Skip to content

Top Navigation

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Gardening
  • Home Improvement Ideas
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Recipes and Cooking
  • Decorating
  • Holidays
  • Rooms
  • Shopping

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin

Explore Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      Don't let these pesky plants crash your garden party! The first step is to know your enemy. Then you'll know the best way to deal with your weed problem. Read More
    • 6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      A professional organizer offers advice on how to tidy up your home without feeling overwhelmed. Read More
    • 5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      Anti-inflammatory smoothies do exist! Instead of blending in boatloads of sugar and artificial ingredients, try these smoothies for inflammation that are stoked with ingredients that may help lower your risk for chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Read More
  • Gardening

    Gardening

    See All Gardening
    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    Upcycle old newspapers, junk mail, and other waste paper to make these easy, eco-friendly containers you can use to sprout new plants for your garden.
    • Flowers
    • Houseplants
    • Plant Encyclopedia
    • Garden Pests
    • Trees, Shrubs & Vines
    • Caring for Your Yard
    • Edible Gardening
    • Garden Design
    • Gardening By Region
    • Landscaping
  • Home Improvement Ideas

    Home Improvement Ideas

    See All Home Improvement Ideas
    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular American House Styles

    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular American House Styles

    In a world full of so many different house styles, it can be a little challenging just to narrow down your own home's architectural style, let alone edit the list down to your favorite style or understand the distinctions characteristic to each house style. We'll show you the 10 most popular American house styles, including Cape Cod, French Country, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, Cottage, Mediterranean, ranch-style, and Contemporary.
    • Home Exteriors
    • DIY Home Electrical Tips & Guides
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Home Remodeling
    • Plumbing Installations & Repairs
    • Remodeling Advice & Planning
    • Flooring
    • Lighting
    • Decks
    • Porches
  • Cleaning and Organizing

    Cleaning and Organizing

    See All Cleaning and Organizing
    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule.
    • House Cleaning
    • Laundry & Linens
    • Cleaning Tips
    • Closet Organization
    • Organization Tips
    • Kitchen Storage Organization
  • Recipes and Cooking

    Recipes and Cooking

    See All Recipes and Cooking
    21 Baking Essentials Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 Nice-to-Haves)

    21 Baking Essentials Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 Nice-to-Haves)

    Whether you're a beginning baker just starting out or a master chef looking to declutter, we'll help you set up a beginner's baking essentials kit with 21 tools. For anyone who already owns these handy baking tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to get rid of that soufflé dish you never use. Building your baking equipment inventory starts here.
    • How to Cook
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Fish Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner Recipes & Meal Ideas
    • Ethnic Food
  • Decorating

    Decorating

    See All Decorating
    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    Designers weigh in on the most popular decorating styles, colors, and materials you can look forward to in the coming year.
    • Choosing Color
    • Expert Decorating Advice
    • Fireplace Design Ideas
    • Do It Yourself Magazine
    • Window Treatments
    • Styles & Decor
    • Interior Painting
    • Home Makeovers
    • Small-Space Decorating
    • Traditional Home
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    What began as a small movement, has grown into a global holiday dedicated to celebrating the strong women in our communities.
    • Valentine's Day
    • Mother's Day
    • Easter
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July/Memorial Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Juneteenth
    • Hanukkah
  • Rooms

    Rooms

    See All Rooms
    Living Room Furniture Layout Ideas

    Living Room Furniture Layout Ideas

    Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.
    • Bedroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Bathroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Living Room Decorating and Design
    • Dining Room
    • Home Office
    • Kid's Rooms
    • Baby Nursery
  • Shopping

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. BHG.com
  2. Gardening
  3. Garden Design
  4. Garden Color
  5. 18 of the Most Stunning Blue Flowers You'll Love Growing in Your Garden

18 of the Most Stunning Blue Flowers You'll Love Growing in Your Garden

Viveka Neveln Headshot
By Viveka Neveln Updated September 17, 2021
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin FB
Salvia patens 'Blue Angel' flower
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Plants with blue flowers add a calm, cooling splash of color to your landscape. Choose from these easy-care perennials, annuals, shrubs, vines, and bulbs that bloom in various shades of blue.

