The Best Perennial Flowers for West Virginia: 8 Flowers That Love the Heat

West Virginia has a pretty varied climate. While they experience moderately cold winters, their summers are warm and humid. Between May and September, its warmest months can reach highs of 85°F. Growing a beautiful garden full of perennials is easier than ever if you’re prepared with this information. Find out which perennial is right for you below.

1. Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)

Including coneflowers in your garden is a great choice! This tough perennial comes in various colors with reflexed petals that fold backward to reveal a unique, contrasting center. Plan on planting them toward the center of your flower bed because they can grow up to 3 feet tall. They’re simple to grow, and you will see blooms early to mid-summer well into the fall. Plant your coneflowers during the springtime, and they’ll get at least 6 to 8 hours of sun per day.

2. Bee Balm (Morada)

Do you want to attract more of nature’s pollinators? Bee balm might be the right choice for your garden. This frilly-topped perennial is natural for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. You can find these in shades of white, red, pink, and purple. They can grow up to 4 feet and do well being planted in clusters. Ensure they get plenty of sunshine, at least 6 hours, because they perform best in full sun. You can expect them to bloom in July and continue to bloom throughout late summer.

3. Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

There’s a reason why garden phlox has stood the test of time. It’s not fussy when it comes time to plant, as it can be planted in spring and fall. This old-fashioned perennial has masses of tiny flowers that form a conical flower head. You can find them in white and magenta to reds, pinks, and lavender. They will reach 3 feet tall at most and bloom mid-summer into early fall. These beautiful flowers require full sun and moist soil.

4. Russian sage (Perovskia spp.)

The herbaceous woody perennial known as Russian Sage is easy to grow if you plant it in late spring. Your Russian sage will do best in well-drained soil and must be placed at least 18 inches apart. Ensure they’re placed somewhere in your yard that receives full sun. Don’t forget that it’s highly aromatic as well! This 3 to 5-foot-tall perennial blooms from mid-summer into fall, providing your garden with beautiful lavender-blue flowers.

5. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)

Black-eyed Susan are known as short-lived perennials. This attractive deep yellow to orange flower will have your garden see plenty of birds and butterflies. They only reach about 30 inches in height and tend to flower in late summer or early fall. Plan on planting your seeds in spring or fall. While they can tolerate shade, this flower will always do better in full sun. Overwatering these flowers can cause bigger problems than underwatering, so if in doubt, wait a day!

6. Hostas (Hosta spp.)

You can never go wrong by adding hostas to your perennial garden. These deep green and blue-green to lovely variegated varieties come with striking white edges. While you can get dwarf-sized hostas that only grow to 8 inches, you could also find some that grow up to 10 feet tall! Treat this plant to partial shade and well-drained soil. Depending on the variety, they only bloom for about three weeks, between May and September.

7. Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)

The daylily is a fantastic, low-maintenance perennial with flowers that only last one full day! Don’t fret, though, because each stalk has at least 12 to 15 buds on it. This drought-resistant flower isn’t picky about soil quality and should be planted in early spring once the soil is workable. They prefer full sun but will still thrive in partial sun. Most daylilies bloom in June or July and will bloom for up to 5 weeks!

8. Calliopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

These brilliant yellow and gold perennials will brighten up your garden bed! Similar to daisies in appearance, these single or double-petaled flowers will bloom from early summer into the fall. You can find some of these as short as 2 feet or as tall as 6 feet! Partial shade or full sun are the best options, as well as average, well-drained soil. Plant your seeds in spring after the last frost; you can expect blooms from summer through fall.

Summary of the 8 Best Perennial Flowers for West Virginia