12 Gorgeous Perennials That Bloom in June for Vibrant Color

June is an exciting month in the garden when many beautiful perennials start bursting into bloom. With proper planning and plant selection, you can have nonstop color from alliums, irises and peonies earlier in June to hydrangeas, roses and daisies later in the month.

I love decorating my garden with June bloomers to welcome summer with their vibrant flowers. Here are 12 of my favorite perennials that shine in June:

1. Peony

Peonies are classic June bloomers, opening their huge romantic flowers when early summer arrives. The sumptuous blooms come in shades like pink coral, white, red and yellow. Tree peonies and intersectional Itoh peonies also join the floral show, adding their exotic, giant blooms to the mix.

2. Iris

Bearded irises unfold their orchid-like blooms in June, featuring ruffled petals in a rainbow of colors like purple, blue, orange, pink, white, yellow and bi-colors They add vertical drama to garden beds and borders Siberian irises also bloom in June, showing off more understated blooms.

3. Allium

Alliums send up spherical flower clusters on tall, slender stems in May and June. The giant alliums can reach 4 feet tall! Popular varieties come in shades of purple, pink and white. Alliums make great cut flowers.

4. Salvia

The Salvia family features hundreds of species and varieties. In June, garden favorites like meadow sage (Salvia pratensis), Caradonna sage (S. nemorosa ‘Caradonna’) and pineapple sage (S. elegans) begin blooming. Their tapered spikes attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

5. Roses

June is prime time for rose blooming. Hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras and English roses all unfurl their elegant, fragrant flowers this month. Prune spent blooms promptly to encourage re-blooming.

6. Lavender

The unmistakable lavender spikes burst into bloom in June, looking beautiful and scenting the air with their aromatic fragrance. English lavenders like ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ bloom earliest, with French lavenders soon following.

7. Tickseed

Tickseed (Coreopsis) blooms abundantly with its daisy-like flowers in June. It comes in colors like yellow, gold, mahogany and bi-colors with contrasting eyes. Deadheading spent blooms prolongs the floral display.

8. Delphinium

Delphinium are stars of the early summer garden with their stately spires densely covered in ruffled blooms. Colors include shades of blue, purple, pink, red and white. Remove faded flowers to encourage additional blooming.

9. Hydrangea

The blooming season for hydrangeas begins in June. Bigleaf, panicle, smooth and mountain hydrangeas all produce lush flower heads this month in white, pink, blue and purple tones. Prune shortly after flowering concludes.

10. Garden Phlox

Garden phlox produces clusters of sweetly fragrant blooms starting in early summer. Popular varieties offer colors like pink, purple, red and white. Choose mildew-resistant cultivars for easy care.

11. Astilbe

With their feathery, fluffy plumes, astilbe blossom elegantly in the shade garden in June. They come in lovely pastel hues of pink, red, purple, peach and white. Their ferny foliage offers nice texture all season.

12. Yarrow

Yarrow bursts into bloom in June, showing off its umbrella-shaped flower clusters called corymbs. Varieties like ‘Paprika’ and ‘Summer Pastels’ bloom in vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow and salmon.

Tips for Maximizing June Blooms

Follow these tips to make the most of June perennials in your garden:

• Select a variety of bloom times for continuous color.

• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote reblooming.

• Apply organic fertilizer when buds appear to support flowering.

• Water thoroughly during dry spells for healthy blooming.

• Stake tall plants like delphiniums to prevent flopping.

• Prune shrubs like hydrangeas once flowering concludes.

• Divide overcrowded perennial clumps every 3-5 years.

• Give plants ideal sun exposure for their variety.

• Remove competing plants to reduce crowding.

With proper planning and care, you can craft a spectacular garden that really shines in June. Peonies, irises, roses and other perennials will reward you with beautiful, vibrant blooms all month long when provided with what they need to thrive. June is a special time when many of the garden’s most beloved flowers are at their peak.