Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Blue flowers are a rare and striking sight in any garden. When you have them, they instantly catch the eye and add a serene, cooling touch to your landscape. Whether you choose perennials, annuals, shrubs, vines, or bulbs, these blue-blooming plants are sure to enhance your garden with their vibrant hues. Here are some top picks:

Blue Daisy

These charming perennials resemble classic daisies but feature vivid blue petals surrounding bright golden centers. Blooming abundantly throughout the summer, blue daisies attract pollinators and add a cheerful splash of color to your garden. They’re easy to grow and adaptable, thriving in well-drained soil and full sun. Perfect for borders, rock gardens, or containers, blue daisies are a versatile choice for any garden setting.

Blue Daisy (Felicia amelloides)
Common name Blue Daisy, Blue Daisy Bush, Blue Felicia, Blue Marguerite, Felicia
Botanical name Felicia amelloides
Hardiness zone 10, 11
Maintenance Medium
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Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Blue Hydrangea

A large, blue hydrangea is a true showstopper in any landscape. To achieve that stunning sky-blue shade, increase the soil’s acidity by adding soil sulfur. Bigleaf hydrangeas usually bloom on the previous year’s growth, so if pruning is necessary, do it right after flowering. For continuous blooms, consider newer varieties like those under the Endless Summer label, which flower on both new and old growth.

Delphiniums

Larkspur (Delphinium)
Common name Delphinium, Larkspur, Staggerweed
Botanical name Delphinium
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance High
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Delphiniums are known for offering some of the truest blue flowers available. Though they are perennials, delphiniums are often short-lived and may not fare well in hot and humid conditions, making them sometimes treated as annuals. Taller varieties should be staked to prevent their impressive flower spikes from toppling in the wind. To ensure the best blooms, grow delphiniums in soil rich in organic matter and use a balanced fertilizer.

Clematis

Tube Clematis (Clematis heracleifolia)
Common name New Love Clematis Shrub
Botanical name Clematis heracleifolia
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
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Clematis is a beloved climber known for its large, captivating blooms that can elegantly drape over a mailbox, cover a trellis, or trail along a fence. With a variety of types available, the most striking hybrids typically thrive in full sun on their leaves while preferring shade on their roots, which can be achieved with mulch or low-growing plants. While purple is the most common color, clematis also comes in sky blue, indigo blue, and powder blue varieties.

Eastern Bluestar

This 2-to-3-foot perennial is a standout in the spring garden, covered with delicate powder blue flowers. As autumn approaches, its foliage turns a vibrant yellow. Eastern bluestar is an excellent choice for rain gardens or mass plantings along flower borders, where it will attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It is adaptable to most soils and, once established, can tolerate periods of dryness.

Bellflower

Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Bellflowers are a charming addition to cottage gardens, known for their starry or bell-shaped blooms in shades of blue, violet, pink, or white. Taller varieties make excellent cut flowers, while dwarf types like ‘Pearl Deep Blue’ serve well as groundcovers.

Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata)
Common name Bellflower, Clustered Bellflower, Dane’s Blood
Botanical name Campanula glomerata
Growth rate Fast
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Aster

Asters are a late-season favorite, lighting up the fall garden with their starry blooms and attracting pollinators. These perennials also make long-lasting cut flowers, adding a splash of color to both garden beds and floral arrangements.

False indigo

Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
Common name False indigo, Lead Plant, Leadplant Amorpha, Prairie Shoestring, Leadplant
Botanical name Amorpha canescens
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Native to prairies and woodland edges, false indigo is prized for its resilience, thriving in poor soil, clay, and the heat and humidity of summer. Each spring, it emerges as a large clump, producing spikes of sweet pea-like flowers that later turn into black, rattling pods. Given its deep taproot, this drought-tolerant plant is best left undisturbed once planted, as it is difficult to transplant.

Forget-Me-Nots

True forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
Common name True Forget-me-not, Water Forget-me-not
Botanical name Myosotis scorpioides
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance High
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The name alone is enough to capture our hearts. The ‘Southern Blues’ variety is especially suited for warmer climates, tolerating more heat than other types. Forget-Me-Nots thrive in part sun or light shade, particularly in hotter regions, and do well in damp areas like the edge of a pond. This charming plant acts as a ground cover in moist garden soils, filling in gaps and blooming from spring into summer.

