Overrated Perennial Plants
Do you have a perennial plant in your garden that blooms for a short time and then it’s just there taking up valuable space? Or, maybe the plant blooms for a short time and then you’re left with ugly foliage? Perhaps, you have a perennial in your garden that you don’t even like, or maybe you’ve just grown tired of it. Or maybe it requires too much babying or chemicals? These are what we refer to as Overrated Perennial Plants.
I recently conducted a survey in a FaceBook group. I asked what perennials they thought were the most overrated plants in their gardens. The perennials included below, were reported the most times as being overrated. In most cases, I’m including some alternatives to the plants mentioned. (There are also mentions of perennials that are overused.)
What characteristics do these plants have, other than a short bloom time, that cause gardeners to call them overrated? They’re called overrated by seasoned gardeners because, when it comes to the big picture of what gardeners are often trying to accomplish, these plants don’t always fill the bill. We tend to be aiming for a beautiful, personal garden that doesn’t break the bank; doesn’t wear you out; that can be a place of enjoyment, beauty and fragrance; and welcoming to pollinators and birds. Are these plants: Gorgeous? Yes. Demanding? Yes. Have a short bloom time meaning more money and work? Yes. Not necessarily presenting a unique garden because they’re overused? Yes. Do we still love them? Yes!
Not included in this list are perennials that are invasive or aggressive. That’s an entirely different topic which is covered in 14 Plants NOT to Grow in Your Garden (Even If They Are Free).
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the perennials included here! In fact, most of them are beautiful and very popular. It’s certainly not necessary to rid your garden of these perennials! But if you’re considering adding them to your gardens, think twice and perhaps consider an alternative that is more “user friendly”, especially if your garden space is small.
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#1 Overrated Perennial – Old Fashioned Peonies
Yes, although I love them and they smell amazing, peonies were the plant mentioned most frequently by the FB group as being overrated. Why? First, if they aren’t staked or hooped, they flop all over the place. Second? Although heartbreakingly beautiful, the blooms just don’t last. Third? They’re rather fragile and prone to mildew. One good rain shower will take a peony bush out for the season. Or, unseasonably hot temperatures and they are done for the season. Then you’re left with a green plant that may or may not develop mildew spots on it’s leaves, especially if it’s an older variety.
Some Alternatives to Old Fashioned Peonies
The good news? Recently I’ve been looking into ITOH/Intersectional varieties of peonies. They have stronger stems than the old fashioned peonies, so they aren’t as prone to flopping. Plus, they flower much longer with more blooms. It’s true that ITOH/Intersectional Peonies are a bit pricey, but I’ve heard that in the long run they are worth the initial investment. I’m thinking of adding one to add to my gardens this year.
A Few Other Ways to Enjoy Peonies Longer:
- Use the leaves to add some green and contrast to your cut flower bouquets.
- Peonies can be cut when they are still in bud form, wrapped in damp paper towel and refrigerated for weeks. What an awesome way to be able to enjoy peony blooms well into the summer. Here is a great article, if you’d like to learn how to store peonies to bloom at a later date.
#2 Perennial to Pass On – Tulips
Yes, tulips are gorgeous and an especially welcome sight in the spring after a long winter. We went to a garden in St. Louis, Missouri (a neighborhood garden, not the Missouri Botanical Garden-love that one too though) one year around Easter, and the tulips, the main feature, and the daffodils, were astounding!
That being said, tulips are really iffy as a perennial. One year the tulips will be gorgeous and the next we may be lucky to see a few blooms. Once the tulips are done with their relatively short bloom time, there’s the ugly foliage to contend with. You can’t cut the foliage off until it completely dies back because it energizes the bulb for its bloom cycle the following spring. Also, critters love to eat both the tulip bulbs and tulip buds.
Alternatives to Tulips
Plant daffodils instead of tulips! I love daffodils! Daffodils will multiply over the years and no critter likes to eat them. There are also tons of other spring blooming bulbs that can replace the overrated tulips in your gardens.
If you must have tulips, one way to hide the dying foliage is to plant them in and around other perennials like daylilies. That way the foliage of the later blooming perennial will cover up the dying foliage of the tulips. Also, look for tulips that specifically state they are perennial tulips, or species tulips.
#3 Short Blooming Perennial – Irises
I shouldn’t have been surprised that irises were listed as being an overrated perennial in the FB group. Personally, I love my irises and I look forward to them flowering! I do admit that they don’t hold the blossoms as long as I wish they did. In order to have a succession of blooms, I’d need to have more varieties that I can sequence! But alas, “so many plants, too little room!” My irises came from my late sister and I treasure them!
