A vibrant, dramatic driveway doesn’t have to begin and end with pavers or gravel. Although it might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about planting pretty flowers, driveway borders are actually one of the best areas for making a lasting first impression. A border lined with vibrant blooming perennials adds a colorful, artistic display to your landscape. These low-maintenance plants are a great way to boost your curb appeal, creating living borders that soften hardscapes and offer a stunning display year after year.

Perennials can give your driveway an intentional look, offering a showy experience with drifts of purple catmint, fiery red bee balm, sunny yellow yarrow, or the soft pink splashes of peonies. They give a functional space an inviting, cozy vibe. Whether your driveway is long and winding or short and straight, the right perennial can bring cohesion, color, and beauty to the most utilitarian part of your home.

Unlike annuals that need to be replanted, well, annually, perennials come back every year, gradually filling in the space and becoming more impressive over time. From the vibrant hues of false goat’s beard to the boldness of Oriental poppies, driveway-friendly plants can help you create a beautiful, blooming border waiting to greet you every time you pull in. There are lots of low-maintenance ways to landscape your front yard for added curb appeal, and these perennials do their part by boosting the aesthetic of your entire yard.

Add structure and fragrance to your driveway border with English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). The drought-tolerant perennial thrives in hot, dry conditions in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 and is adored by butterflies. English lavender is a summer bloomer and prefers to be planted where it can get plenty of sunshine. Even when not blooming, its silvery-green foliage adds structure and contrast to your landscape. There are tons of ways to incorporate lavender into your space for a pop of purple.

Despite its super pretty appearance, rose mock vervain (Glandularia canadensis) is a low-maintenance perennial that attracts pollinators in zones 5 through 9. Its finely textured, fern-like foliage is perfect for softening harsh lines or weaving in between stones and pavers with a natural, flowing look. It thrives in well-drained soils and adds a cottagey vibe to any landscape. With minimal care, rose mock vervain brings showy blooms with long-lasting color to your borders.

The aptly named creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is perfect for borders because it’s a vibrant, low-growing carpet of color. The dense mat-forming habit can grow up to 6 inches tall and up to 3 feet wide. It blooms in early spring with masses of pink, purple, blue, or white flowers that completely cover the foliage. This perennial is the hardiest in zones 3 through 9 and attracts oodles of butterflies and hummingbirds.

The Japanese thimbleweed (Anemone hupehensis) is a graceful perennial that brings elegance and late-season color in August through September to borders and driveway edges. It features delicate, cup-shaped blooms in pink or white on top of wiry stems that gently sway with the slightest breeze. Japanese thimbleweed thrives in part shade to full sun and prefers well-drained soil, preferably in zones 4 through 8, where it’s the hardiest.

Lupine (Lupinus) is a summer-flowering perennial known for its tall spires of pea-like flowers and pretty foliage. As both a perennial and an annual, lupines thrive in zones 4 through 8, and although their bloom season is relatively short, the fact that lupines are low-maintenance and easy, fast growers seems to make up for it. This gorgeous plant is a hummingbird magnet that will have them flocking to your yard.

The Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is an undemanding perennial known for its large, vibrant blooms that burst in late spring to early summer. With colors ranging from red and orange to soft pink and white, these dramatic flowers can reach up to 24 inches across. Their crinkled petals and dark centers make them a favorite in cottage gardens and borders. Oriental poppies thrive in zones 3 through 7 in full sun and well-drained soil. 

False goat’s beard (Astilbe biternata) boasts feathery, plume-like flower clusters and bright green fern-like foliage. It’s a shade-loving perennial that blooms in late spring to midsummer in flashy colors like cream, pink, and purple. False goat’s beard is a compact plant, making it perfect for borders. This deer-resistant plant thrives in dappled and partial shade for up to six hours a day with rich, well-drained soil found in zones 5 through 8. 

The peony (Paeonia) is the epitome of beauty, renowned for its lush, ruffled blooms that add over-the-top drama to walkways and borders. This beloved perennial puts on a spectacular show from late spring to early summer, depending on the variety, with fragrant flowers that captivate the senses. Hardiest in zones 3 through 8, peonies thrive in full sun and well-drained soil that will reward you with stunning, long-lasting blooms year after year.

Catmint (Nepeta grandiflora) is a hardy, low-maintenance perennial with soft, silvery foliage and spikes of lavender-blue flowers that bloom from late spring through summer. It’s a fragrant lavender look-alike that can withstand harsher conditions. A favorite among pollinators, it attracts bees and butterflies while being resistant to wildlife like deer and rabbits. Catmint thrives in full sun and well-drained soil in zones 3 through 8, tolerating drought and heat once established.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a tough, sun-loving perennial that boasts flat-topped flower clusters and feathery, fern-like foliage. Hardiest in zones 3 through 9, yarrows bloom from early summer into fall and come in a slew of pretty colors like white, yellow, pink, red, and coral. Yarrows bring texture and long-lasting color to driveway borders, but can grow aggressively and become too weedy if not properly maintained.

Bee balm (Monarda) is a vibrant, aromatic perennial that brings bold color and pollinator power to your borders. Reaching up to 4 feet tall, its blossoms bring bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies to your yard. Bee balm leaves give off a minty fragrance when they’re crushed and are the hardiest in zones 4 through 9 in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil.

High mallow (Malva sylvestris) blooms from midsummer through fall, producing five-petaled shades of bright rose-purple with darker stripes running through the center. It thrives in zones 4 through 8 with full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. Bees and butterflies love it, and mallow’s lobed foliage and open, branching habit brings a soft, romantic vibe to any driveway border.

Queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra) is a whimsical perennial, featuring feathery clusters of small, fragrant flowers that look like plumes of cotton candy. Its native habitat is damp meadows and prairies, which is why it thrives in zones 3 through 8. Stalks can reach up to 8 feet tall, while its deeply lobed, serrated foliage adds plenty of texture to borders.

The turtlehead (Chelone obliqua) perennial brings texture and vibrant color to garden borders, especially along driveways. Its distinctive, hooded flowers resemble a turtle’s head, making it both a whimsical and visually ostentatious plant. In zones 5 though 9, the clumpy turtlehead blooms from July until September. Its tolerance for wet soil sets it apart, but turtlehead is also low maintenance and resistant to deer.

Despite its name, sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) isn’t actually a weed. It’s a perennial with daisy-like blooms that come in pretty yellow, orange, and red hues. And just when other plants begin to lose their flowers, sneezewood turns up the drama, starting in late summer and going until October for zones 3 through 8. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall, it’s the perfect addition for driveway borders, where its upright form brings structure and movement.