Many plants advertised as producingblue bloomsresult in blooms that lean towards lavender or purple rather than true blue.
Blue flowers might be elusive but they do exist.
Here are plants that add that exceptional blue color to your garden.
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As the common names suggest, its flowers are somewhat lily-like and bloom through most of the summer.
It is a tender perennial reliably hardy down toUSDA Hardiness Zone8.
It grows from a fleshy rhizome and can be dug and stored for the winter in cooler areas.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The plant is toxic to humans and pets.
Blue Star
There are enough species ofAmsoniafor everyone to find their favorite shade of blue.
The flowers stay lovely for weeks and even the seed pods are attractive.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Arkansas blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii) was named the 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year.
It has deep blue flowers and narrow, lance-shaped leaves that burst into gold in the fall.
The plant is toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Native to eastern North America, this plant is popular for making blue dye.
Its common name is blue false indigo.
The plant is toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
Borage is an easy-to-grow annual that readily self-sows.
It is a culinary herb with a scent and flavor similar to cucumbers.
The flower’s ability to attract pollinators into your garden is one of its greatest attributes.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
The plant is toxic to humans and pets.
There are several cultivars available in various shades of blue.
Cornflower
Whether you call them cornflowers or bachelor’s buttons,Centaurea cyanusis one charming wildflower.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It got the name cornflower because it grew wild in European cornfields.
Bachelor’s button came about because bachelors apparently would wear the flower in their lapels when they went courting.
The plant’s abundant flowers are ruffled disks, somewhat resembling thistles without the thorns.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is an annual that will self-sow.
The mountain bluet (Centaurea montana) is considered a perennial cornflower.
Gentian
Many of the hundreds of species in theGentiangenus have blue flowers.
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It is a freely seeding annual flowering plant that will tuck itself throughout your garden.
The plants do not like to be moved, but you might scatter seeds to spread.
The seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover them.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Nigella will flower throughout the season, it makes a great cut flower, and has interesting seed heads.
It also goes by the cultivar name, ‘Oxford Blue’.
And though not all varieties bloom blue, those that do are resplendent.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
You might be familiar with the variegated leaf varieties.
Some are dotted with white, and others are washed with silver.
These plants look good all season, though many plain green-leaf varieties have the most brilliant blue flowers.
The Spruce / Marie Iannotti
These plants are shade lovers and look beautiful in woodland tweaks.
It is also a hummingbird and large butterfly magnet.
You might see it listed as Brazilian sage or blue anise sage.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is an aggressive grower in some areas.
In cooler zones, the plant is a popular annual.
It is taller than most annual salvias and unique in form and color.
The Spruce / Claire Cohen Bates
All the plant needs is a little bit of chill to trigger its winter rest.
While dormant, it builds up the energy to reproduce and bloom very early in the spring.
It can spread far and wide, turning a landscape into a sea of blue flowers.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
As with most early-blooming bulbs, it usually has few pests or problems.
It needs moisture during the growing season and drier conditions while dormant.
The plant is toxic to humans.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
The determining factor of hydrangea color is how acidic the soil is.
In alkaline soil, hydrangea flowers turn pink but in acidic soil, they turn blue.
All hydrangeas are toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The flowers are smaller than those of thebearded iris.
One trade-off is that SIberan iris is easy to grow and more drought-tolerant.
Iris is toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Yet unlike other eye-catching perennials, globe thistle (Echinopsspp.)
Its long taproot enables it to survive even the harshest drought conditions.
It is also deer-resistant and its nectar is an important energy source for butterflies and bees.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Delphinium
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
Delphinium is a plant that stands out in the landscape.
The large, cup- or spur-shaped flower spikes sit atop a towering stem reaching 5 to 6 feet high.
Delphiniums prosper in regions with long, cool spring seasons.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
They bloom in late spring to early summer and continue all season depending on the variety.
The plants are striking yet short-lived, lasting just three to five years.
