Red All Over
Full sun to partial shade
Average to moist soil
Red flowers never fail to catch the eye, so they’re an excellent choice for jazzing up any sunny garden. The fact that many red-flowered perennials are also favorites with hummingbirds is an added bonus. Bright blooms aren’t your only option for filling a red bed or border, though. Companions with red in their leaves contribute color all season long. Silvery and purple-leaved perennials also make perfect partners for red flowers.
The Garden Plan
Shopping List
1 ‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm
Monarda didyma
3 plants
Zones 3–9
Alternates: Another 2- to 4-foot-tall perennial with red flowers, such as ‘Red Jewel’ or ‘Ruby Tuesday’ Helen’s flower (Helenium) [3 plants] or ‘Paprika’ yarrow (Achillea) [3 plants]
‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm (Monarda didyma)
2 ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass
Panicum virgatum
2 plants
Zones 4–9
Alternates: Another 3- to 4-foot-tall switch grass selection with red-tinged leaves, such as ‘Cheyenne Sky’, ‘Huron Solstice’, or ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ [2 plants], or a red-flowered daylily (Hemerocallis), such as ‘Chicago Apache’ [2 plants]
‘Shenandoah’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum)
3 Japanese blood grass
Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’
10 plants
Zones 5–9
Alternates: Another 1- to 2-foot-tall perennial with red flowers, such as ‘Arizona Red Shades’ blanket flower (Gaillardia × grandiflora) [4 plants] or a red-flowered chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum), such as ‘Ruby Mound’ [4 plants]
Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’)
4 Firefly coral bells
Heuchera ‘Leuchtkäfer’
5 plants
Zones 3–8
Alternates: Another coral bells or heuchera with red flowers and/or purple leaves, such as ‘Obsidian’ [5 plants], or another 1- to 2-foot-tall perennial with reddish flowers and purplish or red-tinged leaves, such as ‘Lynda Windsor’ or ‘Red Cauli’ sedum (Sedum) [5 plants]
Firefly coral bells (Heuchera ‘Leuchtkäfer’)
5 Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
6 plants
Zones 3–9
Alternates: ‘Fan Scarlet’ or other red-flowered lobelia, or another 1- to 2-foot-tall perennial with red flowers, such as wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) [6 plants] or ‘Heart Attack’ sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) [6 plants]
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Planting Plan
Season by Season
Spring: Early color in this garden comes from the emerging leaves: the greens of the ‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm, ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass, Firefly coral bells, and cardinal flower, and — by late spring — the red-tipped green blades of Japanese blood grass.
To get your red garden off to a good start for the growing season, cut down any winter-damaged or dead stems and leaves in early to mid spring. It’s also a good time to divide any of these perennials: for bee balm and heuchera, every 2 to 3 years; for grasses and cardinal flower, whenever they start crowding out their companions. Finish up by applying a fresh layer of organic mulch over the bare soil (except around the base of the cardinal flower clumps if you want them to produce seedlings).
Summer: Firefly coral bells sends up its loose spikes of brilliant red bells in early summer (possibly even earlier in southern gardens) and continues through midsummer. The Japanese blood grass holds its red leaf tips through the summer, and the ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass develops red tips too, usually in early to midsummer. The switch grass also bears airy reddish flower plumes in mid to late summer, around the same time that the ‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm produces its shaggy-looking flower clusters and the cardinal flower sends up its brilliant red spikes.
Snip off the heads of the bee balm as soon as the blooms drop to encourage the plants to produce more flowers, or leave them on for later interest. On the cardinal flower, cut off the finished part of the flower spike above the leafy part of the stem; often, the remaining stem will produce a flush of shorter bloom spikes later in the season. And on the coral bells, clip off the finished flower spikes close to the base of the stalk. Water the garden during summer dry spells.
Fall and Winter: Cardinal flower may continue to produce some flowers into early fall, but the grasses are the real color highlight in fall, when their leaves turn bright red (in the case of blood grass) to burgundy red (on the ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass). ‘Jacob Cline’ bee balm has interesting seed heads in fall, if you didn’t remove the spent summer flowers, and they can last on the dried stems well into winter. The coral bells leaves may develop some purplish or silvery marbling as cool weather arrives, and the leaves generally look good through the winter.
Cut the bee balm, grasses, and cardinal flower stems to the ground in mid to late fall, or leave them in place for winter interest.
Digging Deeper
- You have lots of planting options with a long, narrow border like this one: set it against a wall, fence, or hedge; use it as a foundation planting around your house or garden shed; or enjoy it along the edge of a path, sidewalk, or driveway. If you want to fill a longer space, repeat the plan end to end as many times as needed. Consider mixing in some of the suggested alternate plants to give the extended border more variety.
- Want to enjoy your red bed even sooner in spring? Tuck in some tulips! These sun-loving spring favorites come in a range of heights, from 6-inch-tall Tulipa linifolia and 10-inch ‘Red Riding Hood’ to the classic ‘Kingsblood’, at 24 inches. Or start the season with a softer palette of pinks, such as 15-inch ‘Toronto’ bouquet tulips or 20-inch ‘Barcelona’. They’ll look super with the green, silvery, and red-tipped leaves of the emerging perennials.
- Add even more intensity to your red-themed garden by mixing in plants with deep purple to near-black leaves. Many heucheras (Heuchera), for instance, come in that color range; ‘Obsidian’ is one outstanding practically black selection that you could use in place of the green-leaved Firefly coral bells in the front row. In the back row, replace the ‘Shenandoah’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum) with purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) or ‘Purple Majesty’ millet (P. glaucum). These dark-leaved grasses are generally annuals, not perennials, but it’s worth replacing them each spring if you enjoy the effect.