Wisconsin gardeners face unique challenges with cold winters and varying summer conditions. Finding perennials that return year after year saves money and creates a stunning landscape with minimal effort.
These hardy flowering plants thrive in Wisconsin’s climate zones, offering gorgeous blooms from spring through fall.
1. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
Native to the Midwest, purple coneflower stands tall with its distinctive cone-shaped centers and purple-pink petals. Butterflies and bees can’t resist these summer bloomers!
Plant in full sun with well-drained soil for best results. They’re incredibly drought-tolerant once established, making summer care nearly effortless. Best of all, they self-seed readily, creating natural colonies over time.
2. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Golden yellow flowers with dark centers light up Wisconsin gardens from July through September. Their cheerful appearance pairs wonderfully with ornamental grasses and purple companions.
Surprisingly tough despite their delicate appearance, these native wildflowers handle poor soil and partial shade. Division every few years keeps them vigorous. For winter interest, leave the seed heads standing—birds will thank you for the natural food source.
3. Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Virtually indestructible, daylilies earn their keep in Wisconsin landscapes with minimal fuss. Each bloom lasts just one day, but plants produce buds in succession for weeks of color.
Modern varieties offer reblooming capabilities and colors ranging from pale yellow to deep burgundy. Dividing clumps every few years maintains vigor and provides free plants. Even roadside ditches showcase their toughness, proving they can handle Wisconsin’s challenging conditions.
4. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica)
Elegant and architectural, Siberian iris brings early summer grace to Wisconsin gardens. Unlike their bearded cousins, these irises feature slim, grassy foliage that looks attractive even after flowering ends.
Moisture-loving yet adaptable, they perform beautifully near water features or in average garden beds. Flower colors range from deep purple to white, with delicate veining adding visual interest. Fall brings an extra bonus as foliage turns golden before winter dormancy.
5. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)
Heart-shaped pink or white blooms dangle from arching stems in spring, creating woodland magic in shady Wisconsin gardens. Grandmother’s gardens often featured these romantic flowers for good reason.
Perfectly suited to Wisconsin’s climate, bleeding hearts go dormant during summer heat—pair them with hostas or ferns for season-long interest. Traditional pink varieties create nostalgia, while modern white ‘Alba’ offers elegant sophistication. Plant where spring snow melts first for earliest blooms.
6. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Resembling fireworks in the garden, bee balm’s spiky red, pink, or purple flowers create summer excitement while attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Native American tribes used the aromatic leaves for tea.
Spreading happily in Wisconsin gardens, bee balm needs occasional division to prevent overcrowding. Look for mildew-resistant varieties for best performance in humid summers. Cutting spent flowers encourages additional blooming, extending the show into early fall.
7. Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Grown primarily for their stunning foliage, coral bells offer Wisconsin gardeners season-long color without relying on flowers. Modern varieties showcase leaves in purple, caramel, lime green, and silver.
Dainty bell-shaped flowers appear on tall stems, attracting hummingbirds. Evergreen in mild winters, these shade-tolerant perennials create year-round structure. Planting on raised mounds prevents winter crown rot—a smart strategy for Wisconsin’s freeze-thaw cycles.
8. Russian Sage (Perovskia)
Clouds of lavender-blue flowers float above silvery foliage from midsummer through fall. Russian sage creates a drought-tolerant anchor in Wisconsin perennial borders, especially when paired with golden black-eyed Susans.
Aromatic foliage repels deer and rabbits—a huge advantage in rural Wisconsin gardens. Woody stems require spring cutback to encourage bushy growth. Plant in the poorest, driest spot in your garden; excessive fertility produces floppy stems instead of the upright habit gardeners prize.
9. Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Sweet fragrance wafts through Wisconsin gardens when summer phlox blooms. Rounded flower clusters in white, pink, lavender, and purple create old-fashioned charm from July through September.
Butterflies flock to the nectar-rich blooms during hot summer days. Modern mildew-resistant varieties like ‘David’ perform best in Wisconsin’s humid conditions. Good air circulation prevents disease problems, so avoid overcrowding these cottage garden favorites.
10. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Starting with broccoli-like buds in summer, ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum transitions to pink and eventually rusty-bronze flower heads by fall. Its water-storing leaves and stems laugh at Wisconsin’s summer dry spells.
Bees and butterflies swarm the flat-topped flowers during late summer nectar shortages. Winter interest continues as the dried flower heads catch snow, creating natural sculpture. Plant in full sun with well-drained soil to prevent center rot during wet seasons.
11. Hardy Geranium (Geranium sanguineum)
Low-growing mounds of deeply cut foliage support cup-shaped pink or purple flowers throughout summer. Unlike annual geraniums, these tough perennials return reliably after Wisconsin winters.
Fall brings spectacular red foliage color before winter dormancy. Versatile and adaptable, hardy geraniums work as groundcovers, rock garden specimens, or border edging. Their non-aggressive spreading habit fills spaces without becoming invasive—a perfect balance for mixed perennial beds.
12. Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Vertical purple flower spikes rise above grassy foliage in midsummer, creating dramatic exclamation points in Wisconsin prairie gardens. Unlike most flowers that bloom from the bottom up, blazing star flowers open from top to bottom.
Native to Wisconsin prairies, these tough plants handle both drought and occasional flooding. Their deep taproots access moisture during dry spells. Goldfinches love the seeds, making them valuable for wildlife gardens. Plant in groups of three or more for strongest visual impact.