Add elegance and serenity to your garden with these beautiful blue flowers that bloom from spring to fall
Introducing blue flowers into your garden brings a splash of serene elegance, reminiscent of clear skies and tranquil waters. Blue blooms like hydrangeas, salvia, bluebells, and morning glories offer a cooling effect, beautifully contrasting with warmer tones.
Blue flowers symbolize tranquility, calmness, and serenity. They are often associated with trust, loyalty, wisdom, and reliability. In the language of flowers, blue blooms can convey a message of deep respect and admiration, making them ideal for expressing trust and loyalty in relationships. Additionally, they can represent mystery, the pursuit of the impossible, or the rare and unique, due to their less common occurrence in nature compared to other flower colors.
Some popular plants include Hydrangea, delphinium, bluebells, forget-me-not, salvia, lobelia, morning glory, cornflower, iris, lily of the Nile.
Classic and popular examples include
Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta): Bluebells are enchanting woodland flowers, producing drooping bell-shaped blooms in vivid blue. They flower in late spring and are ideal for naturalized areas, under trees, or in shaded gardens, creating a beautiful blue haze and a quintessentially wild, British woodland aesthetic.
Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata): Dwarf Iris is a petite, early-spring bloomer with striking blue to purple flowers, accented with yellow or white markings. It’s perfect for rock gardens, front-of-border placements, or container gardens, where its delicate yet vibrant blooms can be appreciated up close.
Grape Hyacinth (Muscari): Grape Hyacinths are charming, low-growing bulbs known for their clusters of small, bell-shaped, deep blue blooms that resemble bunches of grapes. They bloom in mid-spring, creating a striking carpet of blue, and are excellent for borders, rock gardens, or naturalizing in grass.
Hyacinth (Hyacinthus) are spring-blooming flower bulbs grown for their beautiful and fragrant flowers. The plant has strap-shaped leaves and produces tall, dense spikes of flowers in a range of colors, including pink, blue, purple, white, and yellow. Hyacinth blooms in the spring and is popular for its intense fragrance and bold colors. The flowers can be grown in garden beds or containers and are a great addition to cut flower arrangements. Hyacinth bulbs are easy to plant and care for and will reward gardeners with beautiful blooms year after year.
| Plant Type | Annuals, Bulbs, Climbers, Perennials, Roses, Shrubs, Trees |
|---|---|
| Genus | Veronica, Gentiana, Hibiscus, Hyacinthoides, Hydrangea, Ipomoea, Iris reticulata, Lithodora, Meconopsis, Muscari, Echinops, Myosotis, Nigella, Passiflora, Petunia, Rosmarinus, Salvia, Syringa, Eryngium, Hyacinthus, Delphinium, Aster, Camassia, Campanula, Caryopteris, Amsonia, Ceanothus, Ageratum, Centaurea, Clematis, Agapanthus, Aquilegia |
Camassia (Quamash): Camassia, or Quamash, features tall spikes of starry blue flowers in late spring to early summer. They thrive in both sunny and partially shaded areas and are perfect for adding height to borders, meadows, and natural-style plantings, especially in moist, well-drained soils.
Spring Starflower (Ipheion): The Spring Starflower is a low-growing bulbous plant producing star-shaped, light blue blooms with a sweet fragrance. Blooming in mid to late spring, it’s ideal for rockeries, borders, or underplanting beneath deciduous trees and shrubs, adding a splash of color to the early-season garden.
Squill (Scilla): Squills are charming spring-blooming bulbs that produce vibrant blue, star-shaped flowers that form a striking carpet of color. Ideal for naturalizing in lawns, under trees, or in woodland gardens, they thrive in well-drained soil and partial shade, offering an early nectar source for pollinators and a delightful start to the season.
Popular blue annual flowers include:
Borage (Borago): Known for its star-shaped, vivid blue flowers, Borage is a versatile herb that attracts pollinators. Its edible flowers have a cucumber-like flavor, commonly used in salads and drinks.
Calibrachoa: Resembling miniature petunias, Calibrachoa boasts abundant, bell-shaped flowers in a range of colors, including vibrant blues. It’s perfect for hanging baskets and containers, offering a cascading effect.
