Perennials

All Perennials Content
Winter seedhead profiles of Switchgrass, Anise hyssop, and Round-headed bushclover.

South Dakota Native Plants for Winter Interest

“Winter interest” is a term used to describe plants with features valuable to wildlife, people, or the overall landscape in winter. Native perennials with winter interest provide either colorful stems, colorful foliage or structure for aesthetic value, wildlife habitat, or food for wildlife when resources are low in winter.

Light-purple pasqueflower emerging in early spring.

Native Plants to Know: Eastern Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens)

Eastern pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens), your South Dakota state flower, could be the queen of all our native wildflowers. It often blooms while there is still snow on the ground and can give us hope that winter is coming to an end.

Blooming leadplant with brilliant, purple flower spikes.

Native Plants to Know: Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) deserves a close look, especially when it blooms. This little shrub showcases spikes of bright purple flowers with striking yellow-orange stamens and silvery-gray leaves.

variety of flowers growing in a yard

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

Everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of flowers and ornamental plants with some simple recommendations.

Cristi™ Hardy Hibiscus and Summerific Coconut Cream Hibiscus flowers in bloom at McCrory Gardens.

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy hibiscus is a showstopping perennial that can bring huge, colorful flowers to gardens. Unlike the tropical hibiscus, which is commonly sold for patios and containers, hardy hibiscus can survive South Dakota winters when the right variety is selected and planted in an appropriate location.

Calico aster, Aromatic aster, and Heath aster.

Asters of South Dakota

Once considered roadside weeds, native asters make a fine addition to gardens and prairies. With thoughtful selection, gardeners can have asters blooming from late summer through late fall, providing essential forage for pollinators.

Monarch butterfly visiting a blanket flower near a backyard garden.

SDSU Extension to host Greatest Gardens contest

July 08, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension will celebrate gardens of all kinds with its inaugural South Dakota’s Greatest Gardens contest.

Extension expert and graduate students evaluating delphiniums on an outdoor table.

Transplant Timing and Protected Cultivation Strategies Enhance Delphinium Cut Flower Production

Delphinium (Delphinium spp.) is a cool-season perennial cut flower that holds strong market potential, but production on small farms for regional markets remains limited by yield and short harvest durations.

Plant profiles of purple prairie clover, white prairie clover, and golden prairie clover.

Prairie Clovers of South Dakota

Many of us are familiar with the white clover growing in our lawns or the yellow sweet clover growing in rangelands, but did you know that South Dakota has several native prairie clovers that are beneficial for pollinators, birds, and wildlife?

A grove of white flowers with yellow centers

McCrory Gardens Trial Report aids in flower selection

April 30, 2026

The McCrory Gardens Trial Report, issued annually by SDSU Extension and McCrory Gardens, helps South Dakotans choose flower varieties that do well in local conditions.