16 Spring Garden Flowers for Late Spring

Spring flowers bring so much joy after a long winter. But if you're like me, the excitement fades a little when the tulips and daffodils disappear just weeks after blooming.

That’s why I started planting more late spring blooming flowers—the kinds that don’t just show up early and vanish. These are the colorful, dependable blooms that carry your garden from April into May and even June.

Every flower you’ll see was photographed in my own zone 5 garden. I’ve included details on what grows well, when they bloom, and why each one earned a spot in my spring garden.

If you're looking for spring flower ideas that go beyond early bulbs, or you want inspiration for your own spring garden layout, I hope this post gives you fresh, real-life ideas.

As you see signs of spring growth, be careful and don't weed out a perennial that you don't recognize. How to Identify Spring Plants in your Yard (no app.!)

Lilacs

I searched for years to find this lilac. Finally, a local nursery sourced the Charles Joly lilac for me! Of course I bought two. These are darker than the 'normal' lilacs we see growing everywhere in the spring. And they smell so good!

This is a shrub, not a perennial. But, it does bloom beautifully in the spring!

Early Spring Flowers Fading

Most recognize spring tulips, daffodils, and crocuses. By late spring, they are fading. This post is about the flowers that pop up after these but before the summer bloomers start.

Bleeding Hearts

I love when my mid to late spring flowers start blooming.  My bleeding heart plants always surprise me and bring me joy! Winters are long and I love seeing these pretty guys!

They seem so delicate.  But they bloom every year, and I even love the shadier parts of my yard!

Aren't they pretty? You can see why they are called bleeding hearts. There are also pretty white ones!

Crab Apple Trees

I also LOVE when crab apple tree blossoms.  It's just a huge splash of pink.

Here is a closer look:

As spring gets closer to summer, these apple blossom petals rain down everywhere.

Trillium

I am absolutely in love with the trillium, a spring plant. Now, just to be clear, I did buy mine from nursery stock. In many areas, it's illegal to remove it from its native habitat.

Sigh. I wish you were around much longer. If you want to know more about these, take a look at my Trilliam Flower post.

Garlic Mustard Weed

Obviously, just from the name alone, it's a weed. A few years ago, it became an issue in Wisconsin. It is very invasive. It doesn't help that it can grow in full sun or even full shade.

When it blooms, it has tiny white flowers. Please, I'm begging, pull the plant before it seeds. You'll regret it if you don't. The seeds spread this plant like crazy. One of the biggest issues with this plant is that it does something to the soil and will cause issues with native plants growing. The recommendation is to pull it, put it in a bag, and throw it in the garbage. Do NOT compost this, especially if there are seeds.

Garlic mustard weed is my second least favorite plant that I find in my garden. Definitely a foe. You can pull all the garlic out of your yard and if your neighbor doesn't, and it goes to seed, you start over. Hmmm. Maybe it's worth quietly doing some weeding at my neighbor's yard.

Wild Violets

I feel like a bad person telling you this is the plant I despise. You see, it's Wisconsin's state flower. And I live (and love living) in Wisconsin. This plant is native to my state and is a friend of pollinators.

It's pretty and cute, I'll grant you that.

If it gets into your lawn, it spreads. It will take over your lawn and you can't get rid of these cute little evil devils.

Lily of the Valley

This is an aggressive plant, but it's so pretty. It is physically contained between my house and my cement driveway. I've heard from others that it can be very invasive and very hard to get rid of. This plant starts flowering in the earlier spring, but it definitely is still flowering in the late spring, especially in the shadier areas.

It looks like this when it first pops up.

Then the leaves open up.
This is what this plant looks like when it's blooming. This plant was a staple in many old gardens because it blooms so early in the spring.

One of the reasons I love them is they smell divine. Plus, they are a spring bloomer.

Peony

Everyone LOVES peonies, right?  They are big and beautiful! Many people don't realize you need to give them a big shake when you cut them to bring inside or you are bringing in ants.  But they are sooooo beautiful!

These are prolific bloomers and are a perennial that comes back every year.  My only complaint is they bloom in the spring and then they are done!  These are usually the first plant I cut down because they look dry and dead by the fall. Did you know you can dry peonies? You can and they are beautiful.

This is what peony looks like when they erupt out of the ground in the spring.

This is a plant many people don't recognize in the spring.

Siberian Squill

These grow in the early spring through the late spring. They do fine in sunny and even very shady areas. In my area, some lawns are a sea of blue.

Unfortunately, when plants spread really easily, they are hard to control. For more details about this plant, take a look at my Siberian Squill post.

Pansies and Violas

This is a little change of pace. Pansies are now usually sold as annuals. I love them, though, because they are tough enough to withstand even a heavier frost. Because of that, they are perfect for spring planters!

Alysum

Alysum are the little white flowers in the picture above. They are sold as annuals in zone 5. However, they come back year after year in some spots. They do self seed. This is a great spring, summer and fall plant. It is cold and heat-tolerant.

Shade Garden Spring Flowering plants

I have been living a crash course in gardening in the shade. What surprised me the most was how many shade plants have pretty flowers. And imagine my surprise and joy when I saw them flowering in the spring! And, they are perennials!! Woohooo.

Columbine

There are so many types of columbine (Aquilegia) that grow in many different environments. Ensure you buy a perennial that grows in the shade like these beauties. You also want to ensure the columbine you purchase is zoned for your area (often perennials in zones 3 to 9).

You also want to ensure the columbine you purchase is zoned for your area (often perennials in zones 3 to 9).

Wild Geraniums

One of the easiest to care for plants in my shade gardens is the wild geranium, which I've also heard called a hardy geranium. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) grows in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. These are native North American plants, and they start flowering in late spring in my yard. Once finished with their spring blooming, I trim them back and am often rewarded with a second flush of blooms.

Brunneria | Silver Heart plant

This beautiful plant (Brunnera macrophylla) is a perennial that grows in USDA zones 4-9. Its beautiful, big silvery leaves make this plant stand out. It also has pretty blue flowers. It is a shade-to-part-shade plant. I've heard great things about how it grows! I'm looking forward to seeing it spread over the years.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the late spring flowering plants I have enjoyed over the last few years!

More Gardening Posts