Top 50+ Summer Flowers to Brighten Your Garden or Home

Summer’s almost here, and even if overtime, gas prices, or inflation are keeping you home more than you would like, flowers can help brighten your day. Just because spring is over doesn’t mean an end to pops of color in the garden. Summer blooms include bright blue blossoms and flower fields for road trips.

Even though April showers bring May flowers, your garden doesn’t need to go dormant after Memorial Day. Many flower varieties bloom well into the summer, extending the time you can have color in your yard into late summer or early fall. When choosing which flowers to plant, keep in mind whether they prefer full sun, partial shade, or full shade, and pick according to where you will be planting them.

To help you find blooms that can handle the heat, we’ve put together a list of the 40 best flowers that bloom in summer. We’ve included both the common and scientific names along with some other important information about each bloom.

What Are the Best Summer Flowers?

The best summer flowers combine long bloom periods, heat tolerance, and vibrant color. Popular choices include sunflowers, zinnias, lavender, marigolds, petunias, and dahlias because they perform well in warm temperatures and bloom consistently throughout the season.

According to the Penn State Extension, most summer-blooming flowers perform best with six or more hours of sunlight each day. The University of Florida Gardening Solutions also recommends selecting heat-tolerant flowers suited for your USDA growing zone.

Below you’ll find more than 50 of our favorite summer flowers for either your garden or home.

Peonies

Ruffles on ruffles on ruffles! Just as you start to break out your summer wardrobe, these voluminous blooms begin to appear on farms and in gardens. With feathery petals and bright hues, what’s not to love about peonies? Peonies bloom with lush, fragrant flowers in early summer and return yearly as hardy perennials.

• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid planting too deeply
• Best For: Cutting gardens

Coreopsis

It’s no surprise that this plant goes by the name, “pot of gold.” Just look at its flowers! The vibrant yellow blooms can add a bit of brightness to dark days… Even better? They can thrive in poor soil, so you can grow them in that rocky spot next to your patio. Just make sure to provide them with full sun.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Deadhead regularly
• Best For: Drought-tolerant gardens

Lavender

Most of the previously mentioned flowers made the list because—let’s be real—they’re gorgeous. Lavender, on the other hand, has it all: the delicious summer look and an inviting scent that can help you relax. So if you want a full sun flower with a next-level smell and eye-catching color, then lavender is the right summer flower for you. Just make sure to plant it in a location with well-drained soil.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Use sandy, well-draining soil
• Best For: Herb gardens, pollinator spaces

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum creates low-growing clusters of fragrant blooms.

• Bloom Time: Spring through summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Planting Tip: Trim midseason to refresh blooms
• Best For: Borders and edging

Verbena

Verbena spreads quickly and blooms heavily in hot weather.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Ensure excellent drainage
• Best For: Hanging baskets

Calibrachoa

Calibrachoa, often called “million bells,” produces hundreds of small petunia-like blooms throughout the season. These trailing flowers for summer come in vibrant shades of purple, yellow, pink, red, and orange, making them popular for hanging baskets and window boxes. Their fast-growing habit creates a cascading effect that works beautifully in containers.

• Bloom Time: Spring through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Use well-draining soil and fertilize regularly for continuous blooms
• Best For: Hanging baskets, patio containers

Pansies

 

Pansies tolerate mild summer climates and produce cheerful “face-like” blooms.

• Bloom Time: Early summer
• Sun Needs: Partial sun
• Planting Tip: Protect from extreme heat
• Best For: Containers

Morning Glories

With bloom periods that are short yet sweet, morning glories remind us to take it one day at a time. While they don’t thrive as cut flowers (we all have our flaws), they look stunning trailing up a fence or over an arbor.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Soak seeds overnight before planting to encourage germination
• Best For: Trellises, vertical gardens

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks create tall vertical spikes covered in large blooms that bring cottage garden charm to outdoor spaces. These classic summer flowers attract pollinators and work well planted along fences or walls where they can provide dramatic height and color.

• Bloom Time: Mid-summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Stake taller plants to protect them from strong wind
• Best For: Cottage gardens, background planting

Sunflowers

What flower is synonymous with hot summer months? It’s sunflowers, duh. I mean, “sun” is right there in the name! Also, we’re going to give a shout-out to sunflower fields for being perhaps the most Instagram-worthy shot a girl can get. Eight feet tall flowers, anyone?

Unfortunately, you can’t spend every second of summer strolling through sunflower fields. But you can bring some sun to even cloudy days with a bunch of sunflowers.

• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Direct sow seeds after the final frost
• Best For: Pollinator gardens, cut flowers

Dahlias

Dahlias are perhaps the most versatile summer flower, considering they come in nearly every size and color. Go ahead and plant some in your garden; just choose a location that has well-drained soil and bright sun. Dahlias feature dramatic layered petals and bloom in nearly every color imaginable. They are popular in floral arrangements because of their striking shape and long stems.

• Bloom Time: Mid-summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant tubers in warm soil after frost danger passes
• Best For: Statement gardens, bouquets

Fuchsias

Fuchsias produce hanging blooms in vivid pink, purple, red, and white shades. Their cascading growth habit makes them ideal for hanging baskets and shaded patios.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Partial shade
• Planting Tip: Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged
• Best For: Hanging baskets, shaded porches

Tuberose

Tuberose is prized for its intensely fragrant white flowers that bloom on tall stems during late summer. The rich scent makes this flower a favorite in perfumes and evening gardens.

• Bloom Time: Late summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant bulbs after all frost danger has passed
• Best For: Fragrance gardens, containers

Hydrangeas

Although hydrangeas bloom from early spring all the way until autumn, they’re considered one of summer’s most popular flowers. Ever wonder about the differences between blue and pink flowers? It’s not a difference in variety, but rather soil chemistry!

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Morning sun, afternoon shade
• Planting Tip: Keep soil consistently moist
• Best For: Foundation plantings

Marigolds

Marigolds’ luscious, orange-yellow color makes you feel like royalty on even the toughest days. While we love them, insects don’t. No wonder they’re so popular in gardens with well-drained soil.

• Bloom Time: Summer through frost
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Water deeply during dry periods
• Best For: Vegetable gardens, borders

Begonias

Begonias thrive in partial shade and produce colorful blooms through summer with minimal maintenance.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Partial shade
• Planting Tip: Avoid overwatering
• Best For: Containers and shaded patios

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are a one-of-a-kind flower that adds vertical texture to gardens and flower beds with colorful spiked blooms.

• Bloom Time: Early summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant in cooler early-season temperatures
• Best For: Cottage-style gardens

Lilies

Lilies provide elegant trumpet-shaped flowers with strong fragrance and tall stems.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Planting Tip: Plant bulbs in fall or early spring
• Best For: Mixed perennial beds

Gerbera Daisies

Gerbera daisies are known for bold, colorful blooms that brighten containers and bouquets.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Keep crowns above soil level
• Best For: Patio planters

Impatiens

Impatiens thrive in shade and produce nonstop blooms through hot weather.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Partial to full shade
• Planting Tip: Water consistently
• Best For: Shaded flower beds

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums feature edible flowers and trailing stems that thrive in poor soil.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer
• Best For: Edible gardens

Yarrow

With hundreds of flowers forming clusters that remind us of billowy clouds, yarrow is a summer must-have. Want to create a tranquil vibe? White flowers have you covered. Want to liven things up? Choose bright pink or yellow flowers. You’re not the only one in love with these blooms. Butterflies flock to the flowers to enjoy a sweet snack of nectar.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid rich soil
• Best For: Xeriscaping

Veronica

Veronica produces tall spikes of blue, pink, or white flowers.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Deadhead after flowering
• Best For: Borders

Zinnias

With blooms in almost every color, zinnias know how to please. Their bright blooms appear in pink, orange, white, yellow, and red shades and continue flowering until frost. The plants quickly send up flowers in the garden, and they thrive as cut flowers.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Deadhead spent flowers weekly
• Best For: Beginner gardeners, bouquets

Hibiscus

 

When you’re stuck at home, hibiscus brings you a bit of the tranquil tropics. Their dramatic pink/red flowers wave gently in the summer breeze, reminding you to take a deep breath, sit back, and relax.

• Bloom Time: Summer through early fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Water deeply during periods of extreme heat
• Best For: Tropical gardens, patio containers

Black-eyed Susans

You might mistake these cuties for a sunflower’s little sister. But as we know, siblings have their own unique personalities! Unlike sunflowers, black-eyed Susans are perennials. So, if you plant them in a full sun spot with well-drained soil, you’ll get to enjoy their blooms year after year. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving.

• Bloom Time: Mid-summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Divide mature plants every few years
• Best For: Cottage gardens

Coneflowers

Native plants are all the rage. After all, who doesn’t want to save the bees? Coneflowers are some of the best flowers for bees and butterflies. Better yet, their gently drooping pink and purple petals are gorgeous! So add some to a full sun spot in your garden ASAP.

