Creating a stunning garden full of plants and flowers that flourish from early spring to late fall is the dream of every gardener, but which perennials are the best for your area? With so many varieties to choose from, picking the best ones is overwhelming. We’ve compiled a list of amazing perennials for zone 6 to give your garden blooms and stunning foliage all through the growing season.
Growing outdoor plants and flowers not only bring natural beauty to your home but provides a safe area for pollinators to thrive. Depending on the varieties you choose, a garden attracts honeybees, birds, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and other nectar, pollen, seed, and berry loving creatures.
The key to creating the perfect garden for both you and nature is understanding which types of plants thrive best for your climate. Different sections of the United States are broken up into hardiness zones, bringing you one step closer to picking the most amazing perennials.

- Zone 6 Perennials for a Stunning Display
- Which Area of the United States is Hardiness Zone 6?
- What is the Difference Between Perennial and Annual Plants?
- How Do I Plant a Perennial Garden with Season Long Beauty?
- Does It Matter Where I Plant Amazing Perennials for Zone 6?
- Daylily (Hemerocallis)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – Amazing Perennial for a Cottage Garden
- Astilbe (Astilbe Chinensis)
- Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) – Ground Cover Perennial for Zone 6
- Bellflower (Campanula)
- Bee Balm (Monarda) – Perennial Fireworks in the Zone 6 Garden
- Delphinium (Delphinium)
- Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) – Amazing, Low Maintenance Perennial
- Hosta (plantain lilies)
- Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) – Whimsical Flowering Perennial for Zone 6
- Windflower (Anemone)
- Aster (Asteraceae) – Amazing Perennial that Flowers Later in the Season
- Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
- Geranium (Pelargonium) – Sunny and Shady Tolerant Perennial
- Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
- Salvia (Salvia officinalis) – Long Blooming Amazing Perennial for Zone 6
- Catmint Plant (Nepeta)
- Peony (Paeonia) – Amazing Perennial Cut Flower with Intense Fragrant Blooms
- Tickseed (Coreopsis)
Zone 6 Perennials for a Stunning Display
Before choosing the perfect perennial for your yard, it’s important to understand which zone you live in and the differences between outdoor plants. Once you have this basic knowledge, it’s easy to create a garden that is stunning all season long.
Which Area of the United States is Hardiness Zone 6?
The USDA created a map of hardiness zones that help you determine which types of plants grow best for your area. The zones are based on the coldest winter temperature for specific regions, meaning that the lower the zone number, the colder the weather is for that area.
If you reside in zone 6, this covers a good section of the middle of the United States. Temperatures in this region generally fall to a low of -10°F. The zone stretches from south to west, through Ohio, Kansas, and even parts of Arizona before turning Northwest and ending up in Washington State.
Planting times for zone 6 begin in mid-March and continue through November.
What is the Difference Between Perennial and Annual Plants?
Annual flowers only grow for one season and then die, while perennial flowers grow back each year, usually with more growth than the year before.
Annual flowers grow rapidly, and most varieties have continuous bloom throughout the growing season. Perennials spend most of their energy on future growth and generally bloom once during the season.
How Do I Plant a Perennial Garden with Season Long Beauty?
Have you ever marveled at a garden that seems to have endless blooms throughout spring, summer, and fall? This constant array of changing colors and patterns is breathtaking and easy to recreate once you understand how it’s done.
The key to creating this type of garden is to know your plants. Each plant has its own blooming time. By choosing perennial plants that peak at different times of the season and strategically placing them together in a garden, you create an almost seamless flow of color from one week to the next.
Does It Matter Where I Plant Amazing Perennials for Zone 6?
Yes, it does. Perennials are quite finicky when it comes to placement in the yard. Some require full sun for the best growth, while others cannot tolerate the heat of the afternoon sun.
The amount of light these plants receive or don’t receive affects them in many ways. They may refuse to bloom or even wilt and die. Different perennials also require specific soil conditions to thrive.
Some plants are drought tolerant and handle sandy soil while others need rich, moist soil. It’s essential to know your plant before placing it in the ground for it to flourish and give you the best flower show possible.
Some low-growing perennials that fit in cracks are better for borders and between pavers rather than in the middle or back of a garden bed. Sketching your plan out on paper beforehand ensures you place your plants exactly where they will look best and thrive at the same time.
Daylily (Hemerocallis)

This perennial is one of the easiest to grow in the garden. Daylilies come in a variety of spectacular colors, shapes, and sizes. These magnificent fragrant flowers have a color range of purple and red to pink and yellow.
Some varieties continuously bloom while others bloom twice, once in summer and again in fall. Daylilies are low maintenance and drought tolerant and grow up to 3 feet in height. They thrive in part to full sun and propagate by seed and division.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) – Amazing Perennial for a Cottage Garden

