This article is focused on only blooms all summer till freeze that can survive in Zone 8 and blooms all summer till freeze.
Note: Flowering plants need a good amount of sunlight. If you are looking for shade-loving flowering plants, search for indoor flowering plants.
I am considering flower plants that return year after year with minimal to no effort in Zone 8.
You may find plants that are less talked about on the internet in this list, as this article is based on my grandpa's (He is from North Texas) home gardening experience and not an online research-based article.
Let's start with the list first, and then I will talk about them individually with pictures taken in my garden. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures for all of them. But I managed to gather them from my relatives and friends.
Perennial flowers to grow in Zone 8
Some of the perennial plants are actually perennials, and they don't die back easily. And some of the perennials die back in winter and again come back. (Can't handle frost that much)
You will find some flowering plants that die in winter, but they grow naturally in the spring from the seeds.
With good winter care, some of the Zone 9 perennials can also be grown as perennials in Zone 8b, and it's true.
The last column is for variety recommendations.
| Plant Name | Perennial Behavior (Zone 8) | Planting Time | Blooming Season | Variety Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lantana | True perennial (8b), dieback in 8a | Spring | Late spring to frost | Miss Huff, New Gold |
| Canna | Dies back, regrows from rhizomes | Spring | Summer | Tropicanna, Pretoria |
| Turk’s Cap | Dies back, returns | Spring/Fall | Summer–Fall | Red, Pink varieties |
| Salvia | Mostly perennial, some dieback | Spring/Fall | Spring–Fall | Greggii, Mystic Spires |
| Knock Out Rose | True perennial | Spring/Fall | Spring–Fall | Double Red, Pink |
| Confederate Rose | Dies back, returns | Spring | Fall | Single/Double Pink |
| Hibiscus (Hardy) | Dies back, returns | Spring | Summer–Fall | Lord Baltimore |
| Cosmos | Self-seeding annual | Spring | Summer–Fall | Sensation Mix |
| Dianthus | Short-lived perennial/biennial | Fall/Spring | Spring | Sweet William |
| Zexmenia | True perennial | Spring | Summer–Fall | Native varieties |
| Coreopsis | True perennial | Spring | Summer | Moonbeam, Zagreb |
| Scabiosa | Short-lived perennial | Spring | Summer | Butterfly Blue |
| Periwinkle / Vinca | Tender perennial (8b), annual otherwise | Spring | Summer–Fall | Madagascar series |
| Blackfoot Daisy | True perennial | Spring | Spring–Fall | Native type |
| Plumbago | Dies back, returns (8b better) | Spring | Summer–Fall | Blue Plumbago |
| Gazania | Tender perennial (8b), annual in 8a | Spring | Spring–Summer | Daybreak series |
| Bergenia (Hairy) | True perennial | Fall/Spring | Spring | Winter Glow |
| Coneflower (Echinacea) | True perennial | Spring | Summer | Magnus, PowWow |
| Phlox (John Fanick) | True perennial | Spring | Summer–Fall | John Fanick |
| Grandma’s Roses | True perennial | Spring/Fall | Spring–Fall | Heirloom varieties |
| Spirea | True perennial shrub | Fall/Spring | Spring | Goldflame |
| Clematis Vine | True perennial climber | Spring/Fall | Spring–Summer | Jackmanii |
| Bog Sage | Dies back, returns | Spring | Summer–Fall | Salvia uliginosa |
| Bougainvillea | Tender perennial (8b), dieback risk | Spring | Summer–Fall | Barbara Karst |
| Moss Rose (Portulaca) | Self-seeding annual | Spring | Summer | Sundial series |
If I start talking about all of these in detail, one after another, in this single article, this will be too long.
I’m going to pick a few of my favorite perennials and share some insights with pictures.
If you need planting time for Zone 8, save it: Zone 8 yearly planting chart (PDF is also available)
Dianthus
We have some in several different pots. Some get mostly shade/dappled sun, and others get full-on blazing death ray sun. They ALL thrive. Most of them flower through the winter. In fact, we have one on the front porch that barely ever gets watered, and it's still flowering.
They are super hardy little plants. Even if they look brown and dead, they can regrow next year and bloom again.