Most irises bloom for 2 or 3 weeks and then you’re left with green spikes for the rest of the summer. From a design standpoint, they are very effective, however. Irises are especially useful in warmer gardening zones. I need to check out reblooming irises.
#4 Roses Voted An Overrated Flower Garden Plant
Yes, I know I will take lots of flack for adding roses to the list of overrated plants! But the FB gardeners spoke! Argh! I love roses, have many of them and have grown them for years. But HONESTLY, roses ARE often very high maintenance and not easy to grow if you want the bush to look good! They are prone to many diseases, as well as pest infestations. For some people, they are just not worth the trouble! My success with roses depends on my season in life, how much energy I’m willing to invest, and especially, how many chemicals I’m willing to use!
When we first started growing roses in the early 1980’s, we didn’t think about chemicals. We joined the local rose society, learned about spraying for bugs and diseases and pruning hybrid teas. We even helped prune roses at a local rose garden! Gorgeous roses! LOTS of work!
Here 40 plus years later, I still have roses. They are still demanding, but I let them languish more, mostly because I don’t want to use poisons! However, 2 specimens in my collection that are worth mentioning as not even needing spraying for black spot: Belinda’s Dream and Belinda’s Blush. I will keep trying to figure out how to have beautiful roses whose upkeep doesn’t include killing pollinators! A Crusade! Will I ever give up? I don’t know.
Generally speaking, from a USDA zone standpoint, nearly any rose will grow in zones 7-10. In zone 6, some winter protection may be needed. The further north you go, the more tricky it is to find roses that will thrive. But they absolutely do exist.
What If You Really Want Roses In Your Garden Anyway
In the May/June 2020 edition of the Northern Gardener magazine, there is an article entitled, “Ensuring a Rosy Future.” The article discusses a 10-year trial on several rose varieties conducted in Minnesota. I wish I could link the article here, but since it’s a magazine subscription, I cannot. It’s a really good article. Perhaps there’s hope for northerners who dream of growing roses! By the way, if you garden in zones 3, 4 or 5, I highly recommend Northern Gardener magazine.
And for other parts of the country, research on roses, etc. is being done at Texas A&M University. They have come up with a collection of plants called Earthkind. By the way, the 2 roses I mentioned above are among the roses that have come out of that endeavor.
#5 Should Hostas Be Classified As An Overrated Perennial?
If you have mostly shady gardens and you’re just starting out, you can bet everyone will recommend hostas. I really hesitated putting hostas on this list, but they were mentioned several times in the survey, so I’m including them. Yes, I agree, there are about 3 varieties of hosta that are way overrated, but mostly, overused. They include, royal standard, lancifolia and the green variegated variety.
However, there are so many beautiful varieties of hosta available. If you have some of these over used varieties of hostas in your shade gardens and are sick to death of them, start replacing them with some more eye catching varieties. There are also lots and lots of other shade garden plants that you can use in place of hostas. Check out: Perennials to Jazz Up Your Shade Garden and Made in the Shade Gardens when you’ve finished up here.
Other Over Used Perennial Plants
Karl Forester Grass – Ugh, is this stuff way overused and yes, it does take up lots of space. It does add different interest to a flower garden, but if you’re into perennial grasses, consider finding a different variety. One of my favorites is Mexican Feather Grass (Nassella tenuissima.)
What about Stella d’oro Daylilies? Yes, they are everywhere and even most gas stations have Stella d’oro daylilies planted in their landscape! I swore to myself I would never plant another Stella d’oro, but guess what, I did. When I was looking for a perennial that was indestructible, low growing, long blooming and cheery to plant around my mailbox, I resorted to Stella d’oro daylilies. Their bright color is most attractive.
Gladiolus – several gardeners agreed that these were a pain because they have to be lifted in the fall in most gardening zones where the ground freezes over winter. While gladiolus are beautiful cut flowers, they have to be staked in the garden. Most agree that glads aren’t worth the trouble.
Autumn Joy Sedum is another overused perennial plant. To be fair, they are tough as nails, multiple very quickly, and they are readily available. Most of the year they are unassuming, but I really do enjoy them in the fall when they begin to turn a pretty mauve color.
If you have lots and lots of gardening space, perhaps many of these plants aren’t so bad. The idea with any perennial that blooms for a short time, is to followed it up with another flowering perennial close by that takes its place with blooms. I’ve even written a workbook/guide about this very thing called Designing with Perennials for 3 Seasons of Blooms. Check it out if you’re interested in having a perennial garden that blooms from early spring through fall.
