15 Beautiful Perennial Flowering Shrubs

Flowering plants are excellent ways to add color to your garden. If you're looking for plants for your garden that you don't have to replant each year, you're in the right place.

We've collected some amazing perennial shrubs that you can use in your backyard!

Take a look at the great plants listed below:

  1. Brazilian Snapdragon (Achetaria azurea)
  2. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
  3. Orange Ball Tree (Buddleja globosa)
  4. American Mulberry (Callicarpa americana)
  5. Cape Jasmine/Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
  6. Common Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
  7. Baby Sage (Salvia microphylla)
  8. Dewberry (Rubus odoratus)
  9. Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)
  10. Adam's Needle Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)
  11. Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
  12. Roses (Rosa)
  13. African Mallow (Anisodontea)
  14. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
  15. Hardy Fuschia (Fuchsia magellanica)

Each of these plants is fantastic in its own way. Keep reading to learn more about what they look like and where to plant them!

15 Beautiful Perennial Flowering Shrubs

Amazing Flowering Shrubs

1. Brazilian Snapdragon (Achetaria azurea)

Amazon Blue, Brazilian Snapdragon, Otacanthus caeruleus,

You can grow the Brazilian Snapdragon outdoors as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a through 11b. If you live in a colder region, move your plant indoors during the winter.

These shrubs will grow between 1 and 2 feet tall. Brazilian Snapdragons produce fragrant, blue flowers that bloom throughout the entire year.

These plants prefer neutral loam or sandy soil with good drainage. You should also plant them in areas where they'll get full sun.

2. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

Purple buddleia flowers (Buddleja davidii).

Butterfly bushes can grow between 5 and 12 feet tall. They grow rapidly and are considered an invasive species in some states. These plants can grow in a variety of soil conditions including clay, sandy, and shallow rocky.

You can find butterfly bushes in yellow, pink, purple, white, and red. It just depends on the variety you selected. The blooms smell like honey and are good for butterflies and other pollinators.

3. Orange Ball Tree (Buddleja globosa)

Buddleja globosa medicinal plant or orange-ball-tree, orange ball buddleja, matico is aspecies of flowering plant.

The orange ball tree is technically a large shrub that can grow up to 15 feet. It is most suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 7a through 10b. Overall, orange ball trees are low-maintenance plants. Some pruning after flowering will help keep it nicely shaped.

These trees produce yellow or orange clusters of flowers. These blooms grow in clusters of approximately 50 flowers. The orange ball tree blooms during the summer months. Then, in the fall it will produce small capsule-shaped fruit.

Take a look at these seeds on Amazon!

4. American Mulberry (Callicarpa americana)

Thick patch of American beautyberry plants, with pink berries sticking out

People know the American mulberry for the fruits it produces, which are edible and good for wildlife. However, mulberry plants also produce flowers.

These flowers bloom from spring to summer. You can find blooms in blue, pink, purple, and white. The flowers are small and grow in clusters.

The American Mulberry is a fairly low-maintenance plant. You should plant it in an area that gets full sun. It does best in USDA Hardiness Zones 6a through 10b.

5. Cape Jasmine/Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)

Gardenia jasminoides common gardenia

Gardenia plants are perennials when planted outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 7b through 11b. In colder regions, they should get moved indoors for the winter months. Gardenias will grow between 4 and 8 feet tall. They prefer acidic soil that is well drained.

These plants produce flowers that are cream, yellow, or white. The blooms are fragrant and are visible from spring until summer. Gardenias then produce orange berries, which are beneficial to birds and other animals.

Take a look at this live plant on Amazon!

6. Common Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)

lavender field

Common or English lavender is a small shrub that can grow up to two feet high and three feet wide. These plants are suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 5a through 9b. The common lavender is prone to disease, especially if it's planted in poorly drained soil. 

Lavender flowers are typically purple. However, you can also see varieties of this spiked flower in pink and white. Lavender blooms are edible, fragrant, and you can use them to make essential oils. You can expect to see these flowers in the summer.

Check out this live plant on Amazon!

7. Baby Sage (Salvia microphylla)

Salvia microphylla - Hot Lips flower plant in bloom on dark

Baby sage or little leaf sage has a rating for USDA Hardiness Zones 7a through 10b. These plants grow well in locations with full sun. They also prefer neutral soil that is high in organic matter.

You can expect to see blooms for this plant from spring until fall. The flowers come in pink, red, and white hues. Baby sage flowers are good for attracting bees, butterflies, as well as hummingbirds.

