Flowers That Bloom in June: Best Picks for Zone 5

By
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

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Updated on 02/13/22
Reviewed by
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018
Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40 years' experience; writing for over 20 years.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Yarrow plant with tiny clusters of fuchsia-colored flowers

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The USDA hardiness zone 5 stretches across the United States from Alaska to Maine. Gardeners in zones 5a and 5b know that they must use plants that can survive cold temperatures up to -20 degrees F. and that perennial flowers will be at their best in June. Selecting the hardiest and showiest perennials will kick off the growing season before summer performers like garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) appear.

Here are 11 flowering plants that perform well in zone 5 gardens.

  • 01 of 11

    Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)

    Close up of pink peony

    Hisako Sugano / Getty Images

    Almost everyone appreciates the fragrant, large, double flowers of a sun-loving Chinese peony (Paeonia lactiflora). It is also one of the hardiest and longest-lived perennials in zones 3 to 8. One characteristic to keep in mind is a peony does not like to be moved. Select a spot and let it thrive. If you must transplant a peony, move it in the fall once it enters dormancy.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink, red, white, yellow, purple, bicolors
    • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy
  • 02 of 11

    Stella de Oro (Hemerocallis)

    Stella de Oro flower.

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    A herbaceous root plant, Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro' is an often-used day lily with vibrant golden-yellow flowers. When placed in full sun, the daylily can be grown across many zones (3 to 10), blooming and reblooming for several months, usually May to July. It can tolerate a wide soil pH range, from 6.0 (acidic) to 8.0 (alkaline).

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 10
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained soil
  • 03 of 11

    Salvia (Salvia x superba 'Blue Hill')

    Planting of many Victoria Blue salvia plants in bloom.

    Anshu / Getty Images

    Plenty of perennial salvias bloom in June for northern gardeners, including Blue Hill (Salvia x superba 'Blue Hill'), which grows in zones 4 to 8 in full sun. Salvia is easy to grow. Some find the odor of the leaves to be unpleasant; however, others love it. It is a common flower dried and used for potpourri.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Blue
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil
  • 04 of 11

    Ice Plant (Delosperma cooperi)

    Purple ice plant

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) is a low-growing full-sun perennial in zones 5 to 10. It has a sprawling ground cover growing habit. This unusual plant is valued for the length of its flowering period (all summer) and its suitability as an edging plant. Its foliage is succulent-like, requiring well-draining soil in regions colder than zone 7, or it will die during the winter.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 10
    • Color Varieties: Pink, red, purple, yellow, orange, bicolor, and tricolor varieties
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Dry, sandy, well-drained
    Continue to 5 of 11 below.
  • 05 of 11

    Dark Purple Allium (Allium atropurpureum)

    Allium atropurpureum in bloom.

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Several kinds of flowering onions (Allium spp.) bloom at different times of the year. Flowering onions are valued by those seeking a continuous sequence of bloom. One particular type with dark purple flowers, Allium atropurpureum, blooms in June in zone 5. You can add this flowering onion into an empty spot in the garden in spring, summer, or fall. Technically, bulb plants, flowering onions come up every year (for several years) like perennials. Give Allium atropurpureum full sun and grow it in zones 4 to 8.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Dark purple
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Well-draining
  • 06 of 11

    English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

    English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) blooming and massed together.

    Shelly Chapman / Getty Images

    Lavandula spp. are sub-shrubs, but gardeners often treat them as perennials or herbs. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the hardier varieties for zones 5 to 8 when grown in full sun. Even non-gardeners are familiar with its best feature: the fragrance of its leaves, which are dried and used in potpourris. Its worst feature is its intolerance for soggy soil that often leads to root rot.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Dark or light purple is most common, but hybrid colors also available in lavender, violet-blue, white, and pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, gritty, dry to medium, well-drained 
  • 07 of 11

    Variegated Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander')

    Yellow loosestrife (variegated type)

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata 'Alexander') is a full-sun plant for zones 4 through 8. Its variegated leaves display green and pink colors when they first appear in the spring. Unfortunately, the fantastic pink foliage does not hang around for long. When the plant produces yellow flowers in June, its leaves are green and white.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained
  • 08 of 11

    Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

    Bee balm herb

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Bee balm (Monarda didyma) sneaks in as a June bloomer, coming into flower at the end of the month. Grow it in full sun to partial shade. If you choose to grow this herb in full sun, be especially careful to water it well since it likes slightly moist soil.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Red, purple, pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
    • Soil Needs: Moist
    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

    Yarrow plant with tall thin stems and clusters of fuchsia-colored flowers

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Like bee balm, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is an herb grown mainly as an ornamental. Cultivars have white, yellow, pink, or red flowers. The variety of floral colors it offers, the plant's toughness, and its ability to draw butterflies are major selling points. Yarrow spreads via rhizomes, so it's not always a well-behaved plant and can spread widely. Stake yarrow if you're growing it in a high-wind area.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
    • Color Varieties: White, yellow, pink, or red
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, clay, well-draining
  • 10 of 11

    Becky Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky')

    White daisies against dark background

    Maria Mosolova / Getty Images

    Different daisies bloom at other times. Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky' flowers June to September when grown in full sun in zones 5 to 9. Its best feature is that it is a long-blooming perennial. Its worst feature is the number of bugs that eat it, including aphids, earwigs, leaf miners, and slugs.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
    • Color Varieties: White with a yellow center
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 11 of 11

    'Black Knight' Larkspur (Delphinium 'Black Knight')

    Summer Skies delphinium

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Sun-loving larkspur (Delphinium spp.) has long been used in cottage gardens. The different types vary in terms of height and hardiness. 'Black Knight' grows to 7 feet tall in zones 3 to 7. Most gardeners choose larkspur for its true blue blooms and height. It is a tall perennial that you can place in the back row of a planting bed without worrying that the plants in front of it will block it. Maintain this beauty by providing excellent drainage to prevent crown rot.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7
    • Color Varieties: Dark purple
    • Sun Exposure: Full
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
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