10 Best Sun Loving Perennial Bushes for Your Garden

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10 Best Sun Loving Perennial Bushes for Your Garden

If you're looking to add some color and life to your garden while keeping it sustainable, sun-loving perennial bushes are a great option to consider. These plants will thrive in bright sunlight, providing your garden with vibrant colors and unique aromas. Besides their aesthetic value, sun-loving perennials are generally low maintenance as they have adapted to dry and hot conditions. In this article, we will explore the 10 best sun-loving perennial bushes that you can plant in your garden.

Why Choose Sun Loving Perennial Bushes?

Sun-loving bushes are plants that require full sunlight, making them excellent additions to any garden. When choosing sun-loving perennials, there are many benefits to consider.

Benefits of Choosing Drought-Tolerant Varieties

Drought-tolerant varieties, like most sun-loving plants, are designed to survive in harsh conditions. This means that they require less watering and fewer resources, which is perfect if you want to keep your gardening sustainably.

Improve Soil Quality

Sun-loving perennials improve soil quality by absorbing nutrients from the soil and returning vital minerals, making them easier to grow and maintain.

Long-Lasting Investment

Sun-loving perennials are long-lasting investments for your garden as they come back season after season. You won’t have to worry about planting new flowers or shrubs every year.

Top 10 Sun Loving Perennial Bushes for Your Garden

1. Lavender

Lavender is one of the most popular sun-loving perennial bushes out there. Not only does it add beauty to your garden, but it also provides a pleasant aroma that'll enhance your outdoor experience.

Physical Characteristics

Lavender plants can grow up to 3 feet tall, producing purple flowers that bloom in the summer. These bushes also have narrow leaves and woody stems.

Caring Guide

Lavender prefers a dry climate, so it's important not to overwater. Plant lavender in well-draining soil where it can get at least six hours of direct sunlight. Make sure to prune it regularly to keep its shape and avoid deadheading after every first blossoming cycle.

Best Companion Plants

Companion planting is where you add plants next to each other for mutual benefits. Those that work well with lavender include roses, marigolds, and catmint.

2. Russian Sage

Russian Sage is a popular perennial bush with gorgeous silvery-blue leaves and delicate purple flowers.

Physical Characteristics

Russian sage grows up to 4 feet tall, making it an excellent plant for bordering walls or garden paths. The leaves are unique silver grey, and the plant boasts small purple flowers that bloom throughout the summer.

Caring Guide

Russian sage is relatively low maintenance, as it does not require regular watering once established. When planting, use well-draining soil and place it in a spot that receives full sun. Pruning is vital for keeping its form and getting rid of dead branches.

Best Companion Plants

For companion planting, try growing Russian sage alongside salvias or ornamental grasses to create contrast.

3. Butterfly Bush

As you might expect from the name, butterfly bushes are particularly attractive to butterflies due to their sweet and fruity fragrance.

Physical Characteristics

Butterfly bushes typically grow between 4-6 feet tall and have large, eye-catching flowers, that come in a range of colors - including pink, purple, white, and blue.

Caring Guide

Butterfly bushes thrive in direct sunlight and require moderately fertile soil that is well-draining. Water frequently when young but less frequently once matured. Prune during the winter months to encourage blooms for next summer.

Best Companion Plants

Some excellent companion plants for butterfly bushes include coreopsis, verbena, and bee balm.

4. Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtle is an exceptional genus of shrubs that comes in many varieties- from deep reds to bright pinks and whites.

Physical Characteristics

Crape myrtles can be grown as small bushes, medium-sized trees, and somewhere in between. They are notable because of their gorgeous prolific blooms that take over the plant during summer.

Caring Guide

Crape myrtles prefer full sun exposure and well-drained soil. They are also keen on moist environments, but avoid overwatering. Prune regularly during the winter dormant period to encourage new growth in the spring.

Best Companion Plants

When it comes to companion planting for crape myrtles, consider adding pink muhly grass, lantana or anise hyssop next to your Crape Myrtle patch.

5. Coneflower

Also known as Echinacea, coneflower is a low-maintenance perennial that can add so much beauty to any garden.

Physical Characteristics

Coneflowers grow up to 4 feet tall and come in different shades of purple, pink, and white. Their charming flowers have thin petals radiating from a raised cone-shaped center, making them unique and eye-catching.

Caring Guide

Plant coneflowers where it's sunny with nutrient-dense soil that drains well. These plants will likely only require watering when the soil is dry because they are drought-tolerant. Deadhead spent blooms to promote continuing bloom production.

Best Companion Plants

For best companion planting, consider adding grasses like blue fescue or ornamental sage to create texture alongside your coneflower plants.

6. Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon has large, showy flowers in a range of colors. The blooms somewhat resemble wild roses.

Physical Characteristics

Rose of Sharon can grow up to 10 feet tall and wide, so it's perfect for bordering your property. The unique factor about Rose of Sharon is that the flowers are extraordinary at making your garden stand out.

Caring Guide

Plant rose of Sharon in full sun exposure with quality soil that drains rapidly, and you can add some compost to help retain moisture. These bushes require regular watering to avoid drying out, especially when newly planted. Prune late winter to early spring.

Best Companion Plants

To companion plant with Rose of Sharon, consider adding Russian sage or other flowering shrubs.

7. Peony

Peonies are an old-fashioned favorite due to their enormous blooms and luscious scent.

Physical Characteristics

Most peonies will grow to about 2-4 feet tall and have large showy buds that unfurl into beautiful, massive blooms lasting in season for a week or two.

Caring Guide

Peonies prefer rich, well-drained soils with full sun exposure. They need extra TLC when first planted — water thoroughly but consistently afterward. With mature plants, pruning is necessary at spring's start to encourage new growth.

Best Companion Plants

As companion plants, coniferous shrubs like cedar, fir, or juniper are an excellent choice, and add contrast to the bigger flowers of peonies.

8. Bluebeard

Also known as Caryopteris clandonensis, this bush has fantastic blue color that'll make your garden look attention-grabbing.

Physical Characteristics

This sun-loving bush grows up to 4 feet tall, with gorgeous electrifying blue flowers on airy stems, which makes it light and easy to keep around your garden.

Caring Guide

Bluebeards require full sun exposure and nutrient-rich soil, so amend accordingly with organic compost. Although they do not require regular watering, make sure the plant has enough moisture during extended dry periods.

Best Companion Plants

For best companion planting, consider combining bluebeards along grasses like lovegrass or chasmanthium that come in different shades of whites and blues.

9. Daylily

Daylilies are another sought out sun-loving perennial bush that adds a wide range of playful colors in their blooms.

Physical Characteristics

Daylilies have strap-like leaves with delicate flowers atop long, slender scapes. Their blooms last only for a day but come season after season. Colors vary from light yellows to deep oranges and reds.

Caring Guide

Daylilies prefer full sun exposure but can tolerate some shade as well. Plant them in moist soil that drains rapidly. Although they can grow in almost any soil condition, pH balance is crucial for top production.

Best Companion Plants

Daylilies look fantastic when surrounded by shorter perennials like lobelia, tickseed, or veronica to fill out their lush landscape effortlessly.

10. Yarrow

Yarrow is a sun-loving perennial with stunning blooms that come in shades of yellow, pink, red, and white.

Physical Characteristics

Yarrow's compact 18-24 inch height makes it a perfect border plant while providing stunning blooms of varying colors.

Caring Guide

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