Spring Blooming Perennials

Spring Flowering Perennials Your Garden Needs

Shake off the winter blues and welcome the season of renewal with spring perennial flowers from Nature Hills Nursery. These tough, cold-hardy plants burst into bold blooms and lush foliage, creating waves of continuous color from early spring through fall. From fragrant blossoms to pollinator-friendly blooms, spring perennials are the cure for winter's gray days and the perfect start to a thriving landscape.

Why Choose Spring Perennials?

A cheerful welcome sign that warmer weather is on the way
Many perennial varieties bloom from early spring through late fall
Layered, continuous color when paired with summer-blooming flowers
Low-maintenance, hardy plants that come back year after year
A wide selection from Ajuga groundcover to tall, airy Yarrow
Essential nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies in early spring

Planning Your Spring Garden

Get a head start on garden success by ordering your spring perennials while in stock. Use our USDA Plant Hardiness Zone filters to browse flowers tailored for your region; simply enter your zip code above. Product pages include Plant Highlights and allow you to filter by bloom color, height, and sun exposure for easy shopping.

Sketch a quick garden layout to map out bloom sequence and planting locations. From single specimens to mass plantings of perennials, these spring bloomers make a bold statement but also extend bloom time across your landscape. Pair early-bloomers with summer annuals for nonstop color from March through frost!

What Perennials Bloom Early?

Depending on your growing zone, February and March gardens can already be alive with color. Early-blooming spring perennials include:

Lenten Rose (Hellebore)
Spurge Plants (Euphorbia)
Dianthus
Bergenia (Pig Squeak)
Primrose (English Primrose)
Pulmonaria (Lungwort)
Winter Aconite
Iris reticulata

What Perennials Can You Plant In Early Spring?

shop spring blooming perennials at nature hills

Plant these perennials in early spring and enjoy flowers in the same season:

Ajuga (Bugleweed)
Sea Thrift (Armeria)
Lamium (Dead Nettle)
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Astilbe
Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Creeping Phlox
Wild Ginger
Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss)
Catmint (Nepeta)
Sweet Woodruff

Why Shop Nature Hills?

Safe, secure home delivery with planting instructions included
Climate-smart shipping for your specific region
Family-owned and trusted since 2001
Expert #ProPlantTips and detailed Planting Guides

Shop our full collection of spring-flowering perennials today at Nature Hills Nursery and create a garden that blossoms with color, fragrance, and life this season!

FAQ's for Buying Spring Blooming Perennials Online

Which spring‑blooming perennials give the very first splash of color after winter?

Plants that break dormancy at low soil temperatures—typically 40 °F—deliver the earliest flowers. Hellebores push buds through snow by late February in many zones because their thick evergreen leaves photosynthesize all winter, storing energy. Primroses and lungwort follow once frost leaves the top inch of soil; their short root systems warm quickly. Creeping phlox, candytuft, and rock cress open next on sun‑drenched slopes where shallow soils heat fastest. Selecting one or two of these “thermal opportunists” ensures color from the moment winter recedes, weeks before tulips appear.

How should I prepare soil and plant spring perennials so they establish before summer heat arrives?

1) Timing: Plant in early fall or very early spring; both windows provide cool air and warming soil—ideal for root growth without top‑growth stress. 2) Soil prep: Blend 2–3 in. of compost into the top 8–10 in. to improve drainage and nutrient retention; spring perennials dislike water‑logged crowns. 3) Placement: Set crowns level with finished grade to prevent rot yet avoid drought stress. 4) Mulch: Add a 2‑in. organic layer immediately to buffer freeze‑thaw cycles and conserve moisture. 5) Water: Irrigate to a depth of 6 in. whenever the top 2 in. dry until new leaves expand. This sequence—timing, amendment, correct depth, mulch, moisture—drives quick establishment before summer heat stalls root growth.

Do spring‑flowering perennials need pruning or division after they bloom?

Many early flowers—bleeding heart, Virginia bluebells, Oriental poppy—are “ephemerals.” Their foliage yellows and disappears by midsummer. Allow leaves to photosynthesize until they yellow fully; then cut stems to ground level so adjacent plants can fill the gap. Clumping types (hosta, Siberian iris) benefit from division every 3–5 years: dig the clump in early fall or very early spring, slice into hand‑sized sections with vigorous buds, discard the woody center, and replant at the original depth. This renewal prevents crowding, rejuvenates bloom count, and maintains plant health.

Which spring perennials attract pollinators while remaining low‑maintenance for busy gardeners?

Choose nectar‑rich natives that tolerate a range of soils: wild columbine supports early hummingbirds, while Penstemon digitalis feeds emerging bumblebees. Creeping phlox carpets slopes with bee‑magnet blooms and smothers weeds, reducing upkeep. Baptisia breaks dormancy early, needs no staking, and hosts specialist butterflies. Pairing these durable species provides critical early forage for pollinators and requires little more than an annual compost top‑dress and occasional division every decade.

How can I combine spring perennials with bulbs and later bloomers for seamless season‑long color?

Layer the canopy and the calendar. Start with minor bulbs (crocus, snowdrops) whose foliage matures by mid‑April. Plant low spring perennials—pulmonaria, primrose—around them; their expanding leaves hide bulb foliage as it fades. Intermingle mid‑height perennials (Nepeta, daylily) that pick up color in late spring, then weave taller summer stars (coneflower, rudbeckia) behind. Space plants so mature canopies just meet; this prevents gaps yet avoids overcrowding. By staggering both height and bloom time, the bed transitions smoothly from March through October without bare spots or abrupt color lulls.

Flowering Perennials

Summer Flowering Perennials

Perennials

Drought Tolerant Perennials

Large Perennials

Small Perennials