If you would like an alternative to these over used and overrated perennial plants, Classic Perennials (That Every Flower Garden Needs) is for you. Also, Gingham Gardens has a Gardening Resource Library that includes a printable list of 50+ Long Blooming Perennials with bloom time, sun requirements and hardiness zones.
Why would I even write about overrated perennials? There are many new gardeners (and seasoned gardeners too) that will buy these plants because… well they’re overrated!
We do tend to use overrated plants because we grew up with them or because of something we love about them-fragrance or color! But often, because they’re the ones that are readily available at Big Box stores. More varieties of plants, as well as lesser known varieties, can be found at local garden stores. (Although I admit, unfortunately it’s getting harder to find those specialty stores.) So, if you’re a new gardener, or even if you’ve been gardening for awhile, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment if you think there’s an overrated perennial I missed.
If you have questions, or comments, please feel free to complete the comment form at the end of the post. I love hearing from and helping my readers with their gardening questions.
Happy gardening,
Julie
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I agree 100% with this list. I donāt have any of these plants on this list for these exact reasons, especially since I have a small garden and only have room for selected plants. Except for roses which I got before I realized now disease ridden they are and Iām already planning to replace them the second they get a disease. I donāt have time to be treating disease or attract all of these nasty bugs near my house.
Mindy,
Thank you for your comments. The one thing I would say is that some Roses are prone to disease while others are not. If you like roses, you might talk to your local garden shop(not the big box stores) to see if there is one or two that would be low maintenance.
I agree about roses and peonies. Never been able to get feather grass to come back but I like the interest it adds – especially in winter. Frustrated with my irises, but the are beautiful when they are blooming. They belong in a mixed bed in clumps so their leftover foliage can add interest to other blooming things. Completely disagree about hosta. I have a northern facing bed with redbuds, hosta, lilies of the valley and astilbe that is breathtakingly gorgeous. Cool and shady in the summer. Nothing better than a bunch of tulips in the spring. But they are dependable rebloomers here and I plant them with my daffodils along a woodland border so no worries about ugly dying foliage. However, they have to stay near the house or deer will relentlessly dig up the bulbs. Sedum is dependable and easy and also great for off season interest. Otoh I live on a farm with unlimited space and horse manure so I might make different choices if that weren’t the case. But have never heard someone say pass on roses and peonies, with which I couldn’t agree more! So thanks for that! I feel so vindicated, lol! Now how about an article on the ones that are must haves- hydrangea, baptisia, American wisteria anyone????
Hi Renee – thanks for stopping by Gingham Gardens. I love your very detailed comments and opinions on Overrated Perennial Plants. Here are a few more articles on perennials that you might enjoy: https://ginghamgardens.com/classic-perennials/ and https://ginghamgardens.com/underused-and-uncommon-perennials/ Come back soon! Happy gardening, Joanna
I read your article about overrated perennials and had to laugh! I have all of them, but I live in the sticks and of course LOTS of deer! I use tomato cages for my Peonies and have many planted against my East side wall of my house. I, too; have removed most of the roses…breaks my ā¤ļø to see them eaten alive and never seeing them bloom!š¬. I find that the Iris foliage is a great backdrop for other flowers and a great fill in. The voles cleaned me out pretty good on my beautiful Hostas…I had some older and gorgeous varieties ( they live off the roots in the winter)š¬š¬. If you have Hostas, DONāT mulch and make sure you remove all leaf litter in the fall, this is where they hide! I have MANY favorite perennials, but I love Coneflowers! I buy reduced plants, let them multiple and then share. Itās a living and great reminder to friends and family of you! I live in Central Missouri, so itās trial and error on anything you plantšš. Thanks for your tips. Pat
I use daffodils in my yard to keep moles and voles away. This really works, those little critters can eat your flower out of house and home. Try planting daffodils.
Hi Carol – thanks for the great tips you left on the Overrated Perennial Plants about keeping voles and moles out of your garden by planting daffodils. Stop by Gingham Gardens again soon! Happy gardening, Joanna
Bees & Butterflies love Sedum.
