12 of the Best Perennial Wildflower Seeds to Plant

12 Of the Best Perennial Wildflower Seeds to Plant

Perennial wildflowers can bring beauty, color, and wildlife to your garden in just a few simple steps. Perennial wildflowers are special because they can come back year after year when taken care of properly.

If you’re looking for a great addition to your garden this year, consider sowing some perennial wildflower seeds.

In this blog, we will discuss the many benefits they offer, and fifteen of the best perennial wildflower seeds to sow this year. 

Planting perennial wildflower seeds in your garden is a great way to connect with nature and provide a habitat for important pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects.

Wildflowers can also bring psychological benefits, as it can help to reduce stress and encourage mindfulness. Wildflowers also help to create a beautiful, natural look in your garden, creating a sense of calm and connection with nature.

As a low- maintenance option, wildflowers do not require any regular upkeep apart from an occasional mowing, making them the perfect choice for people who don’t have a lot of time to spend in the garden or want to reduce the amount of time they spend on upkeep.

Here in my one acre wildflower field, I have planted mostly Perennial Wildflower Seeds.

                           (pictured in my meadow: red poppies, blue flax)

These seeds germinated well and filled in nicely in my meadow. I plant mine in the fall so that the plants have a little time to germinate and get established before the first frost.

Then in the spring, the perennials have established a roots system and can start to grow and show their colors earlier.

If you want to learn how to create your own meadow, no matter how big or small, click here.

What are the benefits of perennial wildflowers?

 Perennial wildflowers offer a variety of benefits to a garden. For starters, they provide much-needed color and beauty to a garden and can be easily planted to attract birds and other wildlife.

Additionally, perennials can help provide a source of food for pollinators, like bees and butterflies. Perennials also provide a great way to help the environment by increasing biodiversity in a garden.

Lastly, since perennials come back year after year, you don’t have to worry about buying new plants every season.

What are some good perennial wildflower seeds to sow?  

When it comes to perennial wildflowers, there are so many varieties to choose from.

Here are 12 of the best perennial wildflower seeds to sow this season: 

Coreopsis:

Coreopsis are easy-to-grow and come in shades of yellow, gold, and burgundy. The coreopsis flower (tickseed) is a long-blooming native that blooms from early summer until fall frost. Bees and butterflies love its nectar, it’s deer-resistant, and it’s an easy-to-grow perennial with few demands.

Blanket Flower:

Blanket flowers produce a variety of colors, in red, orange, or yellow, and attract pollinators. This is a native to North and South America.  Gaillardia, commonly called blanket flower, is a tough, drought-resistant, sun-loving perennial that's so easy to grow and appears throughout the summer. Most varieties of blanket flower grow 18 to 22 inches tall. 

Shasta Daisy:

The white blooms of Shasta daisies attract butterflies and pollinators. Shasta daisies are quite hardy and do not require much attention once established. They can be grown in both full sun or partial shade and can tolerate varying soil conditions, as long as it is well-draining. They are deer-resistant, drought-resistant, and do not often struggle with many pests or diseases. 

Black-Eyed Susan:

Black-eyed Susans are perennial wildflowers that are easy to care for and attract pollinators. Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) generally bloom from June to August and are native to eastern North America. Black-eyed Susan’s grow 1 to 3 feet tall and flowers with a diameter of 2 to 3 inches. 

Coneflower:

Coneflowers can last for several years and come in shades of yellow, pink, and purple. Purple Coneflower blooms for up to two months in mid to late summer and sometimes re-blooms in the fall. Perfect for both small gardens and large prairie meadows, the showy flowers attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators, including hummingbirds. They prefer full to partial sun and medium soil conditions. It is somewhat drought resistant, but the entire plant may wilt if the soil becomes too dry in strong sunlight. 

Poppy:

Known as the world's most popular wildflower, Poppies can bring a pop of color to the garden or wildflower field. Poppies are easily grown in any light, well-drained soil in full sun. Poppies come in annual or perennial varieties, grow up to 2 feet tall, and have white, pink, yellow, orange and red varieties.

Here is a picture of my Poppy field:

Blue Flax: (Linum Perenne)

Blue Flax is a drought tolerant, perennial flower which will bloom the second year when grown from wildflower seed. It grows from tough, expanding clumps, and produces little pastel blue flowers, 1/2 - 1 inch across that bloom on light, graceful arching branches. 

Sweet William:

(Dianthus barbatus) is a short-lived, herbaceous perennial or biennial with a height of about 2 feet.   Flower colors are white and shades of red, including burgundy, maroon, mauve, pink, and purple, and often handsomely patterned with contrasting edging. Blooming in late spring and early summer, the bold colors are striking when massed in beds, borders, containers, and rockeries, or throughout butterfly, cottage, and cutting gardens.

(wildflowers pictured include: sweet william, shasta daisy, yellow and pink poppies)

Mexican Hat:

Mexican Hat is the mahogany-red colored form of Prairie Coneflower that blooms from mid-summer into fall. A good naturalizing wildflower, it attracts bees and butterflies and is a drought resistant perennial. 

Candy tuft:

(Iberis sempervirens), is a low growing, flowering perennial plant that is hardy to Zones 3 – 9. Originally native to Southern Europe, this little plant makes an excellent addition as an early spring bloomer. Candytuft does best in full sun, planted in well-draining soil. Candytuft is highly drought-tolerant, making it suitable for rock gardens or very dry areas.

Siberian Wallflower:

Bright orange blooms illuminate the late spring meadow, creating an unforgettable statement. Siberian Wallflower is easy to grow, adapting to most soil types and grows in partial shade or sun. Growing to only 10-18” tall, it makes a great cut flower for any arrangement. 

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Gloriosa Daisy:

Gloriosa Daisy is a deer-resistant variety that adds rich, gorgeous color to the summer and fall garden. A perennial form of the native Black Eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisies grow to be 12-36” tall and tolerate partial shade. The giant bi-color double flowers are extremely easy to grow and bloom reliably year after year. 

Perennial wildflowers can bring beauty, color and wildlife to your garden. If you’re looking for a great addition to your garden this year, consider sowing some perennial wildflower seeds. I recommend Eden Brothers for Bulk Wildflower seeds in a wide variety of seed mixtures.

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