9 Pretty Spring Flowers That Are Easy to Care For

Want to create a low-maintenance garden full of easy spring flowers? Today I’m sharing a peek at my yard and the spring bloomers I love and recommend.

These are the perennial and evergreen champs that survive year after year, tolerating neglect from their plant mom. I’m in zone 8 Portland, but these plants will thrive in several different hardiness zones.

You can find your zone here to figure out which plants work for your climate. Then try to plant them when the weather is mild. In the spring or fall, the rain will do most of the work for you. If rain is scarce, you’ll need to water for a bit to get your plants established.

And if you’re not sure where to buy plants right now, check out my long list of places to order seeds and plants online. I’ve also included shop buttons below linking to flowers available on Amazon.

Note: This article contains affiliate links. See my disclosures for details.


Bleeding Heart Flower (Dicentra Spectabilis)

Zones 2-9 | Shade to Part Shade

Dicentra Spectabilis, pink bleeding heart perennial blooming in the spring

The bleeding heart plant produces sweet little heart-shaped flowers and soft green foliage. It is much tougher than its name suggests.

Once established, a bleeding heart doesn’t need much care. Usually the spring rain is enough to keep it pleased, but if the leaves look wilted give it some water.

Plant it in a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, and this perennial will happily regrow every spring.


Candytuft Flower (Iberis Sempervirens)

Zones 4-9 | Full Sun to Part Shade

Candytuft evergreen plant (Iberis Sempervirens), a mounding ground cover plant with tiny white flowers in the spring

More: See how I used candytuft on a small slope in my front yard

Eventually my yard will be covered in candytuft, because I can’t get enough of these hardworking plants. They are evergreen, providing greenery throughout the fall and winter and then bursting with little flowers in the spring.

I love the shock of bright white flowers popping up in the yard. A few of the flowers hold on for the summer, and then candytufts go back to all green foliage. They love the sun, but I have some in tricky part-shade areas, too, and they’re all blooming well.


Jack Frost Flower (Brunnera Macrophylla)

Zones 3-8 | Shade to Part Shade

Jack Frost Brunnera Macrophylla, a shade-loving perennial with tiny blue flowers that resemble forget-me-nots

Brunnera Jack Frost is a forget-me-not lookalike. And since true forget-me-nots are highly invasive, this is a perfect alternative. The tiny blue flowers are irresistible, with variegated foliage providing a pop of silver green.

Jack Frost is a woodland perennial that loves shade and rain. I used to have mine in dry shade under a roof overhang, and it wasn’t happy. So I transplanted it to a rainy spot at the bottom of a slope, and now it’s a low-maintenance gem. Give it a drink on a hot summer day.


Tulip Flower (Tulipa)

Zones 4-10 | Full Sun to Part Shade

Tulips are a low-maintenance spring flower that add color to the garden

Tulips are the surest sign of spring, and they come in endless colors and varieties. This one is from the Peachy Keen tulip/narcissus mix.

Most tulips prefer full sun, but Peachy Keen and some other types will grow in part shade. Tulips bloom in the spring and die down by the summer. Plant them near evergreens to keep year-round interest.


Rhododendron Flower

Zones 4-8 | Full Sun to Part Shade

The rhododendron is a tough evergreen shrub with colorful spring blooms

The rhododendron is a landscape hero. This evergreen shrub can grow into a privacy hedge or fill in a part shade area with gorgeous spring blooms.

There are dwarf varieties for smaller yards, as well as large rhododendrons reaching 20 feet tall. Bloom times vary. It’s nice to have several different types so when one loses its flowers the next begins blooming.


Irene Trailing Rosemary (Rosmarinus Prostratus)

Zones 7-11 | Full sun

Irene Trailing Rosemary Flower (Rosmarinus Prostratus), a sun-loving herb that blooms in the spring

More: This slope used to be covered in ivy! Here’s how I cleared it for planting

Rosemary is a drought-tolerant evergreen herb with purplish-blue flowers. The Irene trailing rosemary is ideal for a sunny slope or rock wall.

Since rosemary is native to the Mediterranean, I didn’t think it would like Portland’s cold, rainy winters (very un-Mediterranean). But rosemary can actually survive down to zone 7. As long as it gets that hot summer sun, it’s delighted.


Hellebore Flower (Helleborus)

Zones 5-9 | Shade to Part Shade

Pink Frost Hellebore, AKA Lenten Rose, is a beautiful evergreen that blooms in winter and spring

The hellebore usually starts blooming in the winter and into mid-spring, providing the first sign of life in an otherwise desolate landscape. Those early blooms along with its evergreen beauty make it a garden must-have.

As a member of the buttercup family, hellebore flowers are as cute as can be. They come in nearly any color, including green or black. Hellebores require almost no care most of the year. They may droop a bit on hot summer days, but give them water and they will perk back up.


Lithodora Flower (Lithodora Diffusa)

Zones 5-9 | Full Sun to Part Shade

Lithodora flowers blooming in the spring

Lithodora is basically the blue version of candytuft. It’s an evergreen mounding plant that looks good year-round and shines in spring and summer when it’s covered in blue flowers.

Once established, lithodoras will spread a couple feet wide and require little to no care. Mine survive on just rain and sun with no attention from me, outside of the occasional photo shoot.


Cherry Tree

Zones 4-9 | Full Sun

Cherry tree flowering in the spring

When choosing spring flowers to plant in your landscape, don’t forget about flowering trees. Cherry trees are universally adored for their white or pink blossoms.

While some cherry trees grow 50 feet high, there are varieties around 20 feet high that work well in smaller yards. Candytufts bloom at the same time and look great planted near cherry trees…pretty white flowers everywhere!


Easy-Care Spring Flowers

4 thoughts on “9 Pretty Spring Flowers That Are Easy to Care For”

  1. Your yard certainly looks like a burst of spring! I love your comment about your candytuft flowers eventually covering your yard…well..that will be alot nicer than the ivy that was covering it..right? I really love the Jack frost..so dainty looking and pretty! Of course Rhodies in Oregon are a “must-have”! I think my favorite are the hellebore..gorgeous color! We were really surprised so many of our flowers came back this spring..was sure we would have to replace alot..but my 5 boginvillas are going crazy..lantana came back, petunias and some that we didnt keep the description on so not sure what they are but they are blooming! Its our “happy” place to sit out back during this time and enjoy the spring, flowers, and our waterfall…..things that we normally took for granted. Love that you shared the pretty pics of your favorite flowers…love your yard and all the great changes you have made to it!!

    Reply
    • Thanks Judy! Yes, every year I add a few more candytufts, I love them! I want to get more of the Jack Frost, too, to fill in that whole area with dainty blue flowers. And I just ordered a bunch of hellebores…they are such a tough and beautiful plant, perfect for the shade. I’m glad so many of your flowers came back. The backyard is definitely a great happy place to relax and recharge. <3

      Reply
  2. I have never been much of a flower person. If I grow something in the garden, I want to be able to eat it. That being said, I do know it’s important to have flowers to attract pollinators, so I have been working on incorporating more flowers into the garden. This has been really useful to help me pick plants that will grow well and not require a ton of care. Hopefully, I can find some of these this year and add them to my garden for a pop of color and to make the pollinators happy.

    Reply
    • Thanks Sarah! I hope you found some flower ideas that will work in your climate. I think flowering shrubs would look great around your veggie garden with ground cover perennials like the candytuft. And maybe you can grow edible flowers like nasturtiums. 🙂

      Reply

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