Lily of the Nile

Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus)
Common name African Lily, Lily of the Nile
Botanical name Agapanthus
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 8, 9, 10, 11
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Medium
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These striking plants are sure to impress with their fountain-like clumps of strap-shaped leaves and blue, firework-like blooms. Agapanthus, commonly known as Lily of the Nile, is hardy in warmer southern regions, though hardiness varies by variety—check the plant label for specifics. The Ever Sapphire™ variety from the Southern Living Plant Collection is a tough, drought-tolerant, reblooming option that’s perfect for containers, where it can receive ideal growing conditions and regular feeding.

Morning Glory

Morning glories have been a gardener’s favorite for generations, offering saucer-shaped flowers in sky-blue and other vibrant hues, including pink, red, purple, white, and even bicolors like the blue-and-white ‘Flying Saucers’ variety. This vigorous annual vine is easy to grow from seed and can self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, ensuring its presence year after year.

Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
Common name Mexican Morning Glory, Flying Saucers, Grannyvine, Heavenly Blue Morning Glory, Morning Glory, Pearly Gates Morning Glory
Botanical name Ipomoea tricolor
Growth rate Fast
Hardiness zone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance High
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Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Globe Thistle

Despite its coarse leaves and somewhat misleading name, globe thistle is a well-mannered perennial that brings beauty to your garden. Its steel-blue, spherical blooms appear in summer and are excellent as cut flowers, lasting long both in the garden and in arrangements.

Baptisia

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Common name Blue False Indigo, Blue Wild Indigo, False Indigo, Wild Indigo
Botanical name Baptisia australis
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Also known as false indigo, baptisia is a bold native perennial with tall blue flower spikes that make a stunning display from spring into summer. The large dark seed pods that follow add further visual interest. Baptisia is easy to grow, thriving in heat and drought, and it’s resistant to deer and other pests, making it a resilient choice for any garden.

Blue Columbine

Blue Columbine is an excellent choice for gardeners seeking true-blue flowers. These spring bloomers add a unique charm to shady woodland gardens. As a delightful bonus, Columbine flowers are known to attract hummingbirds.

Grape Hyacinths

Grape hyacinths extend the blue color palette in your garden, blooming a bit later in the spring. The fragrant Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic’ offers a lovely two-tone blue, while varieties of M. armeniacum typically showcase a darker blue hue.

Dwarf Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Common name Blue Cardinal Flower, Great Blue Lobelia, Great Lobelia
Botanical name Lobelia siphilitica
Hardiness zone 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Deep shade
Maintenance Low
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Dwarf Lobelia (Lobelia erinus) is a tender perennial, hardy in zones 9 to 11, but commonly grown as an annual in most regions. Renowned for its bright blue flowers, it’s often used in containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes. Blooming from spring through fall, it prefers cool weather, so be sure to keep it well-watered during hot spells. If your plant wilts in mid-summer, it can bounce back with new growth and flowers after being cut back.

Amsonia

Hubricht's Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii)
Common name Arkansas Amsonia, Blue StarBlue Star Amsonia, Hubricht’s Amsonia, Threadleaf Blue Star, Hubricht’s Bluestar
Botanical name Amsonia hubrichtii
Growth rate Slow
Hardiness zone 5, 6, 7, 8
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Often referred to as Bluestar for its sky-blue, star-shaped blossoms, Amsonia is a North American native that butterflies love but rabbits and deer avoid due to the milky sap in its narrow leaves. With several native species and a few from Europe and Asia, you have plenty of varieties to choose from, including ‘Storm Cloud’ and ‘Blue Ice.’

Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Virginia Bluebells

Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica)
Common name Spanish Bluebell, Wood Hyacinth
Botanical name Hyacinthoides hispanica
Growth rate Fast
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Sunlight Dappled Sunlight
Maintenance Low
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Virginia Bluebells are a charming wildflower native to the East and Midwest, making them an excellent companion for daffodils and hostas. After blooming in early spring, they die back, reappearing the following year. Plant them in humus-rich, moist soil, and they will naturally self-sow, forming a lovely colony. These early blooms provide vital nectar for bees and other pollinators.

Cornflowers

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Common name Bachelor’s Button, Bachelors Buttons, Bluebottle, Cornflower
Botanical name Centaurea cyanus
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance High
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Cornflowers, also known as Centaurea cyanus, produce delicate blue flowers that are especially attractive to bees, birds, and other pollinators. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. For a beautiful display, pair them with field poppies, corn marigolds, ox-eye daisies, and dill.

Anchusa

Similar to borage, Anchusa species feature intense blue flowers and bristly foliage. These plants are popular with pollinators and are resistant to slugs. They grow best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil, and their edible flowers add a unique touch to gardens. Consider cultivating varieties like ‘Loddon Royalist’ and ‘Dropmore.’