Delphinium is toxic to humans and pets.
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Most varieties of lobelia have a somewhat trailing growth habit, while other varieties grow in clumps.
Several different flower colors are available but the plant is best known for its unique true sky-blue flowers.
The small but numerous blooms appear through the summer and into the fall in most climates.
Melissa Kopka / Getty Images
Lobelia is toxic to humans and pets.
The blue flowers are only 3/8 inch in size but numerous.
The bloom period lasts for about four weeks.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There are also varieties with variegated foliage that provide interest and color all season.
Columbine
The mid-spring columbine (Aquilegiaspp.)
blooms fill the void between early spring bulbs and peak garden season.
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As columbine has been in cultivation for many years, there are also dozens of popular hybrids and cultivars.
A popular one with blue and white flowers is ‘BlueBird’ from theAquilegiaSongbird Series.
The plant is toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / K. Dave
The sky-blue flowers sit atop erect, slender stems.
Flax blooms in late spring into summer.
Although it is an annual, it often reseeds itself and may persist for years in the same location.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Not all varieties are fragrant.
The flowering time depends on the climate.
Sweet peas prefer cooler temperatures and will start to fade in high heat.
In warmer regions, they bloom in winter and spring.
The vines are usually grown on a trellis or fences or spill over the sides of pots.
Sweet peas are toxic to humans and pets.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The plant self-sows and naturalizes to form permanent patches over time.
They return every year, though their flowers will diminish in vigor after a few seasons.
Hyacinths are toxic to humans and pets.
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The flowers are open in the morning but wither by mid-day.
The dainty wildflowers are a sign that spring is in full swing.
They naturalize, vigorously carpeting partially shaded areas such as woodland gardens where mature trees provide dappled shade.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
English bluebells are toxic to humans and pets.
The flowers start pink and gradually turn light blue as they mature.
The blooms will last several weeks in April and May.
Egil J. Skarning / Wikimedia Commons / CC-SA 3.0
The plant goes dormant by mid-summer.
These ephemeral plants grow best under the shade of a tree.
Virginia bluebells attract bees, especially bumblebees.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Passionflower thrives in high humidity.
In climates with warm winters, it is an evergreen.
The flowers usually close by mid-day.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It has three or four star-shaped, lavender-blue flowers with white centers.
The stems are sparse with narrow foliage.
Cold winters are essential for the bulbs dormancy period.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The 1 1/2-inch flowers with a yellow throat change color with temperature and light exposure.
Lupine
What looks like a wildflower is a fast-growing legume in the pea family.
Lupines (Lupinusxhybrida)have tall, showy spires of colorful blooms that also come in blue.
The Spruce / K. Dave
There are perennial and annual lupines.
These cold hardy annual lupines bloom in the spring.
Lupines are toxic to humans and pets.
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Once established, the plants are long-lived perennials.
Both have blue flowers but the plants look very different.
Creeping speedwell is a trailing, mat-forming perennial with small, singular flowers in spring and summer.
Another popular low-growing speedwell with blue flowers isVeronica peduncularis’Georgia Blue'.
The plant is also known as the candlestick plant or Indian borage.
It has a large, upright, bushy structure and blue-purple flowers in fall, winter, and spring.
Fairy thimbles (Campanula cochleariifolia) are native to European mountainous areas and grow in nutrient-poor soil.
The plant is at home in rock gardens, along walls, and between paving stones.
It grows in nutrient-poor soil and makes a good container plant.
The Himalayan poppy is considered the rarest blue flower in the world.
Blue roses do not exist in nature because roses lack the gene to produce a true blue color.
Lily of the Nile.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
Amsonia tabernaemontana: Eastern Blue Star.
False Indigo (Baptisia australis).
University of Illinois Chicago Heritage Garden.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants.
And More Bluebell Facts.
Weed of the Week: Rose of Sharon.Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Avoiding Invasives: Butterfly Bush.Penn State Extension.
