If you’re settled into your forever home, you’re probably making decisions throughout your space with longevity in mind. It just makes sense to put your time, money, and effort into home projects that have staying power—like upgrading your interior design for timeless appeal and fitting your counters with the most durable material. That same mindset can (and should) flow over into your garden and landscape planning as well. While it’s always fun to experiment with new annual plants in your garden, establishing a foundation of long-living perennials will provide your home with flourishing beauty that you can rely on year after year.
Some perennials only last for a few seasons, but our picks below will bring beauty to your yard for (potentially) decades. This also means you won’t have to spend as much time replanting or re-mapping out your garden each year, leaving you more time to simply enjoy the scenery.
Baptisia
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Often called wild or false indigo due to its resemblance to the popular blue-flowered plant, baptisia produces tall spikes covered with bright-colored blooms. The flowers typically bloom for around three to six weeks in the spring, but with the right care, the plant can live for decades. Baptisia prefers full sun, but can tolerate some light shade, and once established, the plant is very drought-tolerant.
Aster
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In the daisy family, asters are a joyful addition to any garden. Asters produce an abundance of bright flowers (often purple, but sometimes blue, pink, white, or red) that create a dense blanket of bold color over the ground. With the right care and the recommended dividing every three to four years, asters can live for at least a decade.
Astilbe
Astilbe is a showy plant, with feathery, fern-like leaves that are almost as striking as its plume-like flowers. With the plant’s preference for shade, astilbe is a great way to add bold color and intrigue to shady spots in your yard. It also adds height, since some varieties can get up to four feet tall. Depending on the variety, astilbe blooms for a few weeks between late spring and late summer, and the plant itself can last for over 15 years.
Sedum
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If you’re looking for a groundcover that you can rely on year after year, sedum is a popular choice. Also known as stonecrops, these succulents are drought-tolerant and work great to fill in rock gardens and mixed borders. There are also several upright varieties of sedum to choose from that can offer pollinator-friendly flowers. Most hardy sedum species will last for 10 to 20 years, if not more, and they’re about as low-maintenance as it gets.
Peony
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Peonies are one of the all-time most beloved garden flowers, and they’re made even better when you know you only have to plant them once—in your lifetime. Peonies are known to live for not just decades, but in some cases, over a century. Just make sure to plant your peonies in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Without much maintenance required, they might just live as long as you do.
Catmint
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Catmint has a lot to offer your yard. In addition to producing a dense bush of bright-colored flowers, it’s also aromatic, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and pollinator-friendly. A great choice for beginner gardeners, catmint thrives on neglect and can live for a decade.
