Blue Flowers in Your Landscape

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Despite the best efforts of hybridizers and advertisers, true blue colored flowers are very rare indeed. Most of the flowers described as blue are actually shades of purple. However, there are indeed some beautiful blue flowered plants that provide a striking contract from the reds and oranges that abound. Blue is known to bring feelings of relaxation and serenity, so they naturally lend themselves to peaceful gardens.

Shrubs:

• Big leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). There are several varieties with blue flowers, including 'Endless Summer', which blooms on both new and year-old wood and is thus the best choice for northern gardeners. Add acid fertilizer for the bluest flowers.
• Bluebeard (Caryopteris) is covered in clusters of flowers in late summer.

Perennials:

• Irises- most often thought of by many, Iris varieties come in all shades of blue
• Squill (Scilla) is a small bulb that creates pools of blue in early spring.
• Spanish hyacinth (Brimeura) is another small bulb with tiny blue flowers in early summer.
• Forget-me-nots (Myosotis) are common spring bloomers for gardens and containers in shady spots.
• Lungworts (Pulmonaria) are available in many colors. Plantings designed with combinations of the blue and white cultivars are particularly striking.
• Virginia bluebells (Mertensia) light up the eastern woodlands in April with pendulous bells of sky-blue flowers.
• Bachelor's buttons (Centaurea) sport unique flowers with blue petals.
• Bellflower (Campanula) varieties are usually purplish, but a few are quite blue.
• Gentian (Gentiana) species and cultivars are famous for exquisite blue flowers. There are alpine, meadow, and woodland varieties of this favorite.
• Delphiniums are available in a wide range of colors including light to royal blue, but they can be a challenging urban plant.
• Hydrangea bushes have earned a delightful place in gardens for years with their blue mop head flowers
• Many salvia varieites (both annual and perennial) have striking blue flowers. 

Annuals:

• Borage (Borago) is an herb with edible blue flowers that taste like cucumbers.
• Some cultivars of the trailing plant Nemophila have bluish blooms.
• Morning glory vines (Ipomoea) have blue cultivars. They are reliable bloomers that quickly cover fences, arbors, and balcony railings.
• The most commonly planted blue flower is probably trailing lobelia. This creeping annual can produce mats of blue in the garden and mounds of blue in hanging baskets or window boxes.

Use blue flowers to create a relaxing oasis or an uplifting pop of color. Match lighter tinted blues with pastel partners and vivid azure blooms with strong accent colors for balanced designs.  Now that you’re inspired to add more blue beauties to your beds and borders, visit your local nursery to choose from their selection of these delightful plants. Let the magical colors and relaxing quality of blue flowers enhance your personal landscape and show off your photos in our Database as well as the Plant Combination section to inspire others with adding blue in their color designs.