This rugged and drought-tolerant flower is a classic wildflower and cottage garden perennial. It has flat blooms that rest atop fern-like foliage in colors that include yellow, orange, white, pink, and red.
Yarrow is one of the continuous blooming perennials, with blossoms from spring to fall and it reaches heights of 12 inches. Plant this low maintenance flower in a sunny location and watch it attract birds and beneficial insects while it blooms with little to no intervention from you.
This deer-resistant plant and one of the easy perennials to grow adds unique variety and a delightful splash of color to the garden.
Astilbe (Astilbe Chinensis)

Astilbe has fern-like green and bronze foliage that adds character to the garden even when there are no blooms. Its feathery plumed blossoms range from purple and pink to red and white. During the winter, the flowers dry and add appeal to the garden even during the cold months.
This plant requires part to full sun and thrives in moist areas. With a height of up to 3 feet and a spread that reaches 30 inches, astilbe is an excellent plant for ground cover. The fragrant blooms attract birds and make great cut flowers.
Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) – Ground Cover Perennial for Zone 6

Sedum is a diverse group of plants that come in varying colors, shapes, and sizes. Creeping sedum spreads along the ground and looks great in a rock garden or cracks of a pathway. Upright sedum forms tight clumps of foliage and does not spread.
The foliage of sedum varies from blue/green to gray/silver with tiny blossoms of purple, red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. These low maintenance, drought-tolerant plants grow well in sunny areas and attract birds.
Bellflower (Campanula)

This diverse group of flowering plants comes in many varieties, but they all have a distinct bell-shaped blossom that makes an excellent addition to any style garden. Expect to see these cheerful bells of white, blue, purple, and pink starting in late spring. These perennials that bloom all summer are a joy to see no matter where you plant them.
Bellflower grows best in partial to full sun and reaches a height and width up to 3 feet, depending on the variety. They are low maintenance and drought tolerant and make great cut flowers for the home.
Bee Balm (Monarda) – Perennial Fireworks in the Zone 6 Garden

If you imagine a burst of fireworks in the garden, then you are picturing bee balm. These blooms of red, purple, pink, and white are fragrant cut flowers that attract all types of pollinators.
They are some of the best flowers for bees and butterflies, and hummingbirds love them. The long bloom time and vigorous growth of this flower make it a great addition to the perennial garden.
These sun-loving flowers are low maintenance and drought tolerant. While they attract birds, they are deer resistant. Bee balm grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet and spreads up to 2 feet.
Delphinium (Delphinium)

These summer-blooming flowers produce tall spires of blooms in colors of blue, purple, red, white, pink, and yellow. Delphinium adds a perfect touch of vertical height to the area, as a centerpiece or backdrop. Enjoy this perennial in the garden or as a cut flower in the home.
The majestic delphinium reaches heights of up to 8 feet and enjoys partial to full sun. This deer-resistant plant propagates by seed and grows well in containers or flower beds. The palm-shaped foliage adds appeal even when the plant is not in bloom.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) – Amazing, Low Maintenance Perennial

Echinacea is a type of coneflower that produces bright, big flowers from June until the first frost. It’s daisy-like flower ranges in color from purple and pink to yellow and orange. These blooms work well as a dried or cut flower, or simply enjoyed in the garden.
With a height of 3 feet and a width of 2 feet, this perennial looks majestic alongside other flowers. The fragrant flowers attract birds and are some perennial plants butterflies love, too. They prefer full sun, are deer resistant, drought-tolerant, and require little maintenance.
Add some ornamental perennial grasses to the garden with your Purple Coneflower for extra depth and interest to the space.
Hosta (plantain lilies)

This commonly grown shade garden plant comes in a variety of styles, each displaying a diverse array of variegated leaves and colors. Also called plantain lilies, they grow well beneath a canopy of trees or in the shadow of tall flowering plants.
Hostas grow well in part sun to full shade, are low maintenance, and drought tolerant. Purple and white summer blooms shoot out from their centers, with a height of up to 3 feet and a width to 8 feet.
Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) – Whimsical Flowering Perennial for Zone 6

Bleeding hearts are a favorite among gardeners that enjoy a bit of classic cottage garden whimsy. These perennials are quick to grow in the spring and feature delicate stems of heart-shaped flowers in red, white, and pink.
This low maintenance, deer resistant plant grows best in areas with partial shade, and blooms from spring to fall. This perennial has a height and width of 3 feet and looks good as a border or centerpiece in the garden.
Windflower (Anemone)

