Top 10 perennials for spectacular spring gardens! These spring blooming perennials are perfect companion plants for daffodils, tulips, and other spring blooming bulbs.
Dicentra/Bleeding Heart. For perennial gardens, there are two types of dicentra. The traditional favorite is Dicentra spectablis, also known as old-fashioned bleeding heart. It starts blooming along with the daffodils. The plants grow 3 feet tall and the flowers are displayed in a row on slender, arching stems. The flowers can be deep pink, red or white. After flowering, the entire plant dies back to the ground.
The other type, Dicentra formosa, is sometimes called fernleaf bleeding heart. These plants grow 6 to 10” tall and display clusters of smaller, slightly less distinct hearts in the same color range of white, pink and red. Flowering begins a few weeks after Dicentra spectablis and continues on and off all summer. The foliage stays fresh-looking and attractive until fall.
Hellebores. These clumping-forming plants have leathery leaves and rose-like flowers. In the photo above, the blossom at the center has already lost its petals. What remains is the showy calyx, which is like a saucer beneath the flower. These persist for several weeks and are almost as attractive as the flowers themselves.
Hellebores grow 12-18” tall and their downward-facing blossoms are borne in clusters. The earliest blooming is Helleborus niger, which has white flowers on short stems. Helleborus orientalis is a taller plant and is available with single or double flowers in a wide range of colors, from cream through pink and burgundy. Hellebores are wonderful cut flowers. Here is a video on how to get the longest vase life from cut hellebores - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3TFCDETep8&t=1s
Primula/Primroses. There are dozens of different types of primroses that bloom from early through late spring. Hybrids are the most commonly available and they offer the widest range of color options. Traditional favorites such as cowslips and drumstick primroses have their own unique charm and are definitely worth seeking out.
Primroses self-sow but in a good way. To encourage this, leave the spent flowers in place until the seed pods are dry and empty. At that point, you can cut off the stems (and the foliage, too if it's looking limp and yellow) and the plants will generate fresh leaves.
Candytuft. This long-lived, creeping perennial, whose Latin name is Iberis sempervirens, grows 6 to 12” tall. It is happiest when planted in a sunny nook, especially in or near a rock wall. The leathery foliage stays deep green almost year-round. The blinding-white flowers last for weeks. If you shear off the spent flowers, the plant will provide an attractive carpet of foliage all season long.
Cushion Spurge. Euphorbia polychroma (shown above) is a mounding plant with brilliant, chrome yellow flowers that last for a month or more. The bracts (clusters of modified leaves) that surround the flowers magnify the color impact.
Another good euphorbia to consider is Euphorbia dulcis ‘Chameleon’. It has maroon leaves and burgundy flowers. These two plants look great together and flatter any others that are growing nearby.
Foamflower. These easy, long-lived plants are closely related to heuchera, but the leaves are smaller and have a fuzzy surface texture. Many also display prominent red or purple names.
Tiarella cordifolia grows just 8 to 12” tall and has pale pink, bottle-brush flowers. Native tiarellas are excellent groundcovers because they spread by stolons or runners. If you want a plant that will stay where you put it, seek out a named cultivar such as ‘Sugar and Spice’ or ‘Pink Skyrocket’.
Lungwort. This plant's unusual common name comes from its Latin one: Pulmonaria officinalis. Botanists named it for the spotted patterns on its soft, slightly hairy leaves. The plants grow 12-18" tall and maintain a neat, mounding habit. This is a prolific spring bloomer, with flower clusters that typically display a mix of blue and pink florets. Bees are crazy about the flowers.
Barrenwort. This graceful, well-mannered plant grows 12-18” tall. The heart-shaped leaves often have reddish edges both early and late in the growing season. Epimedium flowers resemble little parasols and are displayed in airy clusters, with flower colors ranging from white and pink to yellow and even orange. This is an excellent plant for dry shade, though it will also thrive in moist, woodland-like soils.
Miniature Iris. These diminutive perennials bloom almost a month before their full size relatives. Crested iris are the earliest and the tiniest of the lot, standing just 3” tall. Dwarf bearded iris (shown above) range in height from 5 to 12” tall. They look like miniature versions of their larger cousins and are available in the same range of beautiful colors.