Floss Flower (Ageratum): Ageratum, with its fluffy, powder-blue flowers, adds a soft texture to garden beds and borders. Blooming continuously from summer to frost, it’s perfect for adding long-lasting color and is excellent for attracting butterflies.
Cornflower (Centaurea): Commonly known as Cornflower or Bachelor’s Button, Centaurea features bright blue, fringed flowers. It’s a favorite in wildflower gardens and for its cut flowers, attracting bees and butterflies.
Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella): Nigella is known for its intricate, sky-blue flowers and unique seed pods. It adds a whimsical touch to gardens and is lovely in bouquets, with both flowers and pods being decorative.
Petunia is a popular flowering plant known for its bright and colorful blooms. Petunias come in a wide range of colors, including shades of blue, pink, purple, white, red, and yellow. Petunias are easy to grow and are ideal for containers, hanging baskets, and garden beds.
There are hundreds of perennial flowers with blue blooms to pick from. Here are a few examples:
Aster: Asters bloom in late summer to fall, providing vibrant blue, daisy-like flowers when many other plants are fading. They’re essential for late-season pollinators and thrive in full sun.
Bluestar (Amsonia): Known as Bluestar, Amsonia produces light blue, star-shaped flowers in spring. Its foliage turns golden-yellow in fall, offering multi-season interest in sunny to partly shaded gardens.
Bellflower (Campanula): Known as Bellflower, Campanula offers a range of blue flowers, from deep to pale hues. Versatile and hardy, it’s suitable for rock gardens, borders, and as ground cover.
Blue Poppy (Meconopsis): The Blue Poppy, Meconopsis, is famed for its captivating, sky-blue poppy flowers. It requires cool, moist conditions and partial shade, perfect for woodland gardens.
Columbine (Aquilegia): Aquilegia, or Columbine, has distinctive, bell-shaped blue blooms with long, nectar-rich spurs. Thriving in partial shade, it’s a favorite for woodland gardens and attracts hummingbirds.
Cranesbill (Geranium): Hardy Geraniums, or Cranesbill, offer a variety of blue shades, blooming profusely in spring and summer. They’re excellent for ground cover, borders, and underplanting, adapting well to different conditions.
Delphinium: Delphinium stands tall with spikes of intense blue flowers, making it a showstopper in any garden. It prefers cool climates, rich soil, and needs staking against wind.
Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis): Forget-Me-Nots, Myosotis, bear tiny, true blue blooms with yellow centers. Flourishing in moist, shady areas, they’re ideal for creating a carpet of color in spring.
Gentiana: Gentiana is renowned for its vivid blue, trumpet-shaped flowers, often blooming in late summer to fall. It prefers moist, acidic soil and partial shade, ideal for rockeries or woodland edges.
Globe Thistle (Echinops): Globe Thistle, Echinops, features spherical, steel-blue flower heads on tall stems, attracting bees and butterflies. It’s drought-tolerant and thrives in full sun, adding texture to borders.
Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus): Agapanthus, known as Lily of the Nile, boasts globular clusters of trumpet-shaped blue flowers on tall stems in summer. These striking plants are ideal for creating focal points in borders, containers, or as part of a Mediterranean-style garden, preferring sunny locations.
Sage (Salvia): Salvia, offers spikes of vivid blue blossoms, attracting bees and hummingbirds. Drought-tolerant and easy to grow, it’s suitable for sunny borders and containers.
Sea Holly (Eryngium): Sea Holly, Eryngium, has striking blue thistle-like flowers with spiny bracts, creating a unique texture. Drought-resistant, it’s perfect for sunny, well-drained spots and coastal gardens.
Siberian Iris (Iris siberica): Siberian Iris produces elegant, blue flowers atop slender stems with grass-like foliage. It’s moisture-loving yet drought-tolerant once established, suited for borders or water garden edges.
Speedwell (Veronica): Veronica, or Speedwell, features tall spikes of blue flowers, adding vertical interest. It’s versatile, thriving in both moist and dry conditions, and attracts pollinators to sunny or partly shaded areas.
