While it’s easy to find red, orange, and pink flowers, blue blooms are a bit of a hidden treasure…when you spot them you know you’ve found something worth keeping. Fortunately, there are some great summer flowers that appear in shades of blue. These blooms range from deep indigo to light blue violet, so you can find just about every shade of blue.
Get 20% off on Bouqs.com with code BOUQSBLOG. Exclusions apply.
What Do Blue Flowers Mean?
The blue flower meaning relates to peace, inspiration, desire, and hope, as well as tranquility, spirituality, and intelligence. The exact meaning varies depending on the type of flower and shade of blue. Not only are blue flowers gorgeous, but they can also help evoke a sense of calm and peace…the perfect remedy to a long day or accompaniment to a serene relaxation spot. They also pair well with other colors, and mixing in bits of blue with warm-colored flowers and greenery adds some more excitement.
If you’re hoping to get your hands on some blue blooms, here are 40 kinds of blue flowers to explore.
1. Delphinium
Scientific name: Delphinium spp.
Soil: Well–draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 4-8
One of the stateliest types of blue flowers, delphinium produces long stalks covered with flowers.
2. Cornflower
Scientific name: Centaurea cyanus
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 2-11
Also known as bachelor’s buttons, these blue flowers are popular annual garden plants. The plants grow up to three feet tall and produce round, fluffy blooms in cooler weather.
3. Bluestar
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amsonia_tabernaemontana_5_2021_Blue_Star-_(51200225958).jpg
Scientific name: Amsonia spp.
Soil: Varies by species
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Multiple species of Bluestar exist, but they all produce long stems topped with clusters of light blue, star-shaped flowers.
4. Narrow-Leaf Blue-Eyed Grass
Scientific name: Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Soil: Rich and moist
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Native to much of the Eastern US, this member of the iris daily produces small blue flowers with yellow centers.
5. Chinese Forget-Me-Not
Scientific name: Cynoglossum amabile
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 6-10
These annuals readily self-seed, so only plant them where you want them growing for years to come. They produce tall, sturdy stems with side shoots covered with small, light blue flowers.
6. Borage
Scientific name: Borago officinalis
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 2-11
Borage plants grow multiple feet tall and produce hundreds of tiny, star-shaped edible flowers that taste like cucumber. Most flowers are blue, but some may be pink.
7. Tweedia
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E8%97%8D%E6%98%9F%E8%8A%B1_Tweedia_caerulea_(Oxypetalum_caeruleum)_-%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E8%8A%B1%E5%B1%95_Hong_Kong_Flower_Show-_(9198169265).jpg
Scientific name: Oxypetalum coeruleum
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 9-11
Native to South America, tweedia is a member of the milkweed family with star-shaped light blue flowers.
8. Globe Thistle
Scientific name: Echinops spp.
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Although their spiky leaves are unpleasant, globe thistle produces beautiful spherical flowers. It can tolerate drought and handle poor soil.
9. Hydrangea
Scientific name: Hydrangea spp.
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Not all hydrangeas will produce blue flowers, but you can turn bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas blue by planting them in acidic soil. Basic soil encourages pink flowers.
10. Himalayan Blue Poppy
Scientific name: Meconopsis baileyi
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Partial shade
Hardiness zones: 5-7
Native to the Himalayan mountains, the blue poppy prefers cool summers and moist soil. It thrives in dappled forest light or afternoon shade.
11. Lily of the Nile
Scientific name: Agapanthus
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 8-11
This genus of plants produces clusters of tubular flowers on top of long stems.
12. Periwinkle
Scientific name: Vinca minor
Soil: Variable
Light: Full sun to shade
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Periwinkle is a vining evergreen ground cover with small flowers. Although it’s beautiful, you should be aware it can quickly spread and become invasive.
13. Pincushion Flower
Scientific name: Scabiosa spp.
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 3-8, varies by species
Members of this genus produce round flowers with pincushion-like centers surrounded by thin, delicate petals. You can find pink, white, light blue, and black flowers.
14. Siberian Squill
Scientific name: Scilla siberica
Soil: Moist and well-draining
Light: Full sun to shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
Grown from bulbs, these blue flowers emerge in the early spring. Be aware the plants spread and may become invasive.
15. Iris
Scientific name: Iris spp.
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-11
Iris flowers come in just about every color, including blue. When you plant the rhizomes, make sure to leave the tops exposed.
16. True Forget-Me-Not
Scientific name: Myosotis scorpioides
Soil: Moist
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Also known as scorpion grass, these types of blue flowers are small with yellow centers. The plants are native to Europe but have become invasive in parts of North America.
17. Gentian
Scientific name: Gentiana spp.
Soil: Well-draining and moist
Light: Partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-7
There are hundreds of species of gentian plants, and many produce trumpet-shaped, blue flowers. They’re best suited for cooler climates.
18. Sea Holly
Scientific name: Eryngium spp.
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Tolerant of dry and poor soil, sea holly produces spherical blooms surrounded by pointed bracts. This perennial grows from a taproot, so avoid moving established plants.
19. Perennial Geranium
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Geranium_%27Johnson%27s_Blue%27_03.jpg
Scientific name: Geranium spp.
