Some plants just can’t stand on their own—and that’s okay, we all need a little support sometimes! In my garden, I’ve had tall flowers topple like dominoes and veggies lean so far they were practically horizontal.
That’s why I’ve learned which ones need a helping hand and which are tough enough to stand tall solo. I’m sharing my go-to list so you won’t have to guess (or rescue limp plants midseason).
Let’s give those drama queens some backup and cheer on the sturdy ones too!
1. Tomatoes
Most varieties sprawl across the ground if left unsupported, becoming vulnerable to pests and rot. Indeterminate types can grow over six feet tall and produce fruit throughout the season.
Use sturdy cages, stakes, or string trellises to keep vines upright. The extra effort pays off with cleaner fruit, better air circulation, and easier harvesting. Your back will thank you come tomato-picking time!
2. Dahlias
With their massive blooms that can reach dinner-plate size, these showstoppers need serious support. The hollow stems simply can’t handle the weight of those gorgeous flowers, especially after rain.
Place stakes when first planting, as adding them later risks damaging the tubers. Metal grid supports work wonderfully too. Without proper staking, you’ll find those beautiful blooms face-down in the mud after the first summer storm.
3. Delphiniums
Standing tall at 3-6 feet with spikes of brilliant blue, purple, or white flowers, these cottage garden favorites topple easily. Their relatively thin stems can’t support the weight of their spectacular blooms, especially during wind or rain.
Install sturdy stakes before plants reach 12 inches tall. Individual stakes or grow-through grid supports work well. The effort is worthwhile – properly staked delphiniums create a dramatic vertical element few other perennials can match.
4. Peonies
Famous for their lush, fragrant blooms that can be as heavy as softballs when fully open. Without support, these beauties end up nodding toward the ground, especially after rain when water collects in the bowl-shaped flowers.
Use peony rings or tomato cages early in the season before growth takes off. The foliage will quickly hide your support system. Your reward will be perfectly displayed blooms that stay clean and dry instead of flopping into the mud.
5. Gladiolus
These dramatic flower spikes can reach heights of 2-5 feet, making them top-heavy and prone to leaning or snapping in summer storms. The problem worsens as more florets open along the stem.
Individual bamboo stakes work well, placed at planting time. For mass plantings, consider a grid support system. Properly staked gladioli make spectacular cut flowers, but those grown without support often develop curved stems that limit their vase potential.
6. Hollyhocks
Growing up to 8 feet tall with flower-covered spires, these cottage garden classics are essentially vertical flower towers. Their height makes them particularly vulnerable to summer storms and strong winds.
Install sturdy stakes behind plants when they’re about a foot tall. Attach the growing stems loosely with garden twine as they grow. Without support, you might find your beautiful hollyhocks sprawled across the garden after a summer thunderstorm.
7. Sweet Peas
These climbing annuals produce waves of deliciously fragrant flowers but need something to grab onto with their tendrils. Without support, they create a tangled mat on the ground and produce fewer blooms.
Provide a trellis, fence, or netting at planting time. Chicken wire works well too. The vines can climb 6-8 feet when properly supported, creating a wall of color and fragrance that’s impossible to achieve if they’re left to sprawl on the ground.
8. Lilies
Oriental and Asiatic varieties can reach 3-6 feet tall with massive, heavy blooms perched on relatively slender stems. When in full flower, they become seriously top-heavy and prone to toppling.
Place stakes when bulbs first emerge to avoid damaging them later. Bamboo stakes work well when tied loosely to stems. Without staking, these magnificent flowers often bend or break, especially after summer rainstorms when their trumpet-shaped blooms collect water.
9. Sunflowers
The giant varieties with dinner-plate sized heads can reach 12 feet tall and carry blooms weighing several pounds. That’s a lot of weight balancing on a single stem, making them vulnerable to strong winds.
For the tallest varieties, install stakes when plants are young. Tie the stems loosely as they grow. The mammoth types especially need this support – their huge flower heads act like sails in the wind, catching gusts that can snap stems in half.
10. Peas
Garden peas use their tendrils to climb upward, producing more pods when grown vertically than when sprawling on the ground. Plus, vertical growth makes harvesting easier and keeps pods cleaner.
