Check out our garden editor's picks for can't-miss perennials that belong in every Midwest garden. It's an all-star selection of plants with guaranteed charm and proven performance in our region.

written by Deb Wiley

50 Favorite Perennials

Click here to view our chart of 50 Favorite Perennials!

How can a garden editor--a professional plant lover!--limit a list of favorite perennials to 50? It wasn't easy, but I tackled the job as if I were inviting friends to a party, choosing those I thought we'd all have the best time with. Like people, each plant has special qualities, so I worked out a mix that makes the gathering most interesting. Not all of my picks are hardy everywhere in the Midwest, so be sure to check each plant's hardiness against your own growing zone.

In addition to my experience with our selections, I tapped other Midwest experts: the Perennial Plant Association in Hilliard, Ohio, which names a perennial of the year; Richard Hawke, who does scientific evaluations at the Chicago Botanic Garden; the Missouri Botanic Garden and its "Plants of Merit" designation; and the GreatPlants Program, a project of the Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Association and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

I fudged a little--OK, a lot--by sometimes selecting an entire genus, such as roses. I couldn't force myself to pick only one variety of rose. Or daylily. Or hosta, iris or peony. Sadly, many great plants didn't make the list, such as brunneras and pulmonarias, plus trees, shrubs and most bulbs.

A majority of the flowers we photographed came fresh from my garden. The rest were plucked from the Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden here in Des Moines, except for Siberian irises from Iris City Gardens (see the end of the article for mail-order sources). Now, go enjoy the party in your own garden!

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