40 Perennial Plants to Create Your Perfect Summer Garden

21. Iris

Few summer perennials offer as wide a range of colors and patterns as the Iris. From a distance, their striking spear-like green leaves, which can grow surprisingly tall, make them easy to spot. These leaves are soon accompanied by stunning bearded flowers in hues ranging from pure white to nearly black, with virtually every color in between except for true green.

Irises spread gracefully and can be divided in the autumn, so allocate some space for a sizable Iris bed! They also rank high on the list for weddings, especially if you need to match a specific color scheme.