Top Ten Plants May 2026

This is a beautiful, large shrub/small tree that erupts into a mass of ‘snowball’ shaped, pure white flowers. It does this at this time of year, giving rise to its common name of ‘Snowball tree’. Additionally, during the autumn months, the leaves turn a delightful shade of dark purple before falling to the ground. It is low maintenance once established, and every garden should have one!

• Flowers from May to June
• Hardy
• Grows to 500cm tall and 500cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed

Foxgloves are the epitome of a romantic, cottage garden plant, especially in May 2026. Their tall, narrow, upright flower stems provide excellent architectural interest and contrast with rounded flower heads like cow parsley. These flower at a similar time of the year, which makes the pairing especially effective. ‘Sutton’s Apricot’ has soft, apricot-pink flower spikes opening from the base upwards for weeks on end during early summer. However, do bear in mind that it is likely to be a short-lived perennial.

• Flowers from May to July
• Hardy
• Grows to 150cm tall and 50cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed

There is nothing more romantic than billowing flowerheads of cow parsley spilling out alongside country lanes. ‘Ravenswing’ is an elegant hybridised form with creamy-white flowers, handsome dark purple stems and lacy-looking leaves. It is classed as a short-lived perennial, but happily self-seeds. It looks wonderful growing amongst ornamental grasses, as well as foxgloves and other wild-looking spring flowers.

• Flowers May to July
• Hardy
• Grows to 100cm tall and 30cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed

Here is a delightful-looking evergreen ground-cover plant for shady parts of the garden in May 2026. Its shiny, green leaves have beautiful, dark crimson markings, which make a real impact. Then, as an added bonus, slender spires of star-shaped, blush-pink/white flowers appear at this time of year. They appear like the foam seen on a stormy sea; hence its common name, ‘foam flower’. To avoid root rot, protect plants from excessive winter wet and/or plant under the shade of trees. Trimming back lightly immediately after flowering keeps plants neat and tidy. It also encourages new growth later in the year.

• Flowers from May to July
• Hardy
• Grows to 40cm tall and 30cm wide
• Cool, humus rich, moist soil
• Part shade
• Exposed

Candelabra primulas are extremely beautiful flowering plants, producing their flowers in late spring and early summer. They too grow extremely well in dappled shade in soil that remains reliably moist, but not waterlogged. ‘Miller’s Crimson’ produces handsome, deep red-purple flowers atop narrow, but stout, upright stems. Furthermore, they look particularly effective planted en masse in informal drifts.

• Flowers from May to June
• Hardy
• Grows to 45cm tall and 45cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full to part shade
• Exposed

Aquilegia will self-seed merrily around the garden in a delightfully informal way during May 2026. This adds to the charm of a cottage-garden style flower border. However, if you want to control their spread, they are very easy to remove. You can give them to friends or neighbours after lifting them. Alternatively, deadhead the spent flowers before they set seed. ‘Yellow Queen’ produces graceful-looking, light lemon yellow, upward-facing flowers with long spurs. These flare out behind on long, thin stems in early summer. They are scented, make great cut flowers and are highly attractive to butterflies on warm, summer days.

• Flowers from May to June
• Hardy
• Grows to 90cm tall and 45cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun to part shade
• Exposed

There are more than eight hundred registered geranium cultivars, meaning there are many colours, sizes and habits to choose from. ‘Fielding’s Folly’ grows in a neat, spreading clump, so it is ideal for containers and/or border fronts. Clouds of rich, magenta-purple flowers appear from early summer all the way through to the autumn months. It is happy in sun or part shade, if given fertile, well-drained soil in May 2026.

• Flowers from May to September
• Hardy
• Grows to 30cm tall and 30cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun or part shade
• Exposed

Baptisia are plants that deserve to be better known in May 2026. They are delicate-looking alternatives to lupins, ideal for people unable to grow lupins due to dreaded lupin aphid. They mostly have an upright bush shape and all produce numerous, upright flower spikes from May until September. These open upwards from the bottom of each stem. ‘Pink Truffles’ produces stunning soft pink flowers throughout summer and into autumn. After flowering, attractive black seed pods form, which are great for extended winter interest in the garden.

• Flowers from May to June
• Hardy
• Grows to 100cm tall and 75cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed

Hawthorn trees are excellent, not only from an ornamental point of view, but also from a wildlife point of view. Individually, they support more than one hundred different types of insect species. ‘Prunifolia’ produces masses of pure white flowers, followed by bright red fruit. Meanwhile, its green leaves turn a beautiful shade of orange and red during the autumn months. Once established, it is drought resistant and will also thrive in exposed areas.

• Flowers from April to May
• Hardy
• Grows to 800cm tall and 800cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed

This extremely pretty, low-growing, evergreen, blue flowered perennial is covered in flowers from early summer through to autumn. In May 2026, it looks lovely planted between paving stones and is also perfect for a rock garden.

• Flowers from May to September
• Hardy
• Grows to 5cm tall and 30cm wide
• Well-drained, fertile, moist soil
• Full sun
• Exposed