Provide pea fencing, chicken wire, or a trellis at planting time. Even twiggy branches pushed into the soil work well. Without support, pea plants become a tangled mess that’s difficult to harvest from and more susceptible to rot and pest problems.
11. Clematis
These gorgeous flowering vines need something to twine around as they reach for the sky. Their leaf stems act as tendrils, wrapping around supports to pull the plant upward toward the sun.
Provide a trellis, arbor, or even string attached to a wall. The support needs to be thin enough for leaf stems to grab. Without something to climb on, clematis sprawls on the ground, producing fewer flowers and becoming more susceptible to disease.
12. Peppers
Bell peppers and other large-fruited varieties often need support when loaded with fruit. The branches can snap under the weight, especially after rain when the fruits are at their heaviest.
Small tomato cages work perfectly for pepper plants. Even simple stakes can help keep heavily-laden branches from breaking. Supporting your pepper plants leads to higher yields and prevents fruits from touching the ground where they’re more likely to rot or be damaged by pests.
13. Foxgloves
These biennial beauties produce tall flower spikes that can reach 5 feet in height. The hollow stems filled with bell-shaped blooms create a top-heavy situation that’s vulnerable to summer storms.
Place stakes behind plants when flower spikes begin to form. Attach the stems loosely with garden twine. Without support, a summer rainstorm can leave your foxgloves bent or broken – a heartbreaking sight after waiting two years for them to bloom!
14. Cucumbers
Growing cucumbers vertically saves space and produces straighter, cleaner fruits. The vines naturally want to climb using their tendrils but need something appropriate to grab onto.
Trellises, cages, or netting work well for supporting cucumber vines. The vertical growth improves air circulation, reducing disease problems. Plus, vertically-grown cucumbers are easier to spot and harvest before they become overgrown and bitter.
15. Carnations
The long stems of tall garden carnations can flop under the weight of their beautiful blooms. This is especially true for the larger-flowered varieties that are popular for cutting.
Use grow-through grid supports or individual stakes placed early in the season. Proper support keeps the stems straight for cutting and prevents flowers from touching the ground. Your reward will be armloads of perfect blooms for bouquets instead of mud-splashed flowers after rain.
16. Lavender
Unlike many plants on this list, lavender typically stands strong on its own. The woody stems provide excellent natural support for the fragrant flower spikes, even in windy conditions.
Established plants rarely need staking unless severely damaged or overgrown. Their Mediterranean heritage has given them sturdy stems that withstand drought and wind. This self-supporting nature makes lavender perfect for low-maintenance gardens where you want beauty without the fuss of staking.
17. Yucca
These architectural plants feature sword-like leaves and tall flower spikes that stand perfectly upright without any help. Their desert origins have made them incredibly sturdy and self-supporting.
The thick, fibrous stems easily support the impressive flower stalks that can reach 8 feet tall. Even in high winds, yuccas rarely need staking. This independence makes them excellent choices for low-maintenance landscapes where you want dramatic vertical elements without extra work.
18. Rudbeckia
Better known as black-eyed Susans, these cheerful native flowers stand strong on their own. The sturdy stems support the daisy-like blooms even through summer storms and windy conditions.
Their prairie heritage has given them excellent stability without human intervention. The fibrous stems bend rather than break in strong winds, springing back upright afterward. This self-supporting nature makes rudbeckias perfect for naturalistic plantings where staking would look out of place.
19. Sedum
These succulent perennials develop thick, sturdy stems that support their flat-topped flower clusters without any help. The upright varieties like ‘Autumn Joy’ stand perfectly through all weather conditions.
Their drought-tolerant nature contributes to their self-supporting structure. The water-storing stems are strong enough to hold the weight of their blooms, even after rain. This independence makes sedums excellent choices for low-maintenance gardens where staking would be inconvenient.
20. Ornamental Grasses
Most varieties stand strong without staking, thanks to their flexible yet resilient structure. Even tall types like Miscanthus and Pampas grass rarely need support, swaying gracefully in the wind without breaking.
Their evolved structure allows them to bend without snapping when faced with strong winds. This natural flexibility makes ornamental grasses perfect for low-maintenance landscapes. They provide height, movement, and winter interest without requiring the gardener to provide artificial support.