• Bloom Time: Summer through early fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid soggy soil
• Best For: Native landscapes

Phlox

Phlox creates clusters of fragrant flowers that attract butterflies.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun to partial shade
• Planting Tip: Space plants for airflow
• Best For: Cottage gardens

Bee Balm

Looking for another bloom that attracts flying critters? Then look no further than bee balm. You’ll appreciate their distinctly shaped flowers and get lost watching the butterflies and hummingbirds each blooming flower attracts. If you want to impress your gal pals, tell them that bee balm is related to mint — you can tell by the square stems.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Thin plants for airflow
• Best For: Pollinator gardens

Celosia

Looking to add some drama to your garden? Celosia has you covered. Heat things up with spiky, flame-like plumes or add some flair with funky blooms that will remind you of the coral you saw on your Caribbean snorkeling trip.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant after soil warms
• Best For: Dramatic garden color

Cosmos

Cosmos embrace a feeling of relaxation with graceful petals that flow in the wind, and their vivid pink and magenta hues keep your garden lively. Cosmos produce delicate blooms on airy stems and thrive in poor soil conditions.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid excessive fertilizer
• Best For: Wildflower gardens

Asters

Asters bloom later in the season and help extend garden color into early fall. Their daisy-like flowers attract butterflies and pollinators while adding purple, pink, blue, and white tones to flower beds.

• Bloom Time: Late summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Space plants properly for airflow and disease prevention
• Best For: Pollinator gardens, perennial borders

Shasta Daisies

Shasta daisies feature crisp white petals surrounding bright yellow centers. These cheerful flowers in summer provide a timeless garden look and produce sturdy stems ideal for fresh-cut bouquets.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Divide mature plants every few years to maintain healthy blooms
• Best For: Cut flower gardens, borders

Scabiosa

Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower, produces delicate rounded blooms that sway gently in the breeze. Their long bloom season and pollinator-friendly flowers make them a favorite in cottage and butterfly gardens.

• Bloom Time: Summer through frost
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers
• Best For: Pollinator gardens, bouquets

Clematis

Clematis vines produce large star-shaped flowers that climb beautifully over fences, pergolas, and arches. With many varieties available, gardeners can enjoy blooms in shades of purple, pink, white, and blue throughout the warmer months.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun with shaded roots
• Planting Tip: Add mulch around the base to keep roots cool
• Best For: Vertical landscaping, trellises

Lantana

Get ready to enjoy some floral fireworks with lantana. With each bloom exploding with different colors, this flower really puts on a show. Like an orange/yellow hue? You got it. Prefer pink/red? Uh-huh, lantana provides that too.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Allow soil to dry between waterings
• Best For: Heat-tolerant landscapes

Petunias

No garden? No problem. Petunias thrive in containers and bloom all summer long, with their trumpet-shaped flowers adding color throughout summer. So fill some planters or hanging baskets to become the talk of the neighborhood.

• Bloom Time: Spring through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Fertilize every two weeks
• Best For: Patio containers

Salvias

Lacking a green thumb? Salvia to the rescue! This group of summer flowers can survive some serious neglect…we’re a drought kind of neglect. And they can thrive in part shade. Just because they’re tough doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful. Their blooms come in colors ranging from red to purple to blue.

• Bloom Time: Summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Prune lightly after flowering
• Best For: Pollinator gardens

Geraniums

A star in container gardens, geraniums add pops of red, pink, and white color to countless porches and patios. Take a note from self-help columns and help this plant remove excess baggage. As long as you deadhead your plants, you’ll have fresh blooms all summer long.

• Bloom Time: Late spring through summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Remove faded blooms often
• Best For: Window boxes

Foxgloves

Foxglove is sure to steal the show in your garden. With a tall spike of blooms dotted with cute freckles, how can it not? With colorful blooms you can stick your finger into, this flower takes its name from the Latin word digitus, which means finger.

• Bloom Time: Early summer
• Sun Needs: Partial shade
• Planting Tip: Plant in rich soil with good drainage
• Best For: Woodland gardens, cottage landscapes

Delphiniums

Delphiniums are known for their tall dramatic spikes filled with blue, purple, pink, or white blooms. These striking flowers create strong vertical interest in formal and cottage-style gardens.

• Bloom Time: Early to mid-summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Protect plants from strong wind with staking
• Best For: Formal gardens, borders

Ranunculus

Ranunculus flowers feature layers of delicate petals that resemble roses. Their romantic blooms make them highly popular in floral arrangements and wedding bouquets.

