Nothing can beat red flowering perennials for dramatic, attention-getting color in the yard.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the most popular red perennials suggested by experts that are easy to cultivate in the garden or containers in this post.
- Poppies
- Peonies
- Starship Scarlet
- Bleeding Heart
- Red Yarrow
- Valerian
Read our article to know more about them.
Ryan Smith from Ant & Garden Pest Control
Perennial poppies
As a short-lived perennial, perennial poppies live for a maximum of 3 years. The simplicity and vibrancy of red perennial poppies make them a great choice to brighten your garden.
They grow and bloom best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, preferably loamy. Regular watering is necessary, especially if the weather is dry.
Peonies
Peonies bloom in late spring or early summer. With their gorgeous flowers that give off a soft, sweet scent, red peonies are always a good choice for your garden.
Peony flower buds develop better in cooler climates. During hot and dry summer, peonies benefit from being placed in a shaded area; otherwise, they love to be in full sun.
Plant them in well-drained soil, and make sure to provide good air circulation. This way, you can prevent the development of a fungal disease caused by botrytis.
Tony O’Neill from Simplify Gardening
Starship Scarlet
Lobelia Speciosa (Starship Scarlet) is a beautiful red perennial flower that is a hybrid.
It is perfect in borders and perennial beds and is also an ideal specimen to plant around a pond due to its compact growth habits. This plant grows to between 60-80cm 2-2.5ft.
It has long, stunning vivid red flowering stems that are a favorite of many beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings. They will even also attract hummingbirds due to the amount of nectar they produce.
The great thing about this plant, besides its excellent flowers, is the foliage, which contrasts with a deep bronze color. This makes the flower stems pop within the border.
Lobelia Speciosa grows best with moisture retentive fertile soil. They like it damp. Slightly acidic with a pH of 6.3 would be ideal for growing these perennial plants.
Feed weekly with a high potash feed; something like a seaweed extract would be perfect. This plant will continue to flower right up until the first frosts providing they are dead-headed.
However, Perennial Lobelia Speciosa will die back after the first frost but will sprout the following spring again.
After the plant has died back, you can help it by feeding with a compost mulch. This will protect the plant’s root system over winter. However, place mulch under the foliage and do not bury this as it will rot.
Colin Barker from Filtersmart.com
Bleeding Heart
As the name suggests, it is a heart-shaped flower with twisted red and white vines around it.
Flowering time for Bleeding Hearts is from summer to fall, but it can take a couple of seasons to start blooming.
Coneflowers
Coneflowers are like Sunflowers but only in red. They have a long blooming period from mid-summer until the first frost and need 6-8 hours of sunlight every day.
The texture of the petals of red perennial flowers is like that of crepe paper –oh so soft and delicate. They grow best in well-drained soil.
In cooler climates, they require direct sunlight and partial shade in the case of warmer areas. One of the significant benefits of these perennials is that they are suitable for the soil as their roots can help with aeration and water filtration.
Perennial flowers require less maintenance but a regular one to look beautiful and stay healthy. One must remember to remove spent flowers and pull out the weeds.
Carrie Williams Howe from Homestead How-To
Red Yarrow
This plant produces beautiful, almost velvety red flowers that are lace-like in their appearance. They make an excellent cut flower for bouquets or just a lovely accent in your garden and are a perfect choice for pollinator gardens (bees love them).
Yarrow plants are also a great addition to a “guild” – a collection of plants surrounding a fruit tree – because their deep roots help accumulate beneficial nutrients from the soil.
We have planted them around our plum and cherry trees. Dried yarrow flowers may also have medicinal benefits – they were traditionally used to break a fever or create a poultice for rashes.
Niche Brislane from Stag Valley Homestead
Valerian
Among my favorite red varieties are Valerian (Valeriana Officinalis), as it not only lends a long blooming season and a cold-hardy survivor to your garden but has a striking, stately appearance as well as many medicinal benefits!
This plant is used in Early Europe and today to treat migraines, menstruations pain, insomnia, and fatigue, and this plant bears a wealth of usefulness behind its deep green foliage and scarlet blooms.
In return, all it needs is full sun in colder climates or partial shade for areas with intense heat, well-drained soil, and regular thinning at the end of the year.
Conclusion
These perennials come in a wide range of forms, heights, and fascinating features, but they’re all linked by their stunning red blooms.
Believe me! These red perennials will become your favorites, whether you want to add passion, drama, or just stunning splashes of color to your garden.
