The Best Blue Flowers for Every Corner of Your Garden (2024)

Sun-soaked or shady nook? Discover stunning blue flowers that are easy to grow for every inch of your garden. Read on to see these vibrant blooms in pictures from my gardens with the names of blue flowers!

Picture this: Your flower garden filled with vibrant hues of sapphire, lavender, and indigo. Next, imagine delicate pretty blue flowers dancing in both the sun and dappled shade, while tall spires reach for the sky, painted in shades of the deepest azure.

Isn’t that blue flower garden gorgeous? Instead of an ordinary garden, let’s embrace the extraordinary by banishing boring borders and bland flower beds with the magic of blue. But with a kaleidoscope of azure, cerulean, and indigo choices, where do you start?

Don’t worry, I got you!

In today’s post, we’re chatting about the prettiest blue bloomers that are easy to grow and are ready to transform your flower garden into a masterpiece of vibrant hues.

Oh and the best part? I’ve got something for every section of your garden. Wait until you see these sun-loving beauties and shady charmers! Let’s dive into the world of bluetiful blooms!

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About Blue Flowers

Ah, blue, the color of endless skies and tranquil oceans. It’s no wonder we crave its calming presence in our gardens. But blue flowers aren’t just serene; they’re also surprisingly versatile, adding pops of vibrancy, a touch of whimsy, and even a dash of regal elegance to any growing space.

Whether your garden basks in the sun or revels in dappled shade, there’s a blue flower that is perfectly suited to match your growing conditions.

Several types of blue flowers will transform your outdoor living spaces and garden rooms with a peaceful, calming, and serene aesthetic.

But how do you pull different shades of blue flowers together?

Designing a Garden with Blue Flowers So You Have Colorful Blooms All Season Long

If you long for a garden that has a range of hues from light to dark blue flowers all season long, you’ll want to plan your garden with blooms for spring, summer, and fall. Designing a flower garden that’s always in bloom is easy to do, but you’ll need to cover the gardening basics first so you find success growing different types of blue flowers.

Before planting a garden with a blue flowers aesthetic, you’ll need to know a few things about your garden first before planting it up.

• Know your hardiness zone so you know what is annual and perennial in your locality, as well as what plants can withstand your winter temperatures and growing climate.
• Understand your soil conditions. Is your soil acidic or more alkaline? Is it clay, loamy, or sandy? Is there too much nitrogen in the soil that can impact flowering? Do a soil test to see if your soil is lacking nutrients. You can order a mini soil test kit like this one or get a full, comprehensive test done through your local cooperative extension.
• Study your light conditions. Is it full sun, part shade or full shade? Watch your garden for a full day and see how many hours of sun it gets. Full sun is 6-8 hours, part shade is 4-6, and full shade is less than four hours.

Take Notes

As you read through the following list of blue flowers that you can grow, take notes on the time of year things bloom.

You’ll want to include at least three types of blue flowers that will bloom in each season and have different shades, textures, and sizes. Oh and check out the end of this post for my short list of options to grow in spring, summer, and fall.

But don’t be afraid to mix shades of white, purple, and pink flowers to help create a soothing mood in your flower garden.

The Best Blue Flowers For Every Corner of Your Garden

Blue flowers are part of a color palette that I’m drawn to in the garden. I love to mix them with pretty pink and purple flowers too. It’s not always easy to find natural blue flower flowers with a true azure hue, so I’m sharing some of my personal favorites that I grow (or have grown) in my gardens with you today!

Are you ready to paint your canvas with lots of pretty shades of blue? Wait until you see the many options you can grow!

Virginia Bluebells (Zones 4-8)

Like ethereal woodland fairies, Virginia bluebells carpet the ground with blue-purple bells in spring and are super easy to grow. Partial shade and moist, humus-rich soil make them bloom with lots of cottage charm.

I never grew these blue flowers in my former garden, but we have loads of them here in my backyard zen garden. They look so pretty with other shade perennial favorites like hellebores (lenten rose), brunnera, hostas, and bleeding hearts.

Forget Me Nots (Zones 4-9):

Tiny treasures in shades of sapphire and cerulean, forget-me-nots (myostotis) bring delicate charm to borders and containers. And they couldn’t be easier to grow! Plant them in partial shade and moist soil for a beautiful splash of color.

If you’ve not grown forget-me-nots before, they self-seed like crazy here in my zone 6 garden. But they don’t take over and they do transplant easily in spring with minimal effort. I dig up the small clumps and move them wherever I think they look best.

These are low growers and should be planted in the front of the border. I love them planted with blue hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowering bulbs as they help conceal the dieback foliage that all gardeners need to leave behind so the bulbs can store their energy for next season’s blooms.

But they also look great with other early spring flowers like pansies and creeping phlox too.

Hydrangeas (Zones 3-9)

These iconic shrubs offer a range of blues, from the soft lavender of Endless Summer to the vibrant indigo of Nikko Blue. Well-drained soil and ample moisture are key to their majestic blooms.

I’ve got a large variety of hydrangeas growing here, but there is none that I love more than Endless Summer for their pretty blue flowers. My soil is more acidic than alkaline, so my flowers are typically blue instead of pink.

You can’t beat that this variety is non-stop flowering and there are so many different ways to enjoy the blooms both in the garden as well as inside your home.

From cutting fresh for arrangements to drying hydrangeas, using them in wreaths or tucked in around your home, the opportunities are endless for what you can do with them.

Expert Tip: If your fresh cut hydrangeas wilt in a vase, I