Windflower has beautiful, nodding blooms of white and pink that have varying blooms times, depending on the variety. The Japanese type fills the empty gap in perennial gardens with flowers from mid-summer to fall.
The flower stems grow out of blue/green foliage and grow to a height of up to 3 feet. This perennial flower enjoys full to part sun and is both low maintenance and deer resistant. It’s easily grown in the garden or containers and makes for an excellent cut flower.
Aster (Asteraceae) – Amazing Perennial that Flowers Later in the Season

This daisy-like perennial has star-shaped flowers that add color to the garden in late summer and fall, filling the gap when many other flowering types are spent for the year. It blooms in colors that range from purple and pink to blue and white.
Aster prefers sunny locations and grows to a height of up to 8 feet, depending on the variety. This low maintenance perennial is drought tolerant and attracts both birds and butterflies to the garden.
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

Russian sage has tall and wispy blooms of blue or lavender flowers that rise out of silvery-green foliage. This hardy perennial provides contrast, color, and texture to the garden from summer to fall and attracts birds to the yard.
With a height of up to 8 feet and a width of 3 feet, Russian sage adds a unique touch to the garden. It has fragrant flowers that attract birds and grows best in sunny locations. It is low maintenance, deer resistant, and drought tolerant.
Geranium (Pelargonium) – Sunny and Shady Tolerant Perennial

This perennial gives you many choices with over 300 species. Geraniums are perfect for filling in gaps in the garden with low foliage and tall colorful blooms. The flowers range in color from blue and purple to white and pink.
Geraniums thrive in both sunny and shady locations and produce blooms from spring to fall. These low maintenance flowers are not only deer resistant but drought tolerant as well, making them an easy-to-grow perennial.
As an added bonus, geraniums make the list of plants that repel mosquitoes so add a few plants near the patio or deck. You can’t go wrong with this lovely flower.
Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Phlox is the perfect border plant for a perennial flower garden. It produces large bounties of fragrant flowers in red, orange, and other shades of color and adds charm when placed beneath taller plants.
Place phlox in partial to full sun along pathways, in between rocks, or as a border. These flowers grow to a height of 12 inches and a width of 36 inches, depending on the variety. They are easy to maintain and are drought resistant.
Salvia (Salvia officinalis) – Long Blooming Amazing Perennial for Zone 6

Salvia is a mint relative with a long blooming time. This diverse flower comes in a wide range of colors, including blue, purple, white, red, and pink, that grows as a gentle spike out of blue/green foliage.
This perennial grows best in partial to full sun, and gets up to 3 to 8 feet tall, depending on the type. The flowers are a favorite among pollinators and draw the attention of hummingbirds. This fragrant plant is both deer resistant and drought tolerant.
Catmint Plant (Nepeta)

This extremely versatile perennial is easy to grow and considered the powerhouse of the plant world, making it a perfect plant for beginning gardeners. Purple, yellow, white, pink, or blue flowers burst into color in early summer, signally the beginning of the growing season.
This deer-resistant, drought-tolerant plant grows well in partial to full sun. It grows to a height up to 3 to 8 feet depending on the variety, and pairs well with other perennials and annuals.
Peony (Paeonia) – Amazing Perennial Cut Flower with Intense Fragrant Blooms

Peonies are a hardy perennial that produce large blooms of astonishing color and fragrance and deep green foliage. If you don’t mind shaking out the ants, peony blooms are a beautiful cut flower that fills your home with an amazing floral scent.
The spring blooms of the peony range from white, pink, and yellow to red and orange and grow to a maximum height of 8 feet with a width of 3 feet. These low maintenance flowers require full sun to part shade and are deer resistant.
Tickseed (Coreopsis)

Long-lasting blooms in bright shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink are what makes tickseed stand out from other perennials. It attracts birds with its seeds and draws pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies with its sweet nectar.
Tickseed is a low maintenance flower that is also drought tolerant and deer resistant, making it an easy plant to grow. This perennial requires full sun and grows to a maximum height of 8 feet, depending on the variety. This perennial is easy to grow in the garden or containers and makes an excellent cut flower.
Perennial plants and flowers come in many different varieties, from groundcover creepers to fragrant cut flowers. Not only that, but they all have their requirements and offer displays of beauty at different times during each season.
All it takes to create the perfect garden bursting with color from spring until fall is knowledge and a little bit of work. You’ll be enjoying colorful blooms and hummingbirds in no time at all.

With the number of amazing perennials for zone 6, it’s only a matter of time before your garden overflows with natural beauty, so why not share our list of amazing perennials with friends and family on Facebook and Pinterest?