• Bloom Time: Spring through early summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant corms during cooler weather for best growth
• Best For: Wedding flowers, cutting gardens

Dianthus

Dianthus blooms offer a spicy clove-like fragrance and fringed petals in shades of pink, white, and red. These compact flowers add texture and color to sunny garden beds.

• Bloom Time: Late spring through summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Trim plants after flowering to encourage reblooming
• Best For: Borders, edging

Sweet Peas

Sweet peas produce fragrant pastel blooms on climbing vines that bring charm and softness to summer gardens. Their delicate flowers are highly valued in bouquets.

• Bloom Time: Early summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Provide a trellis or support for climbing
• Best For: Cottage gardens, floral arrangements

Gladioli

With tall spikes filled with large, elegant blooms, you’ll be glad you decided to add some of these flowers to a full sun spot in your garden. Don’t go looking like a fool by searching for gladiolus seeds; these beauties start off their lives as an underground plant stem called a corm.

• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Stake tall varieties
• Best For: Cut flower gardens

Crocosmia

Crocosmia produces fiery orange and red blooms on arching stems that attract hummingbirds throughout the season. Their bold color adds energy and movement to summer landscapes.

• Bloom Time: Mid to late summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Plant corms in spring after frost danger passes
• Best For: Pollinator gardens, borders

Japanese Anemones

Japanese anemones bloom later in the season with elegant pink or white flowers that brighten gardens as summer transitions into fall. Their tall stems add graceful movement to shaded landscapes.

• Bloom Time: Late summer through fall
• Sun Needs: Partial shade
• Planting Tip: Water consistently during the establishment period
• Best For: Woodland borders, perennial gardens

Balloon Flowers

Balloon flowers are named for their balloon-shaped buds that slowly open into star-shaped blooms. Their unique appearance adds playful texture to summer flower beds.

• Bloom Time: Summer
• Sun Needs: Full sun
• Planting Tip: Avoid disturbing roots once established
• Best For: Borders, perennial gardens

Additional Flowers for Summer Gardens

How can you decide which summer flowers are good for your home garden? For starters, check which USDA Plant Hardiness Zone you live in – flowers that thrive in Texas, California, or Florida may not fare as well in Maine, New York, or Minnesota. Heat and humidity are big factors in how well blooms do in different climates, as well as whether or not they can tolerate a light frost.

Next, choose plants that work well in your garden’s conditions. Full sun exposure is considered at least six hours per day of direct sunlight, the partial sun is about half that, and shade means little to no direct sunlight.

Here’s a bunch of additional flowers we love for summer:

• Roses
• Periwinkle
• Calla Lilies
• Larkspur
• Alstroemeria
• Strawflowers
• Lisianthus
• Astilbe
• Daylilies
• Poppies
• Amaranth
• Daisies
• Anthuriums

And here are some summer-blooming flowers that do especially well in gardens:

• Caladium needs mostly shade, can be brought indoors in the fall, and produces striking foliage that features green and pink heart-shaped leaves.
• Cuphea – also called firecracker plant – needs full sun. Its bright red or orange-red tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.
• Fanflower is a low-growing annual that needs full sun and comes in shades of white, pink, and purple.
• Succulents come in numerous varieties, need full sun, and are heat- and drought-tolerant, making them ideal for hot, dry climates.
• Chrysanthemums are found in a rainbow of colors and do best when planted in the spring so their roots have time to grow.
• Mandevilla will grow up fences and lattices, bringing spectacular color to vertical surfaces.
• Allium is part of the garlic and onion family and provides a lovely scent along with dense balls of white or purple flowers.

Still can’t decide which blooms are best for your garden? Check out the 50 official state flowers for locally relevant inspiration.

Celebrate With Summer Blooms

So there you have it, a list of the summer flowers for both your home and garden. Choose some of your favorites and get ready to celebrate the arrival of summer with farm-fresh bouquets! Fabulous flower arrangements from The Bouqs Co. are ideal for every summer occasion from birthdays to backyard barbecues, from engagements to babies, and many more.

Why are Bouqs fresher than flowers from other companies? The Bouqs Co. cuts out the middlemen to bring you fresh flowers fast for all the special occasions in your life. We source our flowers directly from farms rather than wholesalers, and our farmers – who are committed to sustainability through eco-friendly practices like minimizing waste and recycling water – don’t cut your flowers until after you order them.

And if you’re planning a larger landscape update, explore our guide to the best landscaping plants for more inspiration. If you prefer beginner-friendly greenery, browse our roundup of low-maintenance plants that thrive with minimal upkeep.

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