A multitude of shrubs with blue blooms can be selected from. Here are just a few classic examples:
Bluebeard (Caryopteris): Known as Blue Mist Shrub or Bluebeard, Caryopteris offers a profusion of soft blue flowers in late summer to fall, attracting pollinators. It’s drought-tolerant, thrives in full sun, and is ideal for adding late-season color to borders.
California Lilac (Ceanothus): Often called California Lilac, Ceanothus bursts into clusters of bright blue flowers in spring, covering the shrub. It’s drought-resistant, perfect for sunny, dry areas, and attracts bees and butterflies.
Hydrangea is a charming flowering shrub that is native to Asia and America and is prized for its large, showy blooms that can be pink, blue, white, or purple, depending on the pH of the soil. Hydrangeas prefer moist, well-drained soil and partial shade but can also tolerate full sun with adequate water. They bloom from late spring to late summer and require regular pruning to maintain their shape and size. Hydrangeas are a great addition to any garden and are often used in landscape design to add color and texture to borders and beds.
Lilac (Syringa) is a deciduous shrub or small tree known for its fragrant and colorful flowers. The flowers come in shades of purple, pink, white, and blue and are typically arranged in large, showy clusters. The shrub can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) tall and wide and features heart-shaped leaves that turn yellow in the fall. Lilacs are commonly grown for their ornamental value in gardens and landscapes and are also used in the production of perfumes and essential oils. They prefer full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil.
Lithodora: Lithodora is prized for its electric blue flowers that carpet the ground from spring to summer. It requires well-drained, acidic soil and is perfect for rock gardens, borders, or cascading over walls.
Plumbago: Plumbago, or Cape Leadwort, showcases sky-blue flowers from summer to fall. It’s a versatile plant, used as a climber or ground cover, thriving in sun or partial shade and attracting butterflies.
Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans): Also known as Pride of Madeira, this Echium features towering spikes of intense blue flowers, making a dramatic statement in the garden. It prefers sunny locations and well-drained soil, attracting pollinators with its nectar-rich blooms.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus): Known as Rose of Sharon, this hibiscus can produce blue flowers, depending on the variety. It’s a late bloomer, offering vibrant color from summer into fall, and adapts well to various conditions, including partial shade.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus): Now classified as Salvia rosmarinus, Rosemary is known for its aromatic foliage and small, pale blue flowers that bloom in spring and summer. It’s drought-tolerant, prefers full sun, and is perfect for culinary gardens, borders, or as a fragrant ground cover.
You can choose from a vast selection of climbers and vines that bear blue blooms. Here are some timeless examples:
Clematis is a climbing plant that produces an abundance of showy flowers in a variety of colors, including blue. It belongs to the buttercup family and is known for its large, striking blooms and ability to climb walls, trellises, and other structures. Clematis flowers come in different shapes and sizes, ranging from delicate, bell-shaped flowers to large, star-shaped blooms. Some popular varieties of blue clematis include Betty Corning, Cezanne, Emilia Plater, Frances Rivis, or Perle d’Azur.
Morning Glory (Ipomoea): Ipomoea, or Morning Glory, dazzles with its trumpet-shaped, vibrant blue flowers that open each morning to greet the day. Ideal for trellises or fences, it climbs eagerly in full sun, offering a daily spectacle of blooms that attract pollinators before closing in the afternoon.
Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea): The Blue Passion Flower features intricate, exotic blooms with a mesmerizing mix of blue and white filaments surrounding a central mounded array. Thriving in full sun to partial shade, this vigorous vine attracts bees and butterflies, adding a tropical flair to gardens or over arbors.
Incorporating blue flowers into your landscaping can create a serene and visually striking garden space. Here are some ideas to help you integrate blue blooms into your landscape:
Color-Themed Gardens: Design a section of your garden around a blue color scheme. Combine different shades and textures of blue flowers like hydrangeas, delphiniums, and lobelias with silver-foliaged plants for contrast.
Cottage Gardens: Integrate blue blooms such as forget-me-nots, bellflowers (Campanula), and English lavenders into a cottage garden design for a charming and relaxed look.
