In no particular order...Baptisia, Russian Sage, Heliopsis Tuscan Sun & Summer Sun, Tunica Saxifragea (sp) Little Bluestem ,Blue Heaven
I like phlox paniculata but I don't consider it low maintenance, eupatorium Gateway, bergenia, love my lilies and hostas. Also like my campanulas. Almost forgot my Japanese painted fern always looks great,no pests. If spring ever arrives here I'm sure I'll think of others.

I had to leave many beloved perennials behind when I moved, but I did take about 20 with me. My favorites, 5 is tough! are daylilies,ornamental grasses, lilies, moonbeam coreopsis, and astilbe. I am limited as to what I can plant and how many beds I make where I am now, so I'm mostly gardening in containers this year. At least I can still dig in the dirt!

Jen

I am rather new to gardening, so my plants are not that mature yet, but my favorites are:
Peonies, lilies, hostas, geranium Rozanne, and daylilies. I really liked my echinaceas, but since this was the first year for them I'm not sure if they will return. If they don't survive, they are not my favorite!

Janet

I don't know if I'd call any perennials carefree, since they all bloom better with regular deadheading, and all need dividing occasionally, but here are the ones that gave me the longest bloom time last year:

Coreopsis 'Creme Brule' (10 weeks of blooms)
Echinacea 'Sunrise' and 'Summer Sky' (10 weeks)
Gaillardia 'Goblin' (16 weeks!!!)
Achillea 'Anthea' and 'Terra Cotta' (12 weeks)
Agastache 'Apache Sunset' (12 weeks)

I'm trying lots of new things this year, so the top five may look different by next year!

Bonnie

Well, it's hard to narrow it to five, but I really like my Liatrus, peonies, shastas, mums,and anise hyssop.
I have alot of perennials I planted in the fall, so I'm very curious to see how they perform this year.
Also did alot of w/s, and was happy to see some green in those jugs!!! I still have alot to sow, mainly annuals, but also some herbs and veggies too.
I can't wait to get in there and start planting.

I use these over and over in my garden:

Peonies
Shasta daisy, 'Becky'
Monkshood
Achillea, Paprika
Salvia
Nepeta, 'Six Hills Giant', 'Walker's Low'
Geraniums
Ladies Mantle
Sedum
Agastache
Rudbeckia
Heliopsis
Daylilies - have just a few, but am admiring them more and more each year!
Helianthus, Lemon Queen - amazingly easy to grow!
Asters

These are the workhorses in my garden that I rely on all the time for low maintenance, drought tolerance, hardiness and instant beauty!

Sorry - can't do it....I love all that I have and that's too much to list! (if I don't love it, I don't grow it)

Well these may not be my favorite perennials, because I have so many that gives me pleasure all summer. I have been trying to make most all my large beds perennial and so
far since the first thing bloomed early, I have had some thing, in bloom since.
The first was a flowering pink
almond bush, it was a beauty, 4th year to bloom.

Daylilies (pardon me, Strutter's Ball, Prarie Blue Eyes, Indian Giver, Hyperion)

Nippon Daisy (an almost succulent looking shasta-type daisy)

Alpine Strawberries

Sedum (Autumn Glow, Vera James, many many more)

Clematis (I'm not listing the 20 or so I've got)

Passion Flower Incarnata (and Cerulea and Incense and Vitifolia and Capsularis and....though most of the ones in parenthesis are in pots and wouldn't not be perennials in my zone)

Ribes Odoratum (ok, its a shrub and not a perennial, but the smell of the flowers definitely makes it one of my favorites)..

~Chills

Because my artichokes are producing like crazy right now, they are on the list, along with our native CA sages like mellifera and clevelandii, the Mexican primroses, abutilon palmerii and few types of mallows and rockroses.

rubeckia prarie sun
shasta daisy becky
Hostas
phlox (david,and many others)
baptisia
sedum neon

Well, at least you are giving us 5 choices! Some people ask "What is your favorite perennial/annual?" And you're supposed to pick just one, which is impossible!

My favorite genuses (geni? what is the plural of genus?) -

Phlox
Monarda
Rudbeckia
Echinacea
Iris

My favorite individual plants (so far) -

Phlox paniculata 'Nora Leigh'
Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'
Agastache 'Blue Fortune'
Scabiosa ochroleuca
Panicum virgatum 'Shenendoah'
Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'
Monarda didyma
Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet'

Ooops was that more than 5? :o)

Like Primgal, I am doing winter-sowing this year - starting MANY more species from seed and I think there are going to be some new favorites coming along!

I'm new to gardening, but these are my favorites probably because they are easy to grow and have long lasting results. I also favor texture instead of color in the garden.

Hostas (my true love!)
Ornamental Grasses
Sedum
Rudbeckia
Ladies Mantle

Runner's up would include catmint and clematis. I'm hoping to add Arkansas blue star and false indigo this year too!

I have a lot of favorites, but I'm especially fond of the performance of deer and drought tolerant perennials and herbs:

nepeta
agastache 'Blue Fortune'
coreopsis 'Creme Brulee'
salvia greggii 'Navajo Red' (evergreen for me, shrubby)
lavender 'Otto Quast'
creeping perennial heliotrope 'Azure Skies'
tall verbena
rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'
phlox subulata 'red wings'
oregano
sage
thyme
rosemary

Favorites inside the fence away from deer, on drip irrigation:

phlox paniculata (several varieties)
cottage pinks
shasta daisies
geranium 'Brookside'
platycoden
scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'
daylilies

Cameron

To Terrene - plural of genus is genera

Interesting lists! My current five:
Helleborus x hybridus
Alchemilla mollis
Amsonia hubrictii
Tiarella 'Oakleaf'
Campanula poscharskyana

(probably biased to early bloomers at this time of year!)

-Caroline

I love hellebores, too & epimedium, geranium, heuchera, & that tiarella 'Oakleaf' is great! I work p/t at a garden center & moved out a bunch of overwintered perennials-after a bit of cleaning, 'Oakleaf' looked like it had just come in...

Hi
My favorites right now are:
#1.Astilbe - one of THE BEST plants in my garden. As carefree as they come!(love 'em!!!)
#2. Hosta - will grow almost anywhere I plant them (very tough)
#3.Heuchera - Regina, Silver Scrolls (two of the best heuchera in my garden, semi-evergreen with a neat appearance)
#4. Asiatic Lily - They don't bloom long enough for me, but they do well in my hot, rocky soil and I love the colors.
#5.Daffodil - I like them just because I have never killed any(yet)and they multuply so well.(beautiful too)
Honorable mentions: Daylily, Peony, Veronica(Sunny Border Blue),Scabiosa(Butterfly Blue)...I'll stop there - this list could go on forever...LOL...Marylee