Gentians

Stemless Gentian (Gentiana acaulis)
Common name Blauer Enzian, Gentian, Stemless Gentian, Trumpet Gentian
Botanical name Gentiana acaulis
Growth rate Slow
Hardiness zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Medium
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Gentians are celebrated for their vivid blue blooms, making them a standout in rock gardens and alpine displays. Gentiana sino-ornata is among the easiest to grow, thriving in neutral to acidic soils. With many cultivars to choose from, gentians bring bright blue flowers to your garden in the autumn.

Anemone obtusiloba

Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria)
Common name Anemones, Windflower, Spanish Marigold, Poppy Anemone
Botanical name Anemone coronaria
Hardiness zone 7, 8, 9, 10
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Anemone obtusiloba is an alpine species with delicate watercolor-blue flowers, distinct from wood and rue anemones. Other similar blue-flowered anemones worth growing include Anemone blanda and Anemone nemorosa. These species add a soft blue hue to your garden, enhancing its visual appeal.

Ceratostigma

Ceratostigma species, including Ceratostigma plumbaginoides and Ceratostigma willmottianum, are known for their strikingly blue blooms. The former is smaller and herbaceous, while both varieties thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, making them excellent choices for brightening up garden spaces.

Blue Columbines

Blue Columbines are perennial flowers recognized for their bell-shaped blooms, fern-like foliage, and impressive height, reaching up to 2 to 3 feet. They flourish in well-drained soil and partial shade, attracting pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds while deterring deer. Additionally, they enrich the soil with nitrogen. With their elegant appearance, extended blooming period, and ecological benefits, Blue Columbines are a delightful addition to any garden.

Blue Butterfly Bush

These enchanting shrubs are covered with clusters of fragrant blue flowers that draw butterflies and other pollinators. With their arching branches and lance-shaped leaves, Blue Butterfly Bushes bloom prolifically from summer to fall, adding vibrant color to the garden. They are low-maintenance and adaptable to various soil conditions, making them a popular choice for butterfly gardens, borders, and landscaping projects.

Blue Pimpernel

Blue Pimpernel is a striking plant known for its trailing growth habit, making it a charming ground cover for garden landscapes. This low-maintenance perennial blooms abundantly 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, adding a splash of blue to your garden.

Blue Globe Thistle

Blue Globe Thistle is a striking perennial that brings texture and visual interest to any garden with its spherical, steel-blue flower heads and spiky foliage. Drought-tolerant and resilient, this low-maintenance plant is an excellent choice for gardeners looking for reliable and eye-catching blooms.

Blue-Eyed Grass

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
Common name Bermuda Blue-eyed Grass, Blue-eyed Grass, Blue Eyes, Grass Flower, Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed-grass, Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass, Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed Grass
Botanical name Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Growth rate Medium
Hardiness zone 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Medium
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Despite its name, Blue-Eyed Grass isn’t a grass at all but a member of the Iris family. This charming little plant features bright blue flowers with distinct yellow centers, resembling tiny eyes. It thrives in sunny spots and well-drained soil, making it a delightful addition to rock gardens or along garden edges, where its vibrant pops of color can be fully appreciated.

Best Blue Flowers You Should Have in Your Garden

Perennial Geranium

While many plants offer purple flowers with a hint of blue, the ‘Rozanne’ perennial geranium stands out as one of the best. This long-blooming geranium produces a nearly endless supply of violet-blue flowers from June until frost, adding continuous color to your garden.

Heart-leaf Brunnera

Heart-Leaf Brunnera, also known as Siberian bugloss, is a beautiful yet underappreciated shade plant. It produces delicate sprays of tiny, pale-blue flowers in spring that resemble forget-me-nots. For added visual interest, consider variegated varieties like ‘Jack Frost’, ‘Silver Heart’, or ‘King’s Ransom’, which feature silver-splashed leaves that enhance the overall display.

Leadwort

Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
Common name Blue Leadwood, Blue Plumbago, Dwarf Plumbago, Hardy Plumbago, Leadwort, Perennial Plumbago, Plumbago, Plumbago Larpentiae
Botanical name Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Growth rate Fast
Hardiness zone 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sunlight Full Sun
Maintenance Low
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Leadwort, also known as hardy plumbago, is a vigorous perennial groundcover that shines at the end of the season. Its sky-blue flowers and rich red fall foliage make it a standout in any garden. While it grows more slowly in shade, Leadwort still blooms well, providing late-season color and interest.

These plants not only offer vibrant blue hues but also bring resilience and ease of care to your garden, making them ideal choices for gardeners seeking both beauty and practicality.

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