Color can be a powerful tool in any landscaping scheme, particularly when you focus on only one color. Blue is considered to be a cool, calming, rather heavenly color for a garden. But there is a multitude of hues to choose from, and they all have different aesthetic qualities.
There are so many different blue flowering plants, it can be a challenge to choose the best for your garden. Surprisingly, there aren’t many flowers you could ever call true blue. Rather, colors range from pale hyacinth to pale lavender-blue and even dark navy blue. But we have some for you that is true blue!
15 Best Blue Flowering Plants You Can Grow
There are more blue flowers that you can plant in your garden than you could ever imagine. Some are natural while others have been bred to create different hues of blue.
This means that lots of blue plants are available with flowers in different colors, including blue, like hydrangeas, daisies, hyacinths, and orchids.
Here is a list of 15 of the best blue flowering plants to inspire you. These are some of the best that people who love blue flowers plant.
Agapanthus
Nicknamed the Lily of the Nile, Agapanthus africanus flowers are blue to dark violet-blue in color, and also white. They are sun-loving plants that do best in USDA hardiness zones 8-11. If you live in a very hot climate, you can grow them in partial shade.
It occurs naturally in southern Africa and grows best in fertile, slightly moist, well-drained soil.
Bluebell
Also known as the English bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta is a perennial plant that produces some of the best blue flowers. Literally shaped like little bluebells, its flowers are sweet-smelling and they attract all sorts of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and birds.
Bluebells are hardy plants that do well in USDA hardiness zones 4-8. They prefer moist soil conditions and partially shaded areas.
Blue Daisy
The blue daisy, Felicia amelloides, is one of the most beautiful blue perennials. Also known as the marguerite daisy, it is native to South Africa and one of the hardiest blue flowering plants in the world.
There are about 84 Felicia species, many of which are blue. It grows to a height of about 11-18 inches and only needs moderate care. They are stunning in massed plantings and great for borders.
While Felicia amelloides has a bright yellow center, Felicia heterophylla, known as the true-blue daisy, is completely blue. It is also smaller than the better known blue marguerite daisy, growing to a height of between 8 and 11 inches.
Blue daisies love the sunshine and do well in temperate climates. U.S. gardeners can grow blue daisies successfully in USDA zones 9-15.
Blue Flag Iris
A genus of as many as 300 flowering plant species, the Iris versicolor gets its name from the Greek word that means rainbow. So it isn’t rocket science that there is a multitude of different colored irises. Blue, though, is its definitive color.
All irises prefer soil that is on the wet side of moist. But you need to be careful to avoid root rot.
They also prefer soil that is acidic, so aim for a pH of less than 6.8. The blue flag iris thrives in USDA zones 3-9.
Blue Hibiscus
Hibiscus syriacus, the Rose of Sharon, is a hibiscus species that comes in various colors. These include a beautiful lavender-blue with a bold splash of deep violet in the center.
The Rose of Sharon blue hibiscus is a deciduous shrub that grows as tall as 12 feet and will spread from 8-10 feet. It loves full sun and prefers rich, fertile soil that drains well.
It blooms best in USDA hardiness zones 5-8.
Blue Hyacinth
The stunning blue flowering Hyacinthus orientalis has stunning flowers in many colors, including blue. On the downside, they only last for about 2-3 weeks.
The super-blue grape hyacinth, Muscari, has adorable little flowers that form in clusters. The colors range from light blue to much darker purple-blue, and they have a delightful fragrance.
The grape hyacinth likes full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It will thrive in USA hardiness zone 4-9. The blue hyacinth does USDA zones 4-8 but is vulnerable to frost.
Blue Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla is a popular plant that thrives in USDA hardiness zones 5-11. Are a variety of color choices, including blue, which needs acidic soil. Pink hydrangeas, on the other hand, need alkaline soil.
Blue hydrangeas grow best in partial to full shade and they need moist soil.
Blue Orchid
There are scores of different varieties of orchids with many different colored flowers. But, a blue orchid, as its name suggested, flowers blue. But they don’t all have the same color blue flowers. Some produce flowers that are blue-purple.
Blue orchids are native to Myanmar, southwest China, Thailand, and northeast India. They do best in warm, humid regions and thrive in moist soil. If you live in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, you can grow them in the garden, otherwise, it’s best to grow them in pots indoors.
