One of the first signs of spring, pushing through snow with jewel-toned cups.
Cheerful trumpets that naturalize beautifully and return stronger each year.
A wall of golden yellow on bare branches. Spring's loudest announcement.
Star-shaped blooms that appear as snow melts. Naturalizes into drifts.
Tiny grape-like clusters that spread into rivers of blue over time.
The Lenten Rose. Elegant nodding blooms that thrive in deep shade.
Dense, intensely fragrant spikes. One bulb can perfume an entire room.
White petals frame a wide, ruffled cup that opens yellow and fades to cream. Multiplies fast.
The classic golden trumpet daffodil. Naturalizes into massive sweeps that return for decades.
Flowers open pink and turn blue on the same stem. Silver-spotted foliage looks great all season.
Carpets of brilliant blue that naturalize under trees with zero effort.
Delicate nodding bells that bloom fearlessly in late winter cold.
The classic spring icon in almost every color imaginable.
Woodland ephemeral with sky-blue bells. Disappears by summer, returns faithfully.
Buttercup-yellow blooms that push through frozen ground before the crocuses.
Spidery, fragrant blooms on bare branches when nothing else dares.
Bronze-purple foliage with blue spikes. Fills bare shade in one season.
Bold, goblet-shaped Darwin hybrid in scarlet with a black base. Strong stems and long-lasting.
Fragrant white to pink flowers in spring precede a fall crop of dessert apples.
Bright golden-yellow cascades over walls and rock edges in spring. Cut back after flowering to stay tidy.
Arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers for shady woodland gardens.
Clouds of tiny forget-me-not blue flowers over heart-shaped leaves. Thrives in dry shade once established.
Tall spikes of starry flowers rise above strappy foliage in late spring.
Delicate, spurred flowers that dance on wiry stems. Hummingbird favorite.
Cascading sheets of spring color over walls and slopes. Evergreen mat.
Checkered, nodding bells with an otherworldly pattern. A collector's favorite.
Bell-shaped spring flowers are followed by sweet blue berries and excellent fall color.
Intensely fragrant clusters that define spring in northern gardens.
Glossy buttercup flowers in early spring along streams and wet areas. One of the first wetland bloomers.
Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.
The darkest tulip. Satiny, near-black maroon blooms that look almost unreal in late spring.
Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.
Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.
Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.
Ruffled, intensely fragrant climbing flowers in every pastel shade. Cool-season annual that hates heat.
Pure white, swept-back petals with two to three blooms per stem. Orchid-like elegance.
Three leaves, three petals, pure elegance. The jewel of eastern woodlands.
Fragrant snowball clusters in spring, then berries for birds in fall.
Evergreen mat with periwinkle-blue flowers. Tough shade ground cover.
Soft pink blooms over deeply-cut foliage. A woodland edge staple.
Dramatic globe-shaped heads on tall stems. Architectural and deer-proof.
Coral-pink blooms with a tangerine beard. Named for the opera star and just as elegant.
Blooms in spring, then reblooms summer through frost. Compact habit with classic lilac fragrance.
Lupine-like spikes on a native that lives forever. Gets better with age.
Hot pink outer petals cup a creamy center of narrow petaloids. Dramatic and unmistakable.
Dark purple stems set this apart from every other salvia. Vertical, architectural, electric.
Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.
Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.
Tiny daisy flowers with apple-scented foliage. Brew into tea or let it naturalize between pavers.
Cheerful purple pom-pom flowers on a kitchen staple. Edible blooms make any salad Instagram-worthy.
The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.
Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.
Spicy-scented, fringed petals. One of the best edging plants there is.
Slow-growing dwarf with dense rounded habit. Perfect for small gardens and foundation plantings.
Pure white double blooms flecked with crimson at the center. Beloved since 1851 and still unmatched.
Stately spires of spotted, bell-shaped flowers. Cottage garden royalty.
Lemon-yellow rebloomer with light fragrance. A bit taller than Stella with softer color.
Tubular, nectar-rich flowers with a fragrance that defines summer evenings.
Reliable rebloomer with pure white ruffled falls. Blooms spring, then again in fall.
The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.
Elegant sword-leaved perennials with intricate, ruffled blooms.
Dramatic spikes in every color. Short-lived but self-seeds generously.
Perennial Plant of the Year. Dense indigo-violet spikes that rebloom if deadheaded.
Compact lilac with pale lavender blooms and outstanding fragrance. Burgundy fall foliage as a bonus.
Exquisite geometric buds open to cupped flowers. A native evergreen gem.
Peeling bark, burgundy foliage, and white puffs. A native multitasker.
Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.
Tubular flowers on upright stems. Native hummingbird magnet for dry gardens.
Lush, ruffled blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Lives for decades.
Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.
Flat clusters of white flowers and berries give way to vivid red stems that shine in winter.
Big, bold trusses of bloom over glossy evergreen foliage.
Huge leaves and thick red stalks give a lush look while supplying tart harvests.
Large blue-and-white spurred flowers bloom in late spring above lacy foliage.
Spikes of deep blue tubular flowers rise above glossy evergreen foliage in early summer.
The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.
Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.
Fully double, apple-blossom pink blooms so heavy they nod on their stems. The most planted peony in history.
Unique bicolor blooms with purple petals edged in white. A head-turner in any spring garden.
Arching stems hung with dangling white bells. Pairs of leaves create graceful, layered architecture.
Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.
Flat-topped flower clusters on tidy mounds. The easiest flowering shrub.
The most planted perennial in America. Compact, reblooming, and basically indestructible.
Intense, almost electric blue trumpet flowers on a low mat. The holy grail of alpine gardeners.
Perennial Plant of the Year. Billowy lavender-blue spikes that rebloom hard after a shear.
Tubular blooms smother arching branches in late spring. Hummingbird haven.