that in mind, though, be sure to plant this perennial away from areas where pets and livestock roam as they are toxic to four-legged critters as well. To keep your mums from getting too leggy, you can start to pinch them back early in the season; this will keep them looking more compact, plus will encourage more flower growth in the fall!

Now that you’ve learned all about our top picks for long-lasting, full sun perennials this summer, which one will you choose? If you’re having a hard time deciding, feel free to stop into one of our Greenstreet Gardens locations, and we’d be happy to help you out!