8. Dewberry (Rubus parts)

Flowering raspberry pink flower outdoors. Latin name Rubus odoratus in bloom

Dewberry plants are suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3a through 8b. These plants prefer locations with full sun to part shade and well-drained soil. Dewberries can grow up to 6 feet and up to 8 feet wide.

Purple is the most common color to find the dewberry plant in. However, there are some varieties in pink. Dewberry blooms are fragrant and are visible for most of the spring and summer.

Dewberries also produce edible fruit. They are small, red, and on view from July until October. The edible fruits are unappetizing and better suited for wildlife.

 Check out these seeds on Amazon!

9. Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)

Close-up on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus blossoms (known as blueblossom or blue blossom ceanothus).

Blueblossoms are easy-to-grow shrubs that prefer sandy or loamy soil. These plants produce blooms that are blue, purple, or white. You can expect blossoms from May to June in spike-shaped clusters.

These shrubs grow rapidly, and if not controlled, can grow up to 20 feet. It will be important to prune to control its height.

10. Adam's Needle Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)

White Yucca filamentosa bush flowers, other names include Adams needle, common yucca, Spanish bayonet, bear-grass, needle-palm, silk-grass, and spoon-leaf yucca.

You can find Adam's needle yucca growing in USDA Hardiness Zones 4a through 10b. It can grow between 3 and 8 feet tall and 3 and 5 feet wide.

Adam's needle yucca prefers locations that get full sun, though they will tolerate some shade. This plant is an excellent choice for areas with sandy soil.

In the spring and summer, this yucca plant has bell-shaped, white blooms. The flowers are showy and are useful in soups and salads.

Check out these seeds on Amazon!

11. Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Pink and purple hydrangea flowers, lacecap hydrangea bush, shady garden

The bigleaf hydrangea is a shade-loving shrub that grows well in USDA Hardiness Zones 6a a through 11b. These plants can reach up to 6 feet tall and are fairly easy to grow. It's important to be cautious when handling this plant, as it is poisonous to humans and pets.

You can expect blooms from this plant in the summer. The blooms can be blue, pink, purple, or white. It's also possible to change the flower's color with the soil pH level. 

Take a look at this live plant on Amazon!

12. Roses (Rosa)

Selective focus on one blooming flower

Roses are perennial shrubs with climbing and spreading forms. These plants need full sun and do well in zones 5a through 11b. Some problems include powdery mildew, mites, and blights. However, roses are fairly tolerant of heat and frost.

These beautiful plants have blooms in a variety of colors. Some colors include red, cream, pink, and variegated. You will see these flowers in the summertime. They are fragrant and showy.

Check out this live 'Oranges 'n' Lemons' cultivar on Amazon!

13. African Mallow (Anisodontea)

Anisodontea, Mallow family

The African Mallow is an easy-to-grow plant with a long bloom season. You will find blooms from spring until winter. However, if you live in a warm location, you can see blooms all year.

African Mallow flowers are redder towards the base. As you move towards the tips, they lighten to pink.

These plants do well in a wide range of soils. The most important thing is that the soil has good drainage.

14. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Baptisia australis Blue false indigo

Despite its name, the blue false indigo plant can also produce blooms that are yellow, purple, and white. These flowers are viewable for a long time through the season. Typically, you can find blooms throughout the spring and summer.

This plant does well in USDA Zones 3a through 9b. You may need to provide support if this plant is in a shady location.

Check out this live plant on Amazon!

15. Hardy Fuschia (Fuchsia magellanica)

Close-up of a Fuchsia Patio Fairy flower in red and violet. Fuchsia plant is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. Hanging on a tree in Cameron highlands,

Hardy Fuschia plants prefer to grow in shady locations. They like soil with high organic matter that is consistently moist. These plants have an arching form and are great for hanging baskets or in front of walls.

You can expect to see Fuschia blooms starting in the summertime. They are red and usually viewable until the first frost. After the frost, they will die back down into the ground. This is natural and it will grow back come spring.

In Conclusion

Gardenia jasminoides common gardenia - 15 Beautiful Perennial Flowering Shrubs

There are so many options for flowering shrubs, no matter what type of climate you have! Be sure to check the Hardiness Zones for your plant, so you know if you should move them indoors during the winter. Doing this will keep the shrub growing as a perennial!

Take a look at these great posts!

When To Plant Perennials [By Zone and State]

15 Short Perennials That Bloom All Summer

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