Tall Perennials

Tall Perennial Tips

Tall perennials make a real impact in the summer border. These impressive plants bring height and superb flower power. With so many to choose from, it’s often difficult to know which ones are right for your garden, so here are some handy tips to help you decide.

Which is the tallest perennial to buy?

The very tallest perennial you can buy is the ornamental banana palm! Did you know it’s really a perennial plant rather than a tree? Reaching a top height of 4m, it certainly brings an exotic maturity to your planting scheme. Remember to cover your hardy palm in winter to keep it frost free.

Best tall perennials for cut flowers

There are lots of lovely tall perennials that look fantastic in a vase. Alstroemeria are a classic example of a popular cut flower you can grow in the garden. Perfect for an economical bunch of blooms, and they’re superbly hardy. Other excellent perennials for the cutting garden include long stemmed lovelies like crocosmia cultivars, pillar like delphiniums or a delicate armeria for a bedside posy.

Best tall perennials for borders

If your colour palette is blue, delphiniums and salvias are the best for the back and mid-border plant mix. Otherwise, classic lupins are always a welcome sight, sending up spires covered in delicate pea-like flowers from thick clumps. If you have a cottage garden theme then a towering hollyhock is the tall perennial for you. Crocosmia are a winner for their fast growth, quickly forming a thick clump of strap like leaves and sending up flame colour flower spikes.

Best tall perennials for shade

Thankfully there are some shade tolerant tall perennials. Foxgloves are a fixture for a shady woodland garden and their tall flower spikes covered in nodding bell shaped blooms are a spectacular sight en masse in summer. Head over to our plants for shade hub page to pick up tips and tricks to turn your full shade into a feature.

Top tall perennials for growing in pots

Iris bulbs make lovely pot plants. Up close, their large blooms can be properly appreciated plus in pots they can be easily moved around the garden. Other spectacular choices include bright, bold poppies and fabulous verbena plants. Choose your favourite colours and opt for strong stems.