Best Perennials for Every Region of the U.S.

Pacific Northwest Region: Recommended Perennial for Sun

Rebecca Orr, trials coordinator at the wholesale perennial grower Terra Nova Nurseries near Portland, Oregon, recommends meadow rue (Thalictrum), an underappreciated but easy perennial well-suited to Pacific Northwest growing conditions.

“Thalictrum is an early pollen forage item for gardens, and we rarely see it without a diverse group of bee species enjoying their blossoms,” Orr says.

Meadow rue varieties can grow more than seven feet tall or just a few inches, depending on which type you plant. The variety called Nimbus Pink (pictured here), is a good in-between size that fits easily into most gardens. It stands just over two feet tall in full bloom. It is perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 5 through 9 and works in full sun to part shade.