Hi Stella – thanks for stopping by Gingham Gardens and taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, bees and butterflies do love sedum, as well as 100s of other flowers. Happy gardening, Joanna
Hello! I was surprised that roses were on this list. We used to have a rose bush that I loved. We never had any pest or disease issues with it. In the fall I liked to collect the rose hips and make tea with them. However, they do make a mess when the flowers dry up and fall off. We also used to have lilac bushes at that house. The problem with lilacs is that they are in bloom only through the month of June and then it’s all over, but I did love to bring that smell of lilacs into the house! Unfortunately, we moved so now I have to start all over with my yard plants. We are starting with a clean slate, so I am glad for this website to guide us into making good choices. The hostas are another story. My husband always wants a full hosta garden like his sisters in WI have, but we always have had bad luck with them (we live in Alaska). We don’t know if it’s our climate or if we are picking the wrong varieties, or if we are not planting them in the right spot. We’ve tried everything and are disappointed every time. I want to give up on them completely, but my husband is so impressed with his sisters’ hosta gardens that he always wants to keep trying to mimic them there. I was also surprised that irises made this list. Maybe we had a good variety, but we had a very beautiful purple iris that came up really big every year. I do miss that iris and hope to find another one like it. All of these perennials that I’ve mentioned were bought from Alaskan greenhouses so they were varieties specific to our climate, which is why we probably had good luck with them, but the hostas that we tried were always purchased at WalMart. Go figure.
Hi Lisa – I put roses on the list of overrated plants because here in zone 4 they are a pain to grow. I can’t even imagine trying to grow them in Alaska. You sound like quite the gardener so maybe you can give them a go again at your new place. Good luck with your hosta garden too. Happy gardening, Joanna
Hosta grow in south central Alaska where I live but they are always the last to come up in the spring. You may think they arenāt alive when they are so slow to return.
Rugosa or Sitka roses are very hardy as well as some of the Canadian Explorer series. Rugosas are very thorny so best used as a hedge and not in a mixed border. They arenāt bothered by fungal diseases, browsing moose or our cold winters. Suckers do have to be kept under control.
Hi Grace – thank you for stopping by Gingham Gardens and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate you weighing in on gardening in Alaska. Happy gardening, Joanna
I’m new to all of this flower gardening. We have a peony in the front of our house that is beautiful, but you are spot on with your description. Heavy blooms and then one day of rain and they’re gone! I was devastated last summer when it happened. I like the other persons comment about clipping them before the rain. They’re hooped this year and I’m still excited to see them.. every day I tell them how much bigger they’ve grown! They can hear me, right?! š
Hi Pam – welcome to flower gardening! I hope you fall in love with gardening like the rest of us here! I know, I know I have a love/dislike relationship with peonies. In case, you haven’t already seen it, I think you’ll enjoy Flower Gardening 101. It’s chock full of helpful instruction and tips for a newbie flower gardener. Happy gardening, Joanna
Poppies are another perennial that blooms so fast you might miss it, but they are glorious for that short time! I still try to squeeze in all of these even if it means planting them ony neighbor’s property!
Hi Jean – thanks for stopping by Gingham Gardens. I agree with your assessment of poppies, but they are so beautiful when they are blooming just like the others in the list of overrated perennial plants. Happy gardening, Joanna
Hi Joanna,
I have tried unsuccessfully to split and transplant my ornamental grass. They have grown so much are HUGE and out of control!! The centers are barren. They are perfectly cylindrical, but no growth in the centers. I cannot budge the plants at all. I tried with my shovel this weekend but to no avail. I swear I would need a piece of mechanical equipment to separate these things. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can approach a project like this?
Hi Angie – You just have to keep at it. It’s a little bit easy after rainfall. And, you might want to get a big, strong man involved. There is one tool I would recommend in case you don’t already have one and that’s a hori hori knife. You can work cutting down through the root mass from the bare center to the outside edge of the plant instead of trying to dig with a shovel. The one I linked to is the one I have and the link is an affiliate link. Good luck and happy gardening, Joanna
We use a chain saw!
I use a tool called a root slayer. I have over 50 ornamental grasses in my landsclpe now when 4 yrs ago I only had 4 or 5. What I do is late winter/early spring I take my hedge trimmer and wack them down to the ground. I then take the root slayer and take pieces out of the clump from the top. The root slayer makes quick work of it.(its $45 on amazon. I highly recommend it). My old way was digging the whole clump up and then taking a electric sawzal and cutting the ball into 4, 5 or 6 pieces depending on the size. That was ALOT of work. This way with the root slayer is sooo much easier and faster!! I actually will leave a small piece of the orginal clump so it wont be disturbed. Hope that makes senseand helps you out
Great tip! Thanks for sharing at Gingham Gardens. Stop back soon! Happy gardening, Joanna
Hello,
I live in NC and just found your garden site. I love my knock out roses and they bloom here from early spring until the fall. I dont seem to have the problems that you all seem to have up there. As far as the peonies are concerned, they are short lived but their fragrance is worth keeping them around for me. Thank you for your great articles. I will continue to read and learn about gardening from you.