Start Slideshow

1 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Blue Hydrangea

Endless Summer Blue Hydrangea macrophylla
Credit: Erica George Dines

A big, sky blue hydrangea flower is absolutely breathtaking. Get your bigleaf hydrangeas to turn clear, sky blue by increasing the acidity of the soil. Adding soil sulfur is one way to do this. Bigleaf hydrangeas typically flower on last-year's growth, so if you need to prune them, do so right after they finish flowering. And look for newer varieties such as Endless Summer, which produce flowers on both new and old growth.

Name: Hydrangea macrophylla selections

Growing Conditions: Morning sun and afternoon shade in moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter. Don't let bigleaf hydrangeas get too dry.

Size: To 7 feet tall and wide, depending on variety

Zones: 4-9, depending on the variety

Plant it with: Blue bigleaf hydrangeas look stunning when paired with white-flowering varieties such as 'Annabelle' hydrangea or oakleaf hydrangea.

Buy It: Let's Dance Rhythmic Blue Hydrangea ($37, The Home Depot)

1 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Perennial Geranium

Perennial Geranium
Credit: Justin Hancock

There are plenty of perennials that offer blue flowers, but 'Rozanne' perennial geranium is one of the best. This long-blooming plant flowers from June to frost, producing a nearly endless supply of violet-blue flowers.

Plant Name: Geranium 'Rozanne'

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 4-8

Plant it with: Because the geranium starts flowering in early summer, pair it with spring-blooming bulbs such as grape hyacinth, crocus, and white daffodils to add color before this perennial gets going.

Buy It: Rozanne Everblooming Geranium ($22, Breck's)

2 of 18

3 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Delphinium

blue delphinium flowers in garden
Credit: Kindra Clineff

Delphiniums offer some of the truest-blue flowers in the garden. Though perennial, these plants tend to be short-lived and don't do well in heat and humidity so sometimes they are treated like annuals. Stake taller delphinium varieties to keep their flower spikes from toppling over in the wind. Grow them in soil that's rich in organic matter and provide a balanced fertilizer to encourage the best blue blooms.

Plant Name: Delphinium selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 6 feet tall and 1 foot wide, depending on type

Zones: 3-7, depending on type

Plant it with: Blue-flowering dwarf delphiniums such as 'Butterfly Blue' or 'Summer Nights' look fantastic with the yellow blooms of Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' or 'Fanfare' blanket flower.

 

3 of 18

Advertisement

4 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Heart-leaf Brunnera

Heartleaf Brunnera ‘King’s Ransom’
Credit: Jacob Fox

A gorgeous but underused shade plant, brunnera (which also goes by the common name Siberian bugloss) produces sprays of tiny, pale blue, spring flowers that resemble forget-me-nots. Add to the color show by choosing a variegated selection, such as 'Jack Frost', 'Silver Heart', or 'King's Ransom' (shown here), which have silver splashed leaves.

Plant Name: Brunnera macrophylla

Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 2 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-7

Plant it with: The springtime flowers look fantastic paired with white or yellow daffodils or with silvery Japanese painted fern.

Buy It: Silver Heart Siberian Bugloss ($21, Breck's)

4 of 18

5 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Grape Hyacinth

blue grape hyacinth Muscari azureum
Credit: Justin Hancock

A small but beautiful spring-flowering bulb, grape hyacinth produces clusters of blue flowers in midspring. You can also find varieties that bear purple, white, or yellow flowers, too.

Plant Name: Muscari

Growing Conditions: Sun or shade in well-drained soil

Size: To 8 inches tall and 3 inches wide

Zones: 4-8

Plant it with: Yellow daffodils are a classic choice, but you can extend the season by planting them with late-spring-blooming perennials such as columbine that keep the color show going after grape hyacinth has faded.

Buy It: Blue Grape Hyacinth ($10, Breck's)

5 of 18

6 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Clematis

Clematis growing in field
Credit: Bob Stefko

Blooming in a range of colors, clematis is a beautiful vine to add to your garden. The true blue-flowering varieties include 'Crystal Fountain', 'Ice Blue', or 'Arabella'. Give these vines a trellis or other support to climb.

