35 Best Blue Flowers for the Most Colorful, Calming Garden
Feast your eyes (and nose!) on catmint, morning glory, and mountain hydrangea.
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People are attracted to the color blue for good reason: It symbolizes serenity, wisdom, and stability. Blue hues in interior design evoke feelings of calm and openness. And blue flowers, from the softest baby blue to the deepest royal blue, are the perfect addition to all your landscaping ideas or flower gardens. With the weather warming, it's time to pull out your garden gloves and shoes and get to work! Choose a selection of many different types of blue flowers to create an ombre flower bed. You can also opt for a single vibrant variety and plant it amongst flowers with other deeply saturated tones, like orange or yellow. No matter what you choose, these sweet blue flowers are will make a splash on the landscape.
Many different spring flowers are available in various shades of blue. To give your plant a healthy start in life, read the plant tag or description to learn how much sun or shade it needs. Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight, while part sun is about half that amount. And pay attention to your plant hardiness zone according to the USDA to make sure a shrub or perennial will survive winters in your region. Here are our favorite blue flowers in the form of annuals, perennials, and flowering small shrubs to bring the hue to your garden.
Blue Columbines
These perennial flowers are known for their bell-shaped blooms, fern-like foliage, and tall stature (they can grow up to 2 to 3 feet tall!). They thrive in well-drained soil and partial shade, attracting pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds while resisting deer and enriching the soil with nitrogen. With their graceful appearance, extended blooming period, and ecological benefits, Blue Columbines are a charming addition to any garden.
Blue Daisy
These sweet little perennials look just like daisies, but with vibrant blue petals surrounding the golden centers. They bloom profusely throughout the summer months, attracting pollinators and brightening up the landscape. Easy to grow and versatile, blue daisies thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, making them an ideal choice for borders, rock gardens, or container plantings.
Blue Butterfly Bush
These captivating shrubs are adorned with clusters of blue, fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators. Known for their arching branches and lance-shaped leaves, these bushes bloom abundantly from summer to fall, bringing a burst of color to any garden. With their easy-care nature and ability to thrive in various soil conditions, Blue Butterfly Bushes are a popular choice for butterfly gardens, borders, and landscaping projects alike.
Blue Pimpernel
These striking blue flowers are known for their trailing growth habit, making them a charming perennial ground cover for garden landscapes. This low-maintenance plant blooms profusely in spring and summer, attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Ideal for rock gardens, borders, or hanging baskets, Blue Pimpernel thrives in well-drained soil and partial shade.
Virginia Bluebells
These enchanting, spring-blooming perennials boast clusters of bell-shaped, sky-blue flowers that emerge from pink buds. With their graceful arching stems and oval-shaped foliage, they're a beloved choice for gardeners seeking to add a touch of woodland charm to their outdoor spaces. Virginia Bluebells attract early pollinators and thrive in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade.
Blue Globe Thistle
These striking perennials add texture and visual interest to gardens with their spherical, steel-blue flower heads and spiky foliage. They're drought-tolerant and resilient, making them an excellent low-maintenance choice for your garden.
Himalayan Blue Poppy
Bring a touch of the exotic to your backyard with these stunning sky-blue blooms. While requiring consistent moisture and well-drained soil, the Himalayan Blue Poppy rewards attentive gardeners with its rare and ephemeral beauty.
Blue-Eyed Grass
Blue-Eyed Grass is a charming little plant with bright blue flowers that have a distinct yellow center, giving them the appearance of tiny eyes. Despite its name, it's not actually a type of grass but rather a member of the Iris family. This easy-going perennial loves sunny spots and well-drained soil, making it a great addition to rock gardens or along garden edges where its pops of color can be appreciated.
Forget-Me-Nots
Forget-Me-Nots are those adorable little blue flowers you'll never forget once you've seen them! They're like tiny sky-blue stars dotting the garden landscape. These lovable perennials thrive in shady spots and moist soil, spreading their cheerful charm wherever they go. Whether planted in borders, woodland gardens, or even in containers, Forget-Me-Nots add a touch of whimsy and nostalgia to any outdoor space.
Grape Hyacinths
These lovely little flowers look just like bunches of tiny blue grapes! They're easy to grow and naturalize effortlessly, spreading their brightly colored blooms year after year. Whether planted in borders, rock gardens, or pots, Grape Hyacinths are sure to delight gardeners with their charming appearance and sweet fragrance.
Lupine
Regionally known as bluebonnet, Lupine can be seen carpeting fields and roads across North America. It's a beloved perennial wildflower that can also grow in gardens up to 4 feet tall. Planting these beauties is full of positives: an early summer bloomer, very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds, deer-resistant, and nitrogen-fixing. Just beware: many species are poisonous to livestock.
Varieties to try: Blacksmith Lupine, Masterpiece Lupine
American Iris
These beauties peek out in springtime with eye-catching vibrant petals. The American variety comes in a wide variety of colors ranging from pretty pale blue to deep blue-violet. As gorgeous as they are, Irises take a bit of extra care. They need well-draining, neutral to slightly acidic soil and bloom best in unobstructed sunlight.
Star Flower
We bet you know where these got their name! The Star Flower is quite the low-maintenance, hearty beauty. She's heat tolerant and will bloom right through the peak of summer right until the first frost. Star flowers create oxygen and can be planted with others in combination pots/containers or landscapes.
Starship Blue Lobelia
who doesn't love a problem-solving plant? With these, you get pure, violet-blue petals and tall spikey green stocks. Lebelia can grow in a wide range of soil types and climates but it does prefer moisture and will need extra care if you're in a dry climate. Plant them in your garden if you're hoping to attract butterflies or hummingbirds!
Varieties to try: Compact Blue with Eye Lobelia
Midnight Blue Torenia
Dollops of sunny yellow stand out on the midnight Torenia's deep blue petals. We love these snapdragon-like flowers are a winner for their durability and flexibility, thriving in both shade and sun. They begin blooming early and continue through late fall until the first frost. Plus, they're heat-resistant!
Varieties to try: Large Blue Torenia
Nemesia
Nemesia eats sunlight for breakfast! You'll love to dip your nose into these clove-scented flowers which fan out in shades of deep lilac. They're a great fall flower, as they thrive in cooler weather.
Reblooming Mountain Hydrangea
As their name implies, these flowers can't stop blooming! The waterlily-like double florets are prolific rebloomers, and the plant creates new flower buds all summer long. Just note that they bloom either baby blue or pink, depending on the soil chemistry.
Varieties to try: Reblooming Hydrangea, Bigleaf hydrangea
Catmint
Okay, this is actually a perennial herb. A member of the mint family, these flowers are aromatic and grow in long stocks that bloom all the way to the ground amongst gray-green foliage.
Caryopteris
Bees love this compact shrub, also called bluebeard. Its brilliant blue flowers pop during its bloom season from late summer to fall, when many other plants are fading.
Varieties to try: Gold Crest, Beyond Midnight
Lobelia
Lobelia’s ethereal blooms cascade nicely from hanging baskets or planters. They prefer cooler weather, so if the nighttime temperatures stay above 70 degrees, they may not bloom well. Trim these annuals back a little, and they’ll revive when cooler weather returns.
Varieties to try: Laguna Sky Blue, Laguna Dark Blue
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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