Annual and Perennial Flowers for North Dakota
(H322, Revised Feb. 2024)Annuals and perennials are an excellent source of color and beauty for North Dakota landscapes.
Annuals are used for their continuous flower color throughout most of the growing season. They are started anew each year. Perennials are used for their permanence in the landscape setting, offering specific periods of bloom, relatively low maintenance and wide adaptability.
Perennials usually can be divided in the spring or fall. In general, spring-blooming plants should be divided in the fall. Fall-blooming plants should be divided in the spring. Summer-blooming plants can be divided at either time. These new divisions can be replanted or given to a friend or neighbor.
Because North Dakota summers are so unpredictable, putting out transplants after killing frost threats have passed usually is a good idea.
This publication provides suggestions for flowers for specific locations in and around the landscape. These include low-growing and tall plants, and plants for shade and full-sun/dry locations, massing, attracting pollinators and fragrance.
This does not mean a plant selected for a particular location absolutely cannot grow in another type of location. This is merely a guide indicating where the selected plants grow best under those conditions. Some plants may be listed in more than one category.
Annuals
Low growing (6 to 8 inches)
Ageratum
Alyssum
Dahlberg daisy
Dianthus
Dusty Miller
Lobelia
Marigolds (French or dwarf)
Moss rose
Nemophilia
Nierembergia
Pansy
Petunias (spreading) (Figure 1)
Snapdragons (dwarf)
Vinca (spreading)
Zinnia (dwarf)
Intermediate (10 to 20 inches)
Angelonia (Figure 2)
Begonia (wax)
Gaillardia
Gomphrena
Geranium
Impatiens
Marigold
Petunia
Salvia (S. splendens)
Verbena
Vinca
Zinnia (Z. angustifolia)
Tall (24 to 48-plus inches)
Cannas
Celosia (Figure 3)
Cleome
Cosmos
Fountain grass
Gaura
Marigold (American or African)
Nicotiana
Snapdragon
Statice
Zinnia (Z. elegans)
Plants for Shade
Begonia (wax and tuberous)
Browallia
Caladium
Coleus (Figure 4)
Dahlberg daisy (light shade)
Impatiens (Standard and New Guinea)
Lobelia (light shade)
Myosotis (forget-me-not)
Nemesia (light shade)
Nemophila (light shade)
Nicotiana (light shade)
Nigella
Pansy
Poppy (light shade or east side)
Torenia (light shade)
Full Sun/Dry Locations
Calendula
California poppy
Celosia
Cleome
Dusty Miller (Senecio)
Gaillardia
Lantana
Lisianthus (Eustoma)
Moss rose (Portulaca)
Rudbeckia (Figure 5)
Statice (Limonium)
Sanvitalia
Tithonia (Mexican sunflower)
Verbena
Vinca
Perennials - Color Guide
Pink to Red
Achillea millefolium
Astilbe (Figure 7)
Boltonia
Chelone lyonii (Figure 8)
Dianthus
Dicentra
Echinacea
Erigeron
Geranium
Hemerocallis
Heuchera
Hylotelephium spectabile
Iris
Lobelia cardinalis
Lychnis calcedonica
Paeonia
Phlox
Physostegia
Salvia nemorosa, ‘Rose Marvel’
Symphyotrichum (aster)
Yellow to Orange
Achillea , ‘Coronation Gold’
Alchemilla
Aurinia saxatilis
Coreopsis (Figure 9)
Gaillardia
Hemerocallis
Heliopsis
Iris
Ligularia
Linum flavum
Oenothera
Papaver orientale
Ratibida
Rudbeckia
Sedum
Solidago
Season of Bloom
Foliar Impacts
Heights 12 to 24 Inches
Achillea
Arum
Asarum
Campanula rotundifolia
Coreposis auriculata ‘Nana’
Dendranthemum
Dianthus barbatus
Dictamnus albus
Erigeron ‘Walther’
Geranium
Heuchera sanguinea
Hosta lancifolia
Hylotelephium spectabile (Figure 13)
Iris, Bearded
Linum perenne
Lychnis X arkwrightii
Paeonia tenuifolia
Phlox divaricata
Sedum aizoon
Veronica ‘Crater Lake Blue’
Veronica spicata
More than 24 Inches
Achillea filipendulina
Aquilegia canadensis
Aster
Astilbe
Baptisia (Figure 14)
Boltonia asteroides ‘Snowbank’
Coreopsis ‘Golden Showers’
Delphinium elatum
Dictamnus albus ‘Purpureus’
Echinacea purpurea
Echinops vitro
Eryngium amethystinum
Hosta sieboldiana
Iris
Liatris spicata
Lychnis chalcedonica
Monarda didyma
Papaver orientale
Phlox paniculata
Physostegia virginiana
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Solidago ‘Gold Dwarf’
Veronica virginica
Yucca
All-America Selection (AAS) Winners
All-America Selections is an independent, nonprofit organization that tests new varieties of annuals and vegetables across the U.S. Each year, All-America Selections winners are announced. Interested gardeners should consider using these cultivars in their plant selections, whether these are current winners or winners from previous years.
These are the most extensively tested herbaceous plants in North America. NDSU has two AAS demonstration gardens: one on the campus in Fargo and the other at the Williston Research Extension Center. There, you can observe just how well these selections are doing under “normal” care.
For more information on All-America Selection winners, go to www.all-americaselections.org.
The Perennial Plant of the Year
The Perennial Plant of the Year (POY) program began in 1990 to showcase a perennial that is a standout among its competitors. Perennials chosen are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest and are relatively pest/disease-free. If you are looking for an excellent perennial for your next landscape project or something reliable for your gardens, check out the Perennial Plant of the Year archive list at https://perennialplant.org/page/PastPPOY. More information about other perennials can be found in the Plant Database.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map (Figure 15) provides guidance for planting perennials. The vast majority of North Dakota is in zone 4. Gardeners in zone 4 should look for perennials that are hardy to zone 4 or a lower number.
Northern sections of the state are in zone 3. Gardeners there should purchase perennials that are hardy to zone 3 or lower. Hardiness zones are indicated on the plant label.
Gardeners who live near the boundary of zone 4 and 3 should be more conservative and purchase zone 3 plants.
Common Name Reference
Perennials
Achillea — Yarrow
Ajuga — Bugleweed
Alchemilla — Lady’s mantle
Allium — Ornamental onion
Anaphalis — Pearly everlasting
Aquilegia — Columbine
Arabis — Rock cress
Artemisia — Wormwood
Aruncus — Goatsbeard
Astilbe — Astilbe, false spirea
Aurinia — Basket-of-gold
Baptisia —F alse indigo
Boltonia — Boltonia
Campanula — Bellflower
Cerastium — Snow-in-summer
Chelone — Turtlehead
Coreopsis — Tickseed
Delphinium — Delphinium, larkspur
Dendranthemum — Garden mum
Dianthus — Pink
Dicentra — Bleeding heart
Dictamnus — Gas plant
Echinacea — Purple coneflower
Erigeron — Fleabane
Eryngium — Sea holly
Gaillardia — Blanket flower
Geranium — Cranesbill
Gypsophila — Baby’s breath
Heliopsis — False sunflower, oxeye
Hemerocallis — Daylily
Heuchera — Alumroot
Hosta — Plantain lily
Hylotelephium — Tall sedum
Iris — Iris
Lamium — Dead nettle
Leucanthemum — Shasta daisy
Liatris — Blazing star, gayfeather
Ligularia — Bigleaf goldenray
Linum — Flax
Lobelia — Cardinal flower
Lychnis — Arkwright campion, rose campion
Monarda — Bee balm
Myosotis — Forget-me-not
Nepeta — Catmint
Oenothera — Sundrops, primrose
Paeonia — Peony
Papaver — Poppy
Perovskia — Azure sage, Russian sage
Phlox — Prairie phlox
Physotegia — Obedient plant, false dragonhead
Ratibida — Prairie coneflower
Rudbeckia — Coneflower, black-eyed Susan
Salvia — Sage
Scabiosa — Pincushion flower
Sedum — Stonecrop
Solidago — Goldenrod
Symphyotrichum — Aster
Thymus — Thyme
Veronica — Speedwell
Viola — Violet
Yucca — Adam’s needle
This publication was authored by Barb Laschkewitsch, NDSU agricultural research specialist, and Ron Smith, retired NDSU Extension horticulturist.
NDSU Extension does not endorse commercial products or companies even though reference may be made to tradenames, trademarks or service names.
For more information on this and other topics, see www.ndsu.edu/extension
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