Memorial Day Themed Garden Plants

Achillea ‘Angel’s Breath’ – Zones 3-9. Yarrow is a long lived perennial plant that grows well in almost any full sun garden, tolerating poor soil and drought conditions well.

Agapanthus ‘Blue Heaven’ and ‘White Heaven’ – Zones 6-10. Also known as Lily of the Nile and African Lily, the agapanthus plants are early summer blooming flowers that add vertical accent to a memorial garden.

Alstroemeria ‘Freedom’ – Zones 7-10. Beautiful and graceful flowers that are lily like, grow well in fertile memory gardens in full sun or semi-shade.

Astilbe ‘White Gloria’, ‘Finale, ‘Love and Pride’ and ‘Heart and Soul’ – Zones 4-8. Astilbes grow well in part shade to full shade and have feathery plumes of flowers in the late spring.

Centaurea ‘Purple Heart’ – Zones 3-7. A great perennial plant for colder climate memorial gardens with purple-blue flowers.

Cercis ‘Silver Cloud’ and ‘Heart of Gold’ – Zones 4-8. Redbud trees are beautiful memorial plants and one of the first to flower each spring. Many parents plants flowering trees in honor of a child’s birth.

Chrysanthemum ‘Golden Regards’ – Zones 5-9. Fall flowering perennials that are perfect for honoring loved ones through the fall months.

Clematis ‘My Angel’ and ‘Golden Cross’ – Zones 4-8 or 9. Clematis vines are typically climbing plants that can give a vertical structure to a memory garden area. ‘My Angel’ has small, delicate flowers and ‘Golden Cross’ has cross shaped yellow flowers late summer through fall.

Coreopsis rosea ‘Heaven’s Gate’ – Zones 5-8. An attractive pink or blush form of the usually yellow-flowering coreopsis, ‘Heaven’s Gate’ blooms profusely mid to late-summer.

Hemerocalis ‘Clothed in Glory’, ‘Little Baby Mine’, ‘Angel’s Flight’ and ‘Spiritual Corridor’ – Zones 3-9. Daylilies are free-flowering perennials through the summer months and make a charming addition to a special memory garden.

Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ and ‘Remember Me’ – Zones 3-8. Hostas are grown for their attractive foliage and ‘Blue Angel’ has huge, deep blue leaves while ‘Remember Me’ has creamy white or yellow leaves with dark green edges and is much smaller in size.

Iris ‘Immortality’ and ‘Overjoyed’ – Zones 3-10. These tall, bearded iris plants are great choices for a memorial garden. ‘Overjoyed’ has white and yellow fragrant flowers each spring while ‘Immortality’ has stunning white iris blooms in spring and fall.

Lillium ‘Golden Splendor’ and ‘Windsong’ – Zones 4-8. Lilies have large, trumpet shaped flowers each summer on tall, leafy stalks and are often seen as trumpets of heaven and symbols of Christ’s resurrection, perfect for a memorial garden.

Polemonium or Jacob’s Ladder – Zones 3-8. Polemoniums are called Jacob’s Ladder because the attractive foliage looks like a ladder with alternating steps.

Rosa ‘Welcome Home’, ‘Sweet Freedom’, ‘Memorial Day’, ‘Peace’, ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Heaven on Earth’ and ‘Angel Face’ – Most roses need a full day of sunlight but other cultivation needs vary so be sure to check the plant labels. Roses are a perfect addition to any Memorial Day or memory garden, whether you’re honoring a person, a birth, a wedding anniversary or other special event.

Additional Resources:

Tips for Creating a Memory Garden for birth, wedding, special event or passing of a loved one.

For a Memorial Day Garden centered around a soldier or veteran of war consider adding one of these Patriotic Themed Plants.