September is the perfect time for Pennsylvania gardeners to get their hands dirty and plant perennials for next spring’s beautiful blooms. The cooling temperatures and typically moist soil create ideal conditions for root development before winter sets in.
Planning your garden now means you’ll be rewarded with a colorful explosion of flowers when the snow melts away.
1. Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Coneflowers bring a burst of color to any Pennsylvania garden with their daisy-like petals and raised centers. These native beauties attract butterflies and birds while standing tall against summer heat.
Plant them in well-drained soil where they’ll receive full sun. Once established, they’re remarkably drought-resistant and will return year after year with minimal care. Their seed heads provide winter interest and food for goldfinches.
2. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
Gardeners fall in love with the romantic charm of Bleeding Heart’s dangling heart-shaped blooms. These shade-loving perennials emerge early in spring, creating a woodland fairytale in Pennsylvania gardens.
Their ferny foliage adds texture even after the flowers fade. Plant them in rich, moist soil with morning sun and afternoon shade. They’ll go dormant in summer heat, making them perfect companions for later-blooming plants that can fill the space.
3. Hellebores (Lenten Rose)
Want flowers while snow still dusts the ground? Hellebores are Pennsylvania garden heroes, often blooming as early as February. Their nodding cup-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, and purple persist for months.
Tough as nails, these evergreen perennials thrive in partial shade and deer rarely bother them. Plant them where you can enjoy their downward-facing blooms, perhaps on a slope or raised bed. Their leathery foliage provides year-round structure in the garden.
4. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Virginia Bluebells create a magical blue carpet in Pennsylvania’s spring woodlands. The bell-shaped flowers start pink, then transform to a true sky-blue that few other plants can match.
Native to eastern forests, they prefer rich, moist soil and dappled shade. After flowering, they go dormant by early summer, so pair them with later-emerging perennials like hostas or ferns. September planting gives their roots time to establish before their early spring show.
5. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Nothing says spring in Pennsylvania quite like the flowing carpet of Creeping Phlox cascading over garden walls and rocky slopes. The star-shaped flowers blanket the needle-like evergreen foliage in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white.
Extremely hardy in Pennsylvania’s climate, this native ground cover thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Plant it along walkways, in rock gardens, or anywhere you need erosion control with a spectacular spring display. Deer typically leave it alone, adding to its carefree nature.
6. Columbine (Aquilegia)
Columbine’s delicate, spurred flowers dancing above ferny foliage bring springtime magic to Pennsylvania gardens. Hummingbirds can’t resist their unique blooms in shades of purple, pink, yellow, and bicolors.
These woodland natives prefer partial shade but adapt to full sun if given enough moisture. Allow them to self-seed for natural drifts throughout your garden. Their early bloom time makes them perfect companions for later-emerging perennials, creating a succession of interest in the same space.
7. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Coral Bells offer Pennsylvania gardeners year-round interest with their colorful foliage in shades of purple, amber, lime green, and silver. Small bell-shaped flowers appear on tall stems in spring, attracting hummingbirds.
Perfect for shady spots, these native woodland plants thrive in Pennsylvania’s climate. Their evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves provide winter interest when other perennials have disappeared. Plant them in groups for maximum impact, or use as edging plants along woodland paths.
8. Primrose (Primula)
Primroses bring early spring cheer with their cheerful clusters of yellow, pink, purple, and red blooms. Their crinkled leaves form neat rosettes that hug the ground in Pennsylvania gardens.
September planting allows these moisture-loving perennials to establish strong roots before winter. Give them rich, well-draining soil in partial shade, similar to their woodland origins. In Pennsylvania’s climate, they’ll often be among your first spring bloomers, sometimes peeking through late snow.
9. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
Siberian Iris brings architectural elegance to Pennsylvania spring gardens with its slender, graceful blooms and upright strappy foliage. Unlike bearded iris, these adaptable beauties thrive in both average garden soil and wet areas.
The delicate-looking flowers in shades of blue, purple, yellow, and white appear in late spring atop tall stems. After blooming, the grass-like foliage continues providing structure throughout summer and fall. Plant them where they’ll receive at least 6 hours of sun for best flowering.
10. Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss)
Brunnera lights up shady Pennsylvania gardens with clouds of tiny blue forget-me-not flowers in early spring. The heart-shaped leaves, especially in variegated varieties, create season-long interest after blooms fade.
September planting gives this shade-lover time to establish before winter dormancy. Place it in rich, moist soil where it’s protected from afternoon sun. Deer and rabbits typically avoid it, making it perfect for woodland gardens where wildlife pressure is high.
11. Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Lily of the Valley’s sweetly scented bell-shaped flowers create a fragrant carpet in shady Pennsylvania gardens each spring. The glossy green leaves emerge in tight rolls, unfurling to reveal the dangling white blooms.
Plant these woodland favorites in September to establish before winter. They prefer rich, moist soil in partial to full shade. Remember they spread vigorously by underground rhizomes, so plant where they can naturalize or contain them with barriers. Their sweet perfume makes them worth any extra maintenance.
12. Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
Lungwort dazzles Pennsylvania gardeners with its spotted or silver-splashed foliage and clusters of pink-to-blue flowers that appear as early as March. The color-changing blooms (from pink to blue as they age) create a beautiful two-tone effect.
Thriving in woodland settings, these shade-lovers perform beautifully under deciduous trees where they receive spring sun before the canopy leafs out. Their drought tolerance once established makes them surprisingly low-maintenance despite their delicate appearance. The textured leaves remain attractive all season after flowers fade.
13. Foam Flower (Tiarella)
Foam Flower earns its name from the frothy spires of tiny star-shaped blossoms that hover above maple-like leaves in spring. This Pennsylvania native creates a delicate groundcover in woodland gardens, with some varieties featuring dramatic leaf markings.
September planting allows these shade-lovers to establish strong roots before winter dormancy. They prefer rich, moist soil but will tolerate drier conditions once established. Pair them with ferns, hostas, or coral bells for a naturalistic woodland garden that celebrates Pennsylvania’s native flora.
14. Crocus (Crocus vernus)
Crocus brings the first splash of color to Pennsylvania gardens, often poking through late snow with their vibrant cups of purple, yellow, and white. Fall-planted bulbs multiply over years, creating expanding drifts of early spring cheer.
Plant these small bulbs in September, placing them in well-drained soil where they’ll receive full sun in early spring. Try naturalizing them in lawns, rock gardens, or under deciduous trees. Their diminutive size makes them perfect for edging paths or tucking between later-emerging perennials.