Gardening Flowers Perennials 14 Giant Perennials That Will Make a Big Impact in Your Garden By Andrea Beck Andrea Beck Andrea Beck spent more than three years writing about food for Better Homes & Gardens before serving as the assistant digital garden editor. Now, she writes about lifestyle topics, including food, garden, home, and health for Hy-Vee's Seasons magazine. Her work has appeared on Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, MyRecipes, and more. Andrea holds a double degree in magazines and English, with a minor in politics from Drake University. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on April 20, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jim Westphalen Extra-tall perennials can quickly create a living privacy screen, hide an ugly fence, or add a beautiful backdrop for smaller plants to have a moment. These species all can grow 6 feet tall or more, and when in bloom, they'll really take your garden to new heights. 01 of 14 Perennial Hibiscus Peter Krumhardt It may look like a tender tropical plant, but native perennial hibiscus is hardy enough to withstand freezing winters. This giant plant produces 12-inch-wide flowers in stunning shades of red, pink, and white on stems that can tower over your garden. It's slow to emerge in spring, but once it does it grows quickly. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil (hibiscus plants don't like drying out) Size: Up to 7 feet tall Zones: 5-10 Buy It: Exotic Hibiscus Collection ($60, Breck's) 02 of 14 Oriental Lily Jon Jensen Grow Oriental lilies for a colorful and fragrant living screen. These hardy beauties reach 4-6 feet tall (or more) and produce huge flowers in red, pink, and white. The cut flowers will also make bouquets more dramatic and eye-catching thanks to their enormous, intricate blooms. Growing conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Oriental Lilies Stargazer Bulbs ($13, The Home Depot) 03 of 14 Joe Pye Weed Marty Baldwin Attract butterflies to your garden with Joe Pye weed. It's a tough-as-nails native perennial that will quickly spring up in your garden. In late summer, the plant produces waves of nectar-rich pink flowers that butterflies love. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 3-10 Buy It: Joe Pye Weed Native Wildflower Seeds ($3, Walmart) 04 of 14 Delphinium David McDonald Make stunning cut-flower arrangements with delphiniums. This summer-garden classic bears spikes of intensely colored blossoms in shades of blue, purple, white, and pink. The biggest varieties can reach 6 feet tall, though you can also find dwarf selections if you have a small garden. Cut down spent blossoms to coax another flush of blooms. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and rich, well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Multi-Colored Flowers Delphinium Mixture ($13, The Home Depot) 05 of 14 'Herbstonne' Black-Eyed Susan Marty Baldwin Heat- and drought-resistant, easy-care 'Herbstonne' black-eyed Susan will add a burst of cheery yellow color to the back of the border. This perennial soars to 6 feet tall and produces bright blooms from midsummer to early fall. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 5-9 Buy It: Herbstonne Black-Eyed Susan 06 of 14 Hollyhock Jim Westphalen Lend a little cottage garden charm to your perennial border with hollyhock. Known for its tall spires of colorful blooms, hollyhock is the perfect back-of-the-border plant. Just take note: If you live in a windy area, you may need to stake these plants to keep them standing upright. Also, these plants are biennials, meaning they have a 2-year lifespan. Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 3-8 Buy It: Double Pink Hollyhock ($11, The Home Depot) 07 of 14 Boltonia Bill Holt Try edging your back fence with stunning boltonia. This underused North American native plant looks like a 6-foot-tall aster. It puts on a big fall show when covered in starry white or pink flowers. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Boltonia Asteroides Seeds ($10, Etsy) 08 of 14 Goatsbeard Peter Krumhardt Create color and interest in hard-to-landscape shady spots with goatsbeard. This fun plant looks like a giant astilbe with its finely divided foliage and early-summer plumes of creamy-white flowers. Growing Conditions: Full to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 6 feet tall Zones: 3-7 Buy It: Goatsbeard Live Plant 09 of 14 Giant Lily Allan Mandell This amazing bulb lives up to its name. In summer, giant lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) produces spikes of up to 20 trumpet-shape white flowers with maroon stripes and a strong fragrance. The plant itself can easily reach towering heights and thrives in part shade. Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 9 feet tall Zones: 7-9 Buy It: Cardiocrinum Giganteum Bulb 10 of 14 Queen of the Prairie Peter Krumhardt Give your garden a festive appearance with queen of the prairie's fluffy, cotton-candylike heads of fragrant pink flowers. Also called meadowsweet, this easy-growing native wildflower has toothed, dark-green foliage that's a great accent to the blooms and a striking backdrop for other perennials. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Queen Of The Prairie Seeds 11 of 14 Plume Poppy Matthew Benson A perfect perennial if you have a lot of space and want to make a big statement, plume poppy produces airy clusters of flowers over big, tropical-looking leaves. One note: It's a fast spreader and needs lots of room to grow. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: Up to 7 feet tall Zones: 3-8 Buy It: Plume Poppy ($10, Etsy) 12 of 14 Gunnera Bill Holt Give your garden a touch of the exotic with gunnera. Everything about this perennial seems prehistoric, from its 6-foot-wide leaves to its weird flowers and spiny stems. Get an established specimen going in your garden and it might seem like a dinosaur could be hiding behind the 8-foot-tall mound. Growing Conditions: Part shade and consistently moist, fertile soil Size: Up to 10 feet tall Zones: 7-10 Buy It: Gunnera Manicata Seeds ($10, Etsy) 13 of 14 Canna Blaine Moats Make a statement in your garden with cannas. Their big leaves and brilliantly colored blooms in shades of yellow, orange, red, and pink will instantly lend your garden a tropical feel. You can also find varieties with variegated leaves that make an even bigger statement. Dwarf cannas may only grow 3 feet tall, while others can soar much higher. Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and consistently moist soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 7-10; in colder areas you can dig and store the tubers in a frost-free place for the winter Buy It: Giant Canna Bulbs ($21, The Home Depot) 14 of 14 Cup Plant Rob Cardillo Standing tall over the prairies of North America (or your garden), cup plant produces golden daisies on sturdy 8-foot-tall stems from midsummer to early fall. Wondering where its name comes from? The upper leaves attach and clasp the stem, creating a "cup" that holds water for birds and other critters. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained, consistently moist soil Size: Up to 8 feet tall Zones: 3-9 Buy It: Cup Plant Seeds ($3, Walmart) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit