Pink perennials for the garden: A gradient of rosy shades from pale pink to fuchsia

I’ll admit it, one of my favorite colors is pink. If I see pink perennials at the garden centre and I need a plant to fill a hole in my garden, chances are at least one of them will end up in my cart. Come to think of it, I have quite a range of beautiful pink perennials in my front, side and backyard.

What I love about pink flowers is the range of hues available, so if you’re not into petals with baby pink tones, you might be more drawn to the boldness of fuchsia flowers. There are a lot of options, but I’ve selected a few of my favorites that are in my garden or that I’ve seen on my travels.

Pale and medium pink perennial flowers

Dianthus

There are a lot of beautiful varieties of dianthus and most of them are pink. What I love about this plant is it grows in a lovely mounding clump. This makes it perfect for borders or to fill in a space meant for a low-growing plant in the garden—it only reaches about a foot in height.

Potentilla

There’s a lovely little potentilla beside the path leading to my deck stairs. That one I get to admire. But on the other side of my house is a sweet little potentilla that my neighbor gets to admire. The flowers may be diminutive, but they are long-lasting and pretty when the whole shrub is in bloom, usually in early summer.

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon blooms make you feel like you’re in the tropics—they’re part of the hibiscus family. This is probably why they also don’t mind the heat and humidity. My rose of Sharons are all trees, but my parents have a rose of Sharon hedge against a fence, which looks really nice when it’s in bloom. Just be sure to shear away the seed pods in the fall or else you’ll be dealing with an abundance of seedlings the following year!

Japanese anemone

It took a couple of years to become established in the garden, but now my Japanese anemone is consistently floriferous. I’ve heard from other gardeners they can be a bit invasive, but so far, mine has been easy to contain in its spot (partial shade and sun)—near my ‘Happy Face Pink Paradise’ potentilla. Plants are also rabbit and deer resistant, and bloom from late summer through late fall.

Clematis

If you’re looking for a flowering vine, clematis, once it’s established, is a great choice. There are a few different colors—and shades of pink—to choose from. The plants like their roots to be cool, but their leaves and flowers don’t mind the hot sun. Be sure to choose a sturdy place for these plants to climb.

Peony

I wait with much anticipation in the late spring for the fleeting week or two that my peonies are in bloom. My garden came with several varieties, all in varying shades of pink. I feel like no sooner do they bloom, then they flop and start to slowly drop their petals. I make sure I snip the ones that are on the ground or out of sight to enjoy the sweet fragrance in a vase on my deck (aka my outdoor office). Grow them in full sun and be sure to cut the foliage right down to the soil level in the fall to avoid disease.

Hydrangea paniculata

Panicle hydrangeas are easy to grow and hardy down to about USDA zone 3 or 4. They like a mix of sun and shade in the garden. Blooms grow on new wood, so prune when the plant goes dormant in the fall. If you’re worried about the size, look for dwarf varieties, like the one shown below.

Chrysanthemums

While I enjoy a harvest palette in my fall containers (orange, red, yellow), my chrysanthemums provide a welcome hint of pale pink (that still feels like summer) in my fall garden. Some varieties are hardy down to zone 4. I’ve had good l luck overwintering my mums in my front garden. Be sure to water them more often during especially hot periods in the summer.

Astrantia

A friend recently referred to astrantia as “fireworks in the garden.” It’s an apt description: They really do mimic a floral representation. I hadn’t come across these plants until a trip to Ireland a few years ago, where I photographed the most gorgeous pink and green-tinged astrantia. This herbaceous perennial is a pollinator magnet and hardy down to USDA zone 4.

Hot pink perennials

Rose campion

Rose campion is one of those self-seeding plants that finds its way to various parts of my garden—and I don’t mind a bit. The foliage is a fuzzy, greyish seafoam green and the colors are a vibrant highlighter hot pink or magenta. It grows well in full sun and stems grow to be at least two feet high. It’s also hardy down to USDA zone 3.

Delosperma

Delosperma, also called ice plants, come in a variety of colors, but there are some lovely pink varieties. Mine is fuchsia and orange. Once they’re established, they’re drought tolerant. They look really nice in rock gardens because of their slow spread. And they bloom through the summer into early fall.

Check out these pink perennials

• Lilies: Check out eight summer-flowering bulbs in this article, which includes pink options
• Astilbe: It’s possible to choose the shade of frothy flowers you’d like in the garden
• Phlox: Both creeping and moss varieties of phlox come in various shades of pink
• Hardy hibiscus: The massive blooms of this perennial come in a variety of colors

Looking for perennials in other colors?

• Purple perennial flowers: 24 brilliant choices for big and small gardens
• Growing yellow perennial flowers—and a few yellow annuals, too!