Perennial Borders: Create dynamic borders with layers of blue perennials like salvia, agapanthus, and iris. These can be accented with annuals like petunias and lobelia for continuous bloom.
Rock Gardens: Utilize low-growing blue flowers like lithodora or creeping phlox in rock gardens to highlight stone features and create a natural, rugged look.
Water Features: Surround ponds or streams with blue-flowering plants like Siberian iris or pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata) to enhance the water’s reflective qualities and create a tranquil setting.
Wildlife Gardens: Attract pollinators with blue-flowering plants such as borage, California lilac (Ceanothus), and bee balm (Monarda). Their vibrant blooms are magnets for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Vertical Interest: Use climbing blue flowers like morning glory (Ipomoea) or blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea) on trellises, pergolas, or fences to add height and depth to your garden.
Containers and Hanging Baskets: For patios or balcony gardens, fill containers and hanging baskets with blue flowers such as lobelia, nemesia, and ageratum. This allows you to enjoy their beauty up close and adds a pop of color to hardscaped areas.
Pathway Edging: Line garden paths with blue flowering ground covers or low-growing perennials like veronica or catmint (Nepeta) to define walkways and add interest to garden journeys.
Shade Gardens: Brighten shady areas with blue-flowering shade-tolerant plants like Brunnera macrophylla or hydrangeas. Their blue blooms can illuminate darker corners of your garden.
Creating winning plant combinations with blue flowers involves pairing them with plants that complement or contrast their hues and textures, enhancing your garden’s overall aesthetic. Here are some captivating combinations:
Blue and Yellow: Pair blue flowers like delphiniums or salvia with yellow blooms such as black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) or coreopsis. The contrast between cool blue and warm yellow creates a vibrant, eye-catching display.
Blue and White: Combine blue hydrangeas or agapanthus with white flowers like Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum superbum) or white phlox. This classic combination brings a fresh and peaceful feel to the garden.
Blue and Orange: For a bold and dynamic contrast, match blue flowers such as lobelia with orange blooms like marigolds or daylilies. This combination is particularly striking in sunny borders.
Blue and Pink: Soften your garden palette by combining blue blooms like forget-me-nots or iris with pink varieties such as peonies or astilbe. This gentle pairing works well in cottage and informal gardens.
Blue and Silver: Enhance the tranquility of blue blooms like campanula or nigella by pairing them with silver-foliaged plants like lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) or Russian sage (Perovskia). The silver foliage highlights the blue flowers, creating a serene garden scene.
Blue and Purple: Create a cool, monochromatic look by combining blue blossoms with purple ones, such as lavender or allium. This combination adds depth and is ideal for creating a calming space.
Blue and Green: Emphasize the calming nature of blue by surrounding blue flowers with a variety of green textures and shades, from ferns to hostas. This lush, monochromatic scheme is soothing and emphasizes the beauty of foliage.
Layering Textures: Combine blue-flowering plants like echinops (globe thistle) or eryngium (sea holly) with plants that offer contrasting textures, such as the fine foliage of ornamental grasses or the broad leaves of hostas. This adds interest and depth to the planting scheme.
Seasonal Successions: Plan for continuous color by pairing early-blooming blue blossoms like spring starflower (Ipheion) with late bloomers such as autumn-blooming asters. This ensures your garden remains vibrant throughout the seasons.
Height and Structure: Mix tall blue bloomers like delphiniums with lower-growing plants such as creeping phlox or groundcover veronica for a layered effect that adds vertical interest to your garden.
| Plant Type | Annuals, Bulbs, Climbers, Perennials, Roses, Shrubs, Trees |
|---|---|
| Genus | Veronica, Gentiana, Hibiscus, Hyacinthoides, Hydrangea, Ipomoea, Iris reticulata, Lithodora, Meconopsis, Muscari, Echinops, Myosotis, Nigella, Passiflora, Petunia, Rosmarinus, Salvia, Syringa, Eryngium, Hyacinthus, Delphinium, Aster, Camassia, Campanula, Caryopteris, Amsonia, Ceanothus, Ageratum, Centaurea, Clematis, Agapanthus, Aquilegia |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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