Soil: Rich and well-draining
Light: Partial shade
Hardiness zones: 4-9
While annual geraniums are often red, perennial species often produce blue flowers.
20. Siberian Bugloss
Scientific name: Brunnera macrophylla
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Partial shade to shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
Also known as false forget-me-not, this plant produces shimmery, patterned foliage and tiny blue flowers. It grows well in shady woodland gardens.
21. Grape Hyacinth
Scientific name: Muscari armeniacum
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 4-8
These small bulb flowers produce slender stems topped with clusters of bell-shaped flowers. Planting in the fall allows for spring blooms.
22. Azure Blue Sage
Scientific name: Salvia azurea
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 4-9
A salvia with light blue flowers and the ability to tolerate cold and drought, this is a popular plant for gardens.
23. Harvest Bells
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gentiana_saponaria_001.jpg
Scientific name: Gentiana saponaria
Soil: Moist and well-draining
Light: Partial shade
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Harvest bells are a type of gentian native to moist areas in the eastern US. In the fall, they produce bright blue-violet flowers.
24. Birdeye Speedwell
Scientific name: Veronica persica
Soil: Variable
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
A common garden weed in much of the US, this trailing plant produces cute little blue and white flowers.
25. Bluebeard
Scientific name: Caryopteris x clandonensis
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Bluebeard is a medium-sized shrub and a hybrid caryopteris. It produces clusters of flowers from late summer through early fall.
26. Love in a Mist
Scientific name: Nigella damascena
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 2-11
This annual flowering plant sports lacy foliage and unique rounded flowers. The flowers turn into attractive balloon-like seed pods.
27. Virginia Bluebells
Scientific name: Mertensia virginica
Soil: Rich and moist
Light: Partial shade to shade
Hardiness zones: 3-9
A common sight in moist woods, this plant produces hanging clusters of blue, bell-shaped flowers.
28. Lucile’s Glory-of-the-Snow
Scientific name: Chionodoxa forbesii
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
An early spring bloomer, this plant sends out slender green leaves and star-shaped flowers.
29. Balloon Flower
Scientific name: Platycodon grandiflorus
Soil: Well-draining and moist
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
This plant’s namesake balloon-like flower buds open to form large, star-shaped flowers that are popular wedding flowers.
30. Lungwort
Scientific name: Pulmonaria spp.
Soil: Moist and well-draining
Light: Partial shade to shade
Hardiness zones: 3-8
As long as you provide shady conditions and moist soil, these plants will reward you with clusters of tubular flowers in shades of blue and pink.
31. Birdbill Dayflower
Scientific name: Commelina dianthifolia
Soil: Moist
Light: Partial shade
Hardiness zones: 6-9
Native to the southwestern US and Mexico, this plant produces unique bright blue flowers with three large petals.
32. Blue Flax
Scientific name: Linum lewisii
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 3-9
This drought-tolerant prairie plant produces pale blue flowers with five petals.
33. Great Blue Lobelia
Scientific name: Lobelia siphilitica
Soil: Moist
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-9
A lover of moist soil, this native lobelia produces large, tubular flowers with predominant lower lips.
34. Chicory
Scientific name: Cichorium intybus
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Common along roadsides and forest edges, chicory produces periwinkle flowers that open in the morning and close in the afternoon.
35. Desert Bluebell
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phacelia-campanularia_in_Desert_Botanical_Garden_20080330.jpg
Scientific name: Phacelia campanularia
Soil: Well-draining, dry
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Native to the southwest US, this annual produces deep blue trumpet-shaped flowers.
36. Blue Pimpernel
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lysimachia_monelli_kz06.jpg
Scientific name: Lysimachia monelli
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 8-10
This short perennial produces trailing stems and round, dark blue flowers.
37. Morning Glory
Scientific name: Ipomoea tricolor
Soil: Well-drained
Light: Full sun
Hardiness zones: 2-11
This vining plant produces heart-shaped leaves and wide, funnel-shaped flowers.
38. Blue False Indigo
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baptisia_australis_Baptysja_b%C5%82%C4%99kitna_2021-06-02_03.jpg
Scientific name: Baptisia australis
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 3-10
This native perennial delights with clusters of long stems topped with pea-like flowers.
39. Perennial Leadwort
Scientific name: Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
Soil: Well-draining
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness zones: 6-9
This semi-woody ground cover produces light blue flowers that resemble those of phlox.
40. Tall bellflower
Credit Wiki Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Loon_Wildlife_Area_American_Bellflower_(Campanula_americana).jpg
Scientific name: Campanula americana
Soil: Rich and well-draining
Light: Partial shade to shade
Hardiness zones: 2-9
In summer, this plant sends up a three to five-foot-tall flower stalk covered in periwinkle flowers.
Find Florals in Blue with The Bouqs Co.
From daisies to hydrangeas, The Bouqs summer collection is here. You can also check out our full farm-to-table flower arrangements; you just might catch something beautiful in blue. Who says the blues have to be sad? Add these blue flowers to your life, and you’re sure to smile. You can also check out our posts on mysterious black flowers and green flowers for some more options. No matter your favorite color, we have flowers you’ll love! Just browse our farm-fresh options and order flower delivery for yourself or a loved one.
Shop All