Blue Violet
Common blue violets, Viola sororia, are utterly delightful. They do well in USDA hardiness zones 3-7 and when mass-planted will create an island of spectacular color.
They prefer a sunny environment with well-drained moist soil but will grow in partial shade.
Blue violets, like so many other types of blue flowers, attract lots of butterflies and birds. Another benefit is that they are edible!
Chicory
An annual, sometimes biennial plant, chicory, Cichorium intybus, has gorgeous blue flowers. You can grow chicory in most soils, although they prefer soil that contains gravel and a bit of clay.
Considered by some to be a weed, chicory thrives in a sunny environment and will withstand drought. It is edible and is used for teas and added to salads.
It grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3-10.
Clematis
Clematis is a stunning purple-blue flowering vine that looks fabulous when allowed to climb over a trellis or fence. They need full sun for at least 6 hours every day.
They do best in the U.S. in zones 3-8.
Cornflower
Cornflowers, Centaurea cyanus, have double flower heads that bloom an intense, incredibly beautiful blue color. They love the sun but will grow well in light shade as long as they are planted in fairly moist, well-drained soil.
They grow well in USDA hardiness zones 2-11, so thrive in most parts of the U.S. They are pest and disease-resistant and attract pollinators.
Forget-Me-Not
Even though forget-me-nots are categorized as weeds in some parts of the U.S. they are one of the few plants with true blue flowers. They like organically rich, moist soil and will thrive in full sun and partial shade.
They are low-maintenance plants that are resistant to most common garden pests. They do best in hardiness zones 5-9.
Gentian
Even though gentian violet, the dye extracted from the gentian plant, is a deep violet color, the gentian flower is as true blue a flower as you will find. The blue gentian flower, Gentiana acaulis, prefers full but take care its leaves don’t get bleached by the sun.
Gentians are herbaceous perennials, and you can grow them in USDA zones 3-7. They do best in gritty, moist, but well-drained soil.
Harvestbells, also known as soapwort gentian, Gentiana saponaria, also have blue flowers, but with a more violet hue. They do well in zones 4-8.
Poppy Anemone
Anemone coronaria, better known as the poppy anemone, comes in a rainbow palette of colors, including blue. They grow well in sandy, well-drained but moist soil and thrive in bright, sunny spots.
Poppy anemones are quite sensitive to cold and are one of the blue flowering plants that do best in USDA zones 7-9.
What plant has the prettiest blue flower?
It really is difficult to point out the prettiest blue flower. We’ve chosen the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, which gets its nickname from its puffy, balloon-like buds rather than its pretty, star-like blue flowers.
They are easy-to-grow perennials that do well in USDA zones 3-8. It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade as long as you plant it in loamy soil that drains well.
What blue flowers bloom in summer?
Many blue flowers bloom in summer, but these are some of our favorites, some of which we have already mentioned. The blue flowering balloon flower we have nominated as the prettiest blue flower blooms throughout the summer months.
Agapanthus, blue daisies, and true blue gentians also bloom in summer.
Bird-bill dayflower, Commelina dianthifolia, with its gorgeously unusual three-petaled flowers, flowers throughout the summer and early fall. The dwarf morning glory, Evolvulus, with its lavender to blue flowers, also grows throughout the summer months.
What blue flowers bloom in spring?
Blue violets will bloom throughout the spring season, and often continue to flower sporadically in summer.
English bluebells bloom throughout spring, as do blue violets, grape hyacinths, and the gorgeous poppy anemone. Blue daisies flower from spring through autumn.
Beautiful columbines, Aquilegia bloom from mid-spring throughout the summer months. Glory-of-the-snow, Chionodoxa luciliae, is a charming plant that usually pops out through the snow when it melts in spring. They carry on flowering throughout spring until their leaves die.
Conclusion
If you are searching for “plants blue flowers,” and can’t find what you want, go through our guide for the best blue flowering plants carefully. Even though people often say that blue flowers are rare, there is in fact a lot of choices.
In addition to our list of the 15 best blue flowering plants you can grow in your garden, we have added a few more. You will find another 5 in the sections that include the prettiest blue flower, as well as blue flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
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