It’s the middle of the season, and guess who’s still blooming like they just got started? I’ve got a bunch of garden stars that just won’t quit—and honestly, I’m not mad about it.
These long-blooming champs bring steady color and charm while the rest take a break. I’ve also tossed in a few classic favorites, because they’re too good to leave out.
Let’s give a little love to the flowers that truly go the distance.
1. Geraniums
Few flowers deliver as much bang for your buck as these cheerful bloomers. Hardy geraniums produce waves of saucer-shaped blossoms from May until the first frost, often for 3-4 months straight. Their resilience in both containers and garden beds makes them incredibly versatile.
Available in pinks, purples, blues, and whites, they thrive in both sun and partial shade. Most varieties are surprisingly drought-tolerant once established, making them perfect for busy gardeners who occasionally forget to water.
2. Black-Eyed Susan
Golden sunshiny faces with dark centers make these native wildflowers instant mood-lifters in any garden. Black-eyed Susans typically start their show in early summer and keep going strong through early fall, providing months of bright yellow blooms.
Butterflies can’t resist their nectar-rich centers, turning your garden into a wildlife haven. Extremely drought-tolerant once established, they’ll bounce back after even the hottest summer days. Their ability to self-seed means you’ll enjoy more plants each year without extra work.
3. Coreopsis
Affectionately called tickseed, these daisy-like flowers bring non-stop color from early summer until fall frost. Their cheery yellow, orange, or bicolor blooms seem to float above delicate, feathery foliage, creating movement even on still days.
Regular deadheading encourages these determined bloomers to produce even more flowers. Heat and drought barely slow them down, making them perfect for hot, sunny spots where other plants struggle. Many newer varieties rebloom automatically without deadheading, saving you time in the garden.
4. Lantana
Tiny clusters of multicolored flowers transform into a kaleidoscope effect as each bloom changes color as it ages. Lantana starts flowering in late spring and doesn’t quit until frost, providing an extraordinary 5+ months of continuous color in warm climates.
Butterflies and hummingbirds flock to these nectar-rich blooms all season long. Heat and drought seem to make lantana bloom even more profusely, unlike most other garden flowers. Their slightly citrusy fragrance adds another sensory dimension to garden beds or containers.
5. Calibrachoa
Often called million bells, these tiny petunia cousins truly earn their nickname by producing countless blooms from spring until frost. Their trailing habit makes them perfect for hanging baskets where cascades of trumpet-shaped flowers create dramatic color waterfalls.
Unlike their petunia relatives, calibrachoa blooms don’t get sticky or need deadheading after rain. Available in virtually every color including rare blues and unusual patterns, they’re ideal for containers. Modern varieties are self-cleaning, meaning spent blooms drop off naturally to make way for new ones.
6. Salvia
Spikes of intensely colored tubular flowers make salvias stand out in any garden from early summer through fall. Hummingbirds zoom straight to these nectar-rich blooms, often becoming regular visitors once they discover them in your garden.
Many varieties like ‘May Night’ and ‘Caradonna’ rebloom automatically if you shear them back after the first flush. Their aromatic foliage deters deer and rabbits, protecting not just themselves but nearby plants too. Drought tolerance makes them perfect for water-wise gardens in hot climates.
7. Verbena
Flat clusters of tiny flowers create landing pads for butterflies from late spring through fall frost. Verbenas come in vibrant purples, pinks, reds and whites, with newer varieties offering improved heat tolerance and disease resistance.
Their sprawling growth habit makes them perfect for filling gaps between other perennials or spilling over walls. Some varieties like ‘Homestead Purple’ return reliably for years in warmer zones. The hairy leaves and stems help these plants withstand drought conditions that would wilt other flowers.
8. Zinnia
From button-sized pompoms to dinner-plate blooms, zinnias offer tremendous variety while flowering non-stop from early summer until frost. Their bold colors—scarlet, orange, yellow, pink, purple—stand up to summer heat without fading, looking as fresh in September as they did in June.
Cutting actually stimulates more flowering, making them perfect for both garden display and bouquets. Pollinators absolutely adore their pollen-rich centers, turning zinnia patches into buzzing wildlife hubs. Even beginners can grow these undemanding annuals from inexpensive seeds sown directly in garden soil.
9. Scabiosa
Commonly called pincushion flower, these delicate-looking blooms are surprisingly tough performers from early summer through fall. Their unique pincushion-shaped flowers bobbing on slender stems bring a lightness to garden designs that few other plants can match.
Bees and butterflies find their nectar irresistible, visiting throughout the long flowering season. Regular deadheading encourages continuous flowering for months. Their blue-purple, pink, or white blooms combine beautifully with almost any other garden plant, making them versatile design elements.
10. Gaura
Dancing on slender stems like butterflies in a breeze, gaura flowers create movement and lightness in garden borders. Their white or pink blooms appear in early summer and continue non-stop through fall, spanning an impressive 4-5 month season.
