50 Amazing Types of Plants for Your Garden

Gardens come alive with a vibrant diversity of plants. From elegant flowers to sculptural foliage, planting a mix of annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs can create a landscape that’s both beautiful and functional. There are so many amazing options when choosing plants for your garden – here are 50 must-have varieties to inspire you:

Gorgeous Garden Flowers

Flowers bring showy color texture and fragrance to gardens. Consider incorporating these popular blooming plants

• Roses – Available in almost every color, roses belong in every garden. They bloom abundantly throughout the season. Choose from hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora, miniature, and climbing roses.

• Lilies – Large and elegantly shaped flowers with sweet perfume on easy-care bulbs We love Asiatic, Oriental, trumpet and tiger lily varieties

• Hydrangeas – From lacecap and mophead to panicle and oakleaf types, hydrangeas add big blossoms and lush foliage.

• Peonies – These sumptuous, lush blooms thrive for years. Ideal for cutting. Choose from single, Japanese, bomb, and herbaceous types.

• Orchids – Exotic-looking orchid blossoms add drama. Grow tropical orchids as houseplants or hardy outdoor varieties like lady’s slipper.

• Sunflowers – Cheery and bold yellow blooms on tall stalks. Grow classic single stem or branching varieties.

• Daisies – Simple, cheerful daisies always brighten a garden. Shasta daisies and black-eyed Susans are popular perennial choices.

• Zinnias – Prolific and colorful annuals that attract pollinators. Available in a rainbow of single and double flower forms.

Fabulous Foliage Plants

Don’t overlook foliage plants which provide stunning shapes, colors, and textures all season:

• Hostas – Sturdy perennials grown primarily for their bold, variegated leaves. Choose from hundreds of varieties.

• Ferns – Delicate, feathery fronds which thrive in shade. Popular types include maidenhair, bird’s nest, and Christmas ferns.

• Caladiums – Tropical plants known for dramatic, heart-shaped leaves in standout combinations of white, pink, red and green.

• Heuchera – Grown for ruffled, colorful foliage. Also called coral bells. Varieties offer purple, chartreuse, silver and red-veined leaves.

• Coleus – Vibrant annuals boasting vividly patterned leaves. Choose from Wizard, Limetime, and Trailing Queen coleus.

• Elephant Ears – Huge, tropical-looking leaves grow from bulbs. Adds an exotic flair.

• Japanese Maple – Elegant, finely cut leaves that put on a fall color show ranging from red to orange. Awesome as accent trees.

Edible Plants for Kitchen Gardens

Grow a bounty of homegrown produce with these tasty edible plants:

• Tomatoes – Nothing beats the flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes. Grow heirloom, cherry, slicing, and paste tomato varieties.

• Peppers – Add some spice to your gardens and meals. Plant bell peppers for sweeter flavor or chilies for heat.

• Herbs – Essential for home cooks! Includes basil, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, sage and more.

• Strawberries – Juicy, sun-kissed berries ready for quick picking. Grow in raised beds or containers. Everbearing types extend the harvest.

• Leafy Greens – Pick tender baby greens for salads. Arugula, kale, spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard are fast-growing.

• Beans – Fill your kitchen basket with green, yellow, purple beans. Grow bush or pole beans.

• Carrots – Fresh from the garden, crunchy carrots are nutritious. Grow classic orange or purple and yellow varieties.

• Radishes – Fast-growing with a spicy bite. Great for kids. Cherriette and French Breakfast are favorites.

Beautiful Bulbs and Tubers

For big spring impact, plant these easy flowering bulbs and tubers:

• Tulips – Nothing says spring like tulips in full bloom. Plant by late fall for a cheerful display.

• Daffodils – Cheerful, nodding yellow blooms. Reliable perennials perfect for naturalizing.

• Dahlias – Showstoppers with dinner plate-sized blooms. Grow as annuals or lift tubers in winter.

• Cannas – Tropical looks with flowers and striped foliage. Tall types add privacy while dwarf cannas work in containers.

• Iris – Bold and beautiful blooms in every color. Bearded and Siberian iris are perennial favorites.

• Gladiolus – Spires of vibrant summer blooms. Great cut flowers. Corms are tender and should be lifted in winter.

Ornamental Trees and Shrubs

Plant a backbone of woody trees and shrubs for structure and year-round interest:

• Japanese Maple – Finely cut leaves shine in tones of red, orange, yellow and green. Graceful ornamental tree.

• Crape Myrtle – Elegant four season appeal with frilly summer blooms, fall color and peeling bark in winter.

• Forsythia – Cheerful yellow spring blooms on this classic shrub. Prune after flowering.

• Azalea & Rhododendron – Showy spring blooms. Choose evergreen or deciduous types based on your climate. Acid-loving.

• Boxwood – The quintessential hedging plant. Slow growing with small, glossy evergreen leaves. Responds well to pruning.

• Viburnum – Versatile shrubs grown for spring blooms, fall berries and attractive form. Many evergreen and deciduous varieties.

• Spirea – Low-maintenance, adaptable shrub grown for pretty clusters of spring and summer blooms. Prune in late winter.

• Hydrangea – Showy floral displays of mopheads, lacecaps and panicles. Bloom on old and new wood depending on type.

Climbing Vines

Use vines to decorate fences, arbors, trellises and walls:

• Clematis – Incredible diversity of blooms. Grow spring and summer flowering types. Needs cool roots and pruning.

• Morning Glory – The classic annual vine. Bright trumpet-shaped blooms start by midsummer. Self-seeds.

• Honeysuckle – Fragrant, tubular blooms perfume gardens. Grow non-invasive varieties like goldflame honeysuckle.

• Grape – Lush green foliage provides cool shade over arbors. Grow seedless table grape varieties for fruit.

• Hyacinth Bean Vine – Quick annual climbers with charming bean-like blooms. Produces purple pods.

• Jasmine – Romantic white blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Grow as houseplants or outdoors in warm climates.

Low-Maintenance Groundcovers

Plant tough spreading groundcovers to fill spaces and prevent weeds:

• Bugleweed (Ajuga) – Carpeting perennial with blue flower spikes. Tolerates some foot traffic.

• Lamium (Dead Nettle) – Tough, cold hardy perennial for shade spreads by stolons. Varied leaf colors.

• Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia) – Trailing lime-colored leaves brighten shady areas. Evergreen in warmer zones.

• Sweet Woodruff (Galium) – Dainty white spring blooms. Fragrant foliage for shady spots. Spreading perennial grows 6-12 inches tall.

• Creeping Phlox – Evergreen, moss-like foliage. Sheets of colorful spring flowers. Great for rock gardens.

• Mint (Mentha) – Reliably spreads each year with minimal care. Choose from peppermint, spearmint, ginger mint and more.

With this expansive list, you can plant a landscape filled with visual interest and discover amazing new plant varieties for your unique garden style. Have fun exploring all the possibilities!