Perennials are beloved garden plants for a myriad of reasons. Not only are they beautiful, interesting, and come in a wealth of varieties; they keep coming back season after season if you fulfill their care needs. Many perennials are low-maintenance and long-blooming. With Southern California’s warm and sunny climate, many types of perennials thrive there. Use these plants to boost your home’s curb appeal and enhance your landscape with natural beauty.

Consider Your Climate

For perennials to survive from one year to the next, they need a climate that supports their survival needs. Southern California provides a welcome climate for a wide range of plants, but it’s not ideal for all types of perennials. The region is routinely dry and not prone to heavy rainfall. Many tropicals, for instance, need a moist climate in order to thrive. Southern Californians can grow many moisture-loving plants, but they must ensure that they see to the plants’ moisture needs. It’s important to consider each perennial’s preferred climate before you introduce a specific plant to your landscape.

Perennial Care

Remember, perennials will need some care. Consider each plant’s care needs to determine if you want to have it in your landscape or garden as you’ll need to provide for it. For low-maintenance plantings, choose native perennials that are suited to the climate. These types of plants will not require much effort on the part of the gardener except for some basic care needs such as dividing, cutting back, or watering in types of severe drought.

Best Perennials for Southern California

Consider choosing perennials that will add both color and texture to your landscape. The following are some low-maintenance options that are likely to thrive on your Southern California property:

• Sea lavender
• California fuschia
• Hens-and-chicks
• Santa Barbara daisies
• Yarrow
• Penstemon
• California poppies
• Desert globemallow
• Hummingbird sage
• Yellow stonecrop
• Tiger Lilies
• Meadow lupine
• Coast dudleya
• San Diego yerba buena
• Giant wakerobin
• California coneflowers

Of course, there are thousands of perennials to consider.

Planting Your Perennials

Before purchasing perennials online or at your local garden center, read about the plant’s care needs. First, will it tolerate full sun or does it require some shade? You’ll want to select plants for specific locations in your landscape. If you have a shady landscape, sun-loving perennials are not ideal. Of course, with its seemingly endless sunshine, Southern California caters to perennials that do well in full and partial sun. If you have a sunny landscape, you’ll have a wide range of perennials to choose from.

Also what are the plant’s soil needs? Many perennials will thrive in a well-draining soil. However, not all perennials will do well in a sandy soil. Consider the type of soil on your landscape. You may have to amend it by installing more planting soil or you could plant your perennials in containers filled with good soil. Don’t forget to consider the plant’s water and fertilization needs. Again, if you stick to perennials that are native, you won’t have to over-worry about their maintenance.

Evaluate your landscape and choose plants that are ideally suited for your microclimate as well as your aesthetic preferences. You might install a single-color landscape or fragrant garden. You’ll want to choose perennials of various heights to ensure plenty of vertical appeal for your landscape. You might even opt for climbing plants to create privacy screens for your patio area. With these suggestions in mind, you’ll be ready to enhance your landscape’s design with perennials that are ideally suited to Southern California’s climate.