Plant Name: Clematis selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Most clematis climb to about 12 feet, but some can reach more than 25 feet.

Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Plant it with: A classic way to grow clematis is to combine them with climbing roses. Create contrast by planting a blue-flowering clematis with yellow rose such as 'Graham Thomas Climbing' or a white type such as 'Climbing Iceberg'.

 

6 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bluestar

Bluestar Amsonia
Credit: Rob Cardillo

As you might guess, bluestar features starry blue flowers that appear in late spring. This native plant is also heat, drought, deer, and rabbit resistant. Plus, the foliage turns a beautiful shade of yellow at the end of the season.

Plant Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 2 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

Plant it with: Columbines are perfect companions for bluestar. Create a harmonious color scheme by planting blue- or white-flowering columbines; create contrast with yellow varieties.

Buy It: Blue Ice Amsonia ($15, Breck's)

7 of 18

8 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Leadwort

Leadplant Plumbago
Credit: Scott Little

Also called hardy plumbago, leadwort is a vigorous perennial groundcover. It puts on a show at the end of the season with its sky blue flowers and rich red fall foliage. This plant grows more slowly in shade, but still blooms well.

Plant Name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Growing Conditions: Sun or shade and well-drained soil

Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Plant it with: Create a bold, end-of-the-season display by pairing lead plant with yellow chrysanthemums or white asters.

 

8 of 18

9 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bellflower

adriatic bellflower
Credit: Kindra Clineff

Often used in cottage gardens, bellflowers produce starry or bell-shape flowers in blue, violet, pink, or white. Many of the longer-stemmed varieties make excellent cut flowers. Dwarf types, such as 'Pearl Deep Blue' work well as groundcovers.

Plant Name: Campanula selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: To 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, depending on type

Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Plant it with: Bellflowers are prefect companions for blue pincushion flowers (Scabiosa). Bonus: Both are great for cutting!

Buy It: Campanula Carpatica Blue Clips Bellflower ($10, Etsy)

9 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Salvia

Salvia patens 'Blue Angel' flower
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Both annual and perennial salvia varieties have become garden champions for their heat and drought tolerance, as well as the fact that deer and bunnies tend to leave them alone. For true blue flowers, look for Salvia azurea or S. patens (shown here). Other varieties of salvia, such as 'May Night' or 'Blue Mound', offer more violet blue flowers.

Plant Name: Salvia selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide, depending on type

Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Plant it with: Blue salvia look wonderful with penstemon, a native perennial which is also heat and drought resistant.

Buy It: Blue Hill Salvia ($40, Breck's)

10 of 18

11 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Balloon Flower

Balloon flower
Credit: Marty Baldwin

An easy-to-grow perennial, balloon flower offers puffy, round buds that open to beautiful blue, pink, or white star-shape blooms for several weeks in summer.

Plant Name: Platycodon grandiflorus

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Zones: 4-9

Plant it with: The lilac-pink flowers of 'Appleblossom' yarrow (Achillea) or gaura are a perfect complement to blue balloon flowers.

Buy It: Blue Balloon Flower ($23, Breck's)

11 of 18

12 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Aster

Aster
Credit: Denny Schrock

One of the last plants to bloom in many gardens, asters light up the fall landscape and draw pollinators with their starry flowers. These perennials also make long-lasting cut flowers.

Plant Name: Symphyotrichum selections

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 3-9, depending on type

Plant it with: Goldenrod and mums are two perfect partners for blue asters.

Buy It: Marie Ballard Aster ($15, Breck's)

12 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Morning Glory

Ipomoea tricolor Flying Saucers, morning glory
Credit: Denny Schrock

Loved by generations of gardeners, morning glory vines come in varieties that offer saucer-shape sky blue flowers. Other varieties bear blooms in bright pink, bold red, purple, white, and even bicolors such as the blue-and-white 'Flying Saucers' variety shown here. This vigorous annual vine is easy to grow from seed and can self-seed prolifically in situations where it's happy.