Do you know why I said they might act like a biennial in my chart? Biennial means they can complete their life cycle in two years. So grab some seeds in their second blooming season.
My grandpa put his dianthus in a bed that only gets full sun from late afternoon until Sunset and they bloom nonstop and come back every year.
How do you keep them blooming all summer?
Honestly, not much of anything. I kind of neglect and water maybe once a week. Even in the most brutal of summers, they remain strong. It’s crazy how reliable and tolerant they are! But I will say that I do try my best to keep up with picking off the spent blooms, and they just burst in abundance after that.
If you ask my opinion, this is the Best perennial so far and pet safe too.
If you are planning to grow dianthus this year, check my complete guide on: Growing and caring guide for Dianthus.
Coreopsis
Coreopsis is a true perennial in Zone 8. Mine doesn’t really even die back in winter.
There are a lot of Coreopsis varieties that you can choose from.
This is another variety:
If you ask me this one's name, it is Threadleaf Coreopsis.
There's a lighter yellow called "Moonbeam".
Caring is easy, and it depends on the species. C.tinctoria (native to Texas) and C. lanceolata need less water.
Ruby frost coreopsis:
I actually bought two of the plants last summer at Covington’s in Rowlett.
Lantana
I was always told that Lantana is an annual here in Zone 8. However, I cut mine back every year, and they return.
The variety you are seeing in the picture is confetti.
I have gotten the confetti for several years now. This is my first year trying Dallas Red and Tangerine Lantana.
Just plant lantana in full sun and forget. They perform well even with minimal care.
If you have a place that is in partial shade, it's better to go for Salvia instead of Lantana.
Salvia
My aunt was in love with Lantana more than anything. But now she is in love with salvia.
This is what she told me over the phone last night:
"I really wanted it to be lantana, but I have a huge tree out front, and they don’t do that well in partial sun. However, Salvia does awesome, I have several varieties & really love them all. Going to plant more, I think. Texas Rock Rose looks like a mini hibiscus and blooms all summer until frost."
Can you see the bird in the picture? Sorry for the blurry picture. I zoomed in to take the bird picture without disturbing her.
Salvia blooms all year round, practically.
Cosmos
First of all, they are not fully perennial in Zone 8. But they are self-seeding perennials.
I am in a lot of gardening groups on the internet, and many of the gardeners from Zone 8 reported it to be perennial by self-seeding.
The plants are gonna be killed by frost, but the seeds will survive winter in Zone 8.
Canna
That’s a pretty canna! is'nt it? It's a true perennial in Zone 8.
In Zone 8A, canna may die back in winter and will easily grow back from underground rhizomes.
In Zone 8B, they usually survive easily in the ground.
Here are three resources for a canna plant that may help you:
- How to germinate canna lily seeds effectively
- How to encourage canna lily to bloom
- Canna lily growing and caring guide
Grandma’s Roses
This is from cutting of grandma’s roses, hers was 75 years old, this one is 29 years old. The photo is from Lynn Krebbs's garden.
Grandma’s roses” is not an official rose variety. They are actually "Old garden roses (heirloom roses)".
You can grow different types of roses as perennials in Zone 8.
My roses. Especially my Mr. Lincoln, Lone Star yellow rose, Love rose, Gold medal, Rio Samba, and even Oklahoma. All were rescued from clearance racks. Some of them are even blooming in the wintertime.
They are very common varieties to find. I find most of mine in Lowe’s clearance. Usually, later in the season, when they start showing stress from the stores over- and underwatering. I bring them home and nurse them back to health.
Bare root At Walmart are also a cheap option.
Bog Sage
Bog Sage!!! Goes all summer. Laughs at wind, drought, and heat.
And best of all, covered in bees and butterflies all summer. Comes back like a train every spring. I always plant red zinnias near it. I think it makes a very fetching combo.
Have you noticed the white Gaura in the picture?
They are also true perennials in Zone 8.
Vinca
I was so impressed with Vincas last year! They got ginormous, and we’re blooming April through December! Trying again this year.
But if you are looking for true perennials, it is not one of them in Zone 8A.
With winter care, it can be a true perennial in Zone 8B.
I have grown moss rose here in Zone 8, and they die back in winter, and sometimes they grow back from seeds. But not every year.
So I am not considering this as a perennial.
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