25 Best Blue Flowers for a More Colorful, Calming Garden
Catmint, morning glory, and mountain hydrangea.
People are attracted to the color blue for good reason, whether they realize it or not. 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 create a splash on the landscape. (Oh, and did we mention they make the perfect spring Instagram post?)
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.
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
Morning Glory
These vining annuals grow well from seed. Give morning glories something to climb, such as a trellis or mailbox, to show off their cottage-style beauty. Pick the dried seed heads after the flowers fade if you don’t want them to self-sow and return in the same spot next year.
Varieties to try: Royal Blue Ensign, Heavenly Blue
Balloon Flowers
Cute rounded buds open into long-lasting star-shaped flowers on these perennials. Balloon flowers work well at the front of borders in garden beds, and deer usually don’t bother them.
Varieties to try: Astra Double Blue, Fuji Blue
Delphinium
These elegant spires of blue can grow up to five feet tall! Plant these perennials along fence lines or at the back of borders for a striking show.
Varieties to try: Summer Cloud, Blue Lace
Amsonia
Clouds of wispy blue flowers top dark green foliage on this perennial which blooms from late spring to early summer. Deer won’t bother it!
Varieties to try: Storm Cloud, Arkansas Blue Ice
Browallia
These lesser-known purple-blue annuals bloom well and take the heat. Browallia look good in mixed plantings or planted alone in containers.
Pincushion Flowers
The cute dome-shaped flowers of pincushion flower, also called scabiosa, are a lovely true blue. This annual attracts pollinators and blooms from late spring to fall.
Varieties to try: Butterfly Blue, Deep Blue
False Indigo
False indigo, also known as baptisia, has stately spiked flowers in spring, followed by interesting seedpods in the fall. This sturdy, low-maintenance perennial attracts pollinators of all types.
Varieties to try: Blueberry Sundae, Sparkling Sapphires
Fan Flower
Fan flowers are as sturdy as they come and require almost zero attention to bloom all summer until a hard frost. Let these annuals spill over the edges of planters or walkways.
Varieties to try: Whirlwind Blue, Bombay Blue
Hydrangea
These stunning shrubs grow in almost any climate and bloom from midsummer to frost. The papery flowers stay intact too, to provide winter interest. A common misconception is that you can change any hydrangea’s bloom color to blue. The truth? Only mountain and some types of big-leaf hydrangeas can change color based on the presence of aluminum in the soil.
Varieties to try: Kanmara Blue, Let's Dance Starlight
Salvia
Spikes of deep purple-blue flowers top spicy-scented foliage all season long. Bees love this perennial. Some salvias are considered annuals, so read the plant tag to be sure about what you’re buying.
Varieties to try: Salvatore Blue, Color Spires Crystal Blue
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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