Plant Name: Ipomoea tricolor

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: Climbs to 12 feet tall or more

Zones: Annual

Buy It: Flying Saucer Morning Glory Vine Seeds ($4, Etsy)

13 of 18

14 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Siberian Squill

blue blooming siberian squill flowers
Credit: Bob Stefko

A pretty choice for shady gardens, Siberian squill makes a tiny but eye-catching display of bright blue flowers in early spring. Plus, these small bulbs will naturalize over time, meaning they will slowly spread to create a beautiful blooming carpet.

Plant Name: Scilla siberica

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil

Size: 4-6 inches tall

Zones: 2-8

Plant it with: contrast blue scilla with pink, yellow, or orange early-flowering species tulips. It also mixes well with other small early bulbs such as snowdrops.

Buy It: Scilla siberica 'Spring Beauty' bulbs (from $5, Etsy)

14 of 18

15 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Love-in-a-Mist

Cambridge Blue Nigella
Credit: Nancy Rotenberg

This annual gets its colorful name from the ferny green leaves that set off the flowers. Love-in-a-mist is easy to grow from seed, and will reseed itself around the garden so you don't have to keep replanting it. Even after the striking blue petals are gone, the large round seedpods add interest to the garden and vase.

Plant Name: Nigella damascena

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and well-drained soil

Size: up to 2 feet tall

Zones: annual

Plant it with: try love-in-a-mist with other colorful annuals with contrasting flower shapes such as celosia and globe amaranth.

Buy It: Jewels Indigo Nigella seeds ($3, Etsy)

15 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baptisia

violet baptisia plantings in bloom
Credit: Blaine Moats

The tall blue flower spires of baptisia always make an impressive display, starting in spring and going into summer. The large dark seedpods that follow also look interesting. Also known as false indigo, this bold native perennial is easy to grow because it can tolerant heat and drought well, and deer and other pests don't bother it.

Plant Name: Baptisia australis

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: 4 feet tall

Zones: 3-8

Plant it with: for a prairie effect, plant baptisia with other natives such as purple coneflower, milkweed, and switchgrass.

 

16 of 18

17 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Iris

Japanese Iris
Credit: Laurie Black

With myriad types to choose from, irises come in every shade except black. For the best blue-flowered irises, look for bearded iris, Siberian iris, reticulated iris, and Japanese iris (shown here) varieties.

Plant Name: Iris

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall, depending on variety

Zones: 4-9

Buy It: Forever Blue Dwarf Reblooming Bearded Iris($30, Breck's)

17 of 18

18 of 18

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Globe Thistle

globe thistle Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow'
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

The coarsely textured leaves and name of globe thistle may make you think of its weedier relatives, but this pretty perennial will make a well-behaved addition to your garden. Its long-lasting, steel blue, spherical blooms appear in summer, and make good cut flowers.

Plant Name: Echinops ritro

Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil

Size: 1-3 feet tall

Zones: 3-9

Buy It: Globe Thistle Seeds ($11, Etsy)

18 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Viveka Neveln

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 18 Blue Hydrangea
    2 of 18 Perennial Geranium
    3 of 18 Delphinium
    4 of 18 Heart-leaf Brunnera
    5 of 18 Grape Hyacinth
    6 of 18 Clematis
    7 of 18 Bluestar
    8 of 18 Leadwort
    9 of 18 Bellflower
    10 of 18 Salvia
    11 of 18 Balloon Flower
    12 of 18 Aster
    13 of 18 Morning Glory
    14 of 18 Siberian Squill
    15 of 18 Love-in-a-Mist
    16 of 18 Baptisia
    17 of 18 Iris
    18 of 18 Globe Thistle

    Share & More

    Tweet Email Send Text Message
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Logo Products at Walmart
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Real Estate Real Estate Services
    Better Homes & Gardens

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Better Homes & Gardens
    • Help
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithBH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Better Homes & Gardens. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.bhg.com

    Sign in

    View image

    18 of the Most Stunning Blue Flowers You'll Love Growing in Your Garden
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.