Once established, these native prairie plants laugh at drought and heat that would decimate other flowers. Their wispy, airy nature makes them perfect for softening the edges of more structured plants. Morning sun brings out their best flowering while afternoon shade in hot climates helps extend their blooming period.
11. Gaillardia
Bold red and yellow daisy-like flowers have earned these natives the fitting nickname “blanket flower” for how they cover themselves in blooms. Starting in early summer, gaillardia produces wave after wave of bright flowers until frost, often for 4+ months in most climates.
Poor soil actually improves their flowering, making them perfect for tough spots where other plants struggle. Their bright colors hold up beautifully in summer heat without fading. Native bees especially appreciate their pollen-rich centers during the hottest months when other flowers may be scarce.
12. Echinacea
Modern coneflower varieties have transformed this native prairie plant into a long-blooming garden superstar. Beginning in early summer, their distinctive cone-shaped centers surrounded by colorful petals keep going strong through early fall.
Leaving the spent flowers standing provides winter interest and food for goldfinches who love the seeds. New varieties come in sunset hues of orange, yellow, and red beyond the traditional purple. Their deep roots help them sail through dry periods that would stress other perennials.
13. Agastache
Spikes of tubular flowers in lavender, pink, or orange make this herb garden favorite a hummingbird magnet from summer through fall. Often called hyssop or hummingbird mint, agastache combines showy flowers with aromatic foliage that releases a minty-licorice scent when brushed against.
Extremely heat and drought tolerant, these plants actually bloom better with a little neglect. Their upright form provides vertical interest in garden designs. Deer and rabbits typically avoid them due to the aromatic oils in the leaves, making them perfect for unprotected gardens.
14. Nepeta
Clouds of lavender-blue flowers hover above aromatic gray-green foliage from late spring through fall if properly maintained. Catmint, as it’s commonly called, can be sheared back after its first flush of bloom to trigger a second and even third wave of flowers.
Cats may roll in the foliage, but deer and rabbits typically avoid it completely. Drought-tolerant and unfussy about soil, nepeta thrives in conditions that challenge other perennials. Its soft color acts as a perfect foil for bolder flowers, creating garden harmony through contrast.
15. Pentas
Star-shaped flowers clustered in rounded heads bring non-stop color from late spring until frost in warm climates. Available in red, pink, purple, and white, pentas maintain their vibrant colors even during the hottest summer days when other flowers fade.
Butterflies and hummingbirds flock to these nectar-rich blooms all season. Their neat, bushy habit makes them ideal for both containers and garden beds. In frost-free areas, these tender perennials can bloom almost year-round, providing exceptional long-term value.
16. Osteospermum
Commonly called African daisies, these distinctive flowers feature contrasting centers that make them pop in garden settings. Their daisy-like blooms open with the morning sun and keep producing from spring through fall in mild climates.
Modern varieties have been bred for heat tolerance, extending their bloom season through summer. Fascinating spoon-shaped petals on some varieties add unique textural interest. Their compact growth habit makes them ideal for containers and front-of-border placements where their details can be appreciated up close.
17. Dianthus
Spicy clove fragrance sets these cottage garden classics apart from other long-bloomers. Modern varieties of pinks, as they’re often called, start flowering in spring and continue through fall if deadheaded regularly, especially the ‘Constant Beauty’ and ‘Fruit Punch’ series.
Their neat mounds of blue-green foliage look attractive even when not in bloom. Available in pinks, reds, whites and bicolors, many feature intricate patterns on each petal. Their low water needs make them excellent choices for rock gardens and other dry spots.
18. Cosmos
Airy, ferny foliage topped with simple daisy-like flowers creates a meadow-like effect from early summer until frost. Reaching heights from 18 inches to 4 feet depending on variety, cosmos bring movement to gardens as they sway in the slightest breeze.
These easy-growing annuals self-seed readily, often returning year after year without replanting. Their pink, white, and magenta blooms attract beneficial insects to vegetable gardens. Cutting actually stimulates more flowering, making them excellent for both garden display and bouquets.
19. Angelonia
Sometimes called summer snapdragon, angelonia produces spikes of delicate flowers that keep blooming through the hottest summer days. Their upright growth habit, reaching 12-18 inches, makes them perfect for adding vertical interest to containers and garden beds.
Available in purple, pink, white and bicolors, they maintain their vibrant hues even in intense sun. Unlike many other summer flowers, angelonia rarely needs deadheading to keep blooming continuously. Their slight grape-soda fragrance adds another dimension of garden enjoyment on warm evenings.
20. Petunias
Modern varieties have transformed these garden standbys into true marathon bloomers from spring through fall. Wave and Supertunia types have revolutionized petunia performance with their self-cleaning habit, eliminating the tedious deadheading that older varieties required.
Available in every color except true blue, many feature striking patterns, stripes or picotee edges. Their versatility shines in hanging baskets, containers, and garden beds alike. Some varieties like ‘Night Sky’ feature speckled patterns that look like tiny stars against dark purple backgrounds.