Looking to give your garden a boost that lasts year after year? Summer is a perfect time to plant bare root perennials that will settle in quickly and reward you with long-lasting beauty. These easy-to-grow summer flower roots are ideal for anyone who wants more color, structure, and variety without having to start from scratch each spring.

Here are 8 of the best perennials for summer planting, all ready to root, grow, and come back even stronger each season!

1. Stargazer Oriental Lily

Few flowers are as bold and breathtaking as Stargazer Lilies. Their large, upward-facing blooms are rich pink with white edges and a heavenly fragrance that fills the garden in late summer. These lilies are not just beautiful in the first year—they naturalize well, meaning they’ll return with more stems and flowers each season. Plant a few, and they’ll multiply into a stunning display over time!

2. Casa Blanca Oriental Lily

This elegant white lily is a garden classic. Casa Blanca Lilies produces huge, luminous blooms with a sweet scent that carries beautifully on warm evenings. Its tall, sturdy stems make it perfect for cutting, and like other oriental lilies, it perennializes easily in well-drained soil. With just a little care, it will keep coming back year after year with even more flowers!

3. Mixed Asiatic Lilies

For vibrant early summer color, Mixed Asiatic Lilies are a must. This blend includes shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and white, with each bulb producing multiple blooms on strong, upright stems. Asiatic lilies are not as fragrant as oriental types, but they’re incredibly hardy and reliable. Once established, they’ll return each year with even more stems, making them a dependable favorite for any perennial garden.

4. Spicata Liatris (Purple Blazing Star)

These tall, purple flower spikes add texture and movement to sunny borders. Spicata Liatris is beloved by bees and butterflies and thrives in full sun. It is also drought tolerant once established. The corms multiply underground, forming larger clumps each year. By season two or three, you’ll have a beautiful drift of spiky purple blooms that light up the garden!

5. Spicata Alba Liatris (White Blazing Star)

With the same shape and growth habit as the purple variety, Spicata Alba Liatris offers creamy white blooms that glow in evening light. It pairs beautifully with pinks, blues, and soft greens for a calming, elegant look. Like its purple counterpart, it perennializes well and returns each year with a little more vigor and volume!

6. Mixed Phlox

This mix of tall garden phlox features soft shades of pink, purple, and white. The fragrant blooms cluster at the top of sturdy stems and bloom from mid to late summer. Mixed Phlox is one of those classic perennials that just keeps going. Once established, the plants form dense, colorful clumps that return bigger and better each season. Plus, they attract butterflies and make lovely cut flowers!

7. Pink Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila)

Airy and romantic, Pink Gypsophila offers delicate clouds of tiny rose-colored blooms that float above fine green foliage. It’s a favorite for bouquets and softens the look of any garden bed. This variety establishes quickly and spreads slowly over time, adding charm and elegance for seasons to come. It looks especially lovely paired with lilies or coneflowers!

8. Mixed Astilbe

Perfect for part-shade spots, this mixed collection of Mixed Astilbe brings feather-like blooms in shades of pink, red, and white. The flowers rise above lush, fern-like foliage and stay attractive even after blooming. Astilbe prefers moist soil and will reward you with vibrant color and texture year after year. These roots gradually form larger clumps, filling in shaded beds beautifully.

Summer Planting Tips

Planting bare root perennials in summer is easier than you might think. Soak the roots for an hour or two before planting, choose a well-draining spot, and keep them well-watered through the first few weeks. A layer of mulch will help retain moisture and keep the soil cool. Once established, most perennials require very little maintenance and reward you with season after season of color!

Your Garden's Future Starts Now

There is something incredibly satisfying about planting summer flower roots and watching them return bigger and better each year. Whether you're filling out an existing bed or starting fresh, these 8 bare root perennials are a beautiful, long-term investment in your garden’s future. Get them in the ground now, and let the blooming begin!