Cindy
Hi Cindy – I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. Yes, gardening sure is different in the various gardening zones. I am surprised that you don’t have japanese beetles devouring your roses though. I have peonies too and yes, there fragrance is heady. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything. Happy gardening, Joanna
Plant geraniums. Beetles love to munch them and it is toxic to them. Your issues might be more to do with lack of biodiversity . I’ve interplanted a lot around my 100 roses and I didn’t even have aphids this year. Thst was really rare. Roses are really cold hardy but since they go dormant in winter, it isn’t much work to cut back and cover in mulch. That’s all you need to do.
Thanks for your wonderful ideas on growing roses! Happy gardening, Joanna
Hi Joanna,
I totally agree with you on all these plants. I have every one of them. I’m moving two miles down the road and debating what I should bring with me. I’ll be 60 in the fall and my gardens are to much work for me , so I don’t want to overdue it at the new house. Last year when my parents died I was given a rose bush and want to take that with me. Do you think if I dig it up and keep it in a container it would bloom again. I would plan on putting it in the ground in the fall. I live just south of you 30 miles.
Julie
Hi Julie – it’s my year to turn the big 60 too. Yes, definitely take the rose bush with you. It should be fine in a container, just get it in the ground and protected no later than six weeks before our last frost so it has time to settle in. Good luck with your move. Joanna
I am in South Ontario, itās a little bit warmer here but roses and tulips are not doing good in my garden as well. It seems my 4 roses didnāt survive this winter. I am really happy I can get rid of them finally. They have never thrived. All the possible pests attacked them ( including rabbits…). I read last year about New Dawn and Explorer roses and I might give it a try. Just yesterday I decided to remove few tulips that I have. They look horrible this year. I planted them in slightly higher place where rabbits cannot reach but it seems they will not bloom this year anyway. I donāt like peonies but I really like iris. However, I have never tried them yet. I canāt agree about hostas because they actually save my garden. There was nothing in my garden when I moved. We have clay soil here and actually hostas filled in some spaces nicely.
Hi Mirka – it’s always good to hear from you. I’m glad you agree with me on some of these. I only have one clump of tulips that look decent this year. I think I’m done with them, but then I think I say that every year about this time and then I plant more in the fall. Definitely add a few irises but only if you have the space. It takes several years for them to settle in and bloom. Stay safe and happy gardening, Joanna
I have everyone of the overused plants in my garden. Yes they are boring, and were all the rage when I planted my gardens (read way too much work). The thing is these are what you find in nurseries, almost to a fault. The ones I have tried that are not as common usually don’t keep. And buying others by mail come in 2 inch pots and take 10 years to amount to anything. I am too old to start with tiny plants. So I’m not going to rip everything out and start over. I wish I could but there’s just too much to do, keeping down the bugs, deer, turkeys and weeds.
Hi Paula – I have (or had) everyone of these plants in my gardens too. There certainly is nothing wrong with them, there are just better and lower maintenance plants available. I’ll bet your gardens are beautiful. Please send me some pictures sometime. Happy gardening, Joanna
My Peonies are blooming right now
and even if you are right about their problems I wouldn’t give them up for anything. The ones I have are in metal rings and if the weather calls for heavy rain( peony rain as I call it I pick a big bouquet and e joy them inside. Their fragrance is like nothing else. I agree with you about Iris and may dig up the ones I have and replace them with s flowering shrub. I have some Japenese Iris out by our stream and they are lovely. As for Hosta try June a beautiful variety and to avoid deer problems I plant them in containers and can move them if the deer start snacking.
Hello Kathy – Peonies are lovely. I have two or three that I love, but the rest are huge, the flowers are singles and they get powdery mildew. I think I’m going to dig them out. I do have a couple of June hostas, funny you should mention it, they are one of my favorites. Some day I’m going to have to do a post on hosta. I don’t think most newer gardeners realize how many different varieties there are. Happy gardening, Joanna
Thanks for the tip about roses being a Japanese beetle magnet. I am in the process of stripping my gardens of other plants that draw this emerald menace: Hot Papaya Echinacea (so sad, because I love them so much), an Alpine Currant bush, and a swath of Evening Primroses. Have you seen any new research about natural remedies against the Japanese beetle. I’m just sick of picking them off constantly and still watching their numbers grow.
Hi Nancy – thanks for stopping by Gingham Gardens today. Japanese Beetles are such a menace and I’m sorry that you’re having to deal with them. There are some plants that are toxic to Japanese Beetles that you can add to your gardens. They are annual Four O’Clock flowers and zonal geraniums. Diatomaceous earth is an organic product that you can use on Japanese beetles. You can treat your lawn for grubs with beneficial nemotodes or milky spore and that will help some, but unless all your neighbors do the same, you’ll still have the beetles. This post – How to Deal with Garden Pests has some more helpful tips. Good luck and happy gardening! Joanna