Is there a list or a chart of the life span of perennials? I usually just find them listed as perennial with no indication of how long they should live.

It's been my experience that some cultivars hit the garden centers long before their garden performance is assured, among them coreopsis and rudbeckia. One coreopsis that seems hardy & grows to larger proportions in my beds each year is C. 'Zagreb.'

Gaillardia/blanket flower has been borderline hardy in my Zone 6 garden even when grown from seed via winter sowing so I'm glad when it reappears in Spring but not entirely surprised when it doesn't. The same cannot be said of foxglove--it doesn't do well here so I don't bother/waste time trying to grow it. I'm not surprised the hollyhocks I grew from seed didn't return this year but was a bit disappointed when established butterfly bushes and false indigo plants failed to come up this spring.

Some perennial plants are just naturally short-lived so it's best to research them and plan your garden beds with that in mind. Setting realistic goals and expectations is something else to be factored into the equation. My initial goal was attracting bees, butterflies & birds which I've succeeded in doing altho' not without a number of disappointments along the way. FWIW, there's a saying that goes something like 'you aren't a real gardener until you've killed every plant at least three times.'

It is also important to understand that not all perennials will do equally well in different parts of the country - high summer humidity, high heat, excessive winter moisture or even frequent summer rains can limit the lifespan of a plant in one area that typically lives on for years in another.

I have had fellow gardeners tell me, "the secret to having a beautiful garden is to keep buying new plants," but I think this, "you aren't a real gardener until you've killed every plant at least three times," is my new favorite saying!

For example, I bought a Sedum "Xenox" from Santa Rosa a couple years ago, has nice purple crimson foliage. It died over the first winter. Contacted them last Spring and they sent a replacement, planted it in a new spot, close to where several other Sedum like Autumn Joy and Matrona are thriving. It proceeded to die over the summer. Gave up on that cultivar.

This happens a lot and I've gotten sick of it. So I'm experimenting with growing interesting-looking cultivars from seed. A lot of them don't grow particularly well either! But at least I'm not losing as much money.

As stated by others, perennials can behave very differently in various growing areas. Here, Gaillardia fanfare grows year-round and one of mine is at least 8 years old. And some of the dependable perennials that come back stronger year after year elsewhere, fade away for lack of a cold winter quickly.

Maybe you could join a local gardening club? Gardeners often have free starter plants to share from perennials that thrive in the area and need dividing. I always have stuff to share, ranging all the way from extra bulbs to trees, and containers, too. [And too few customers, sadly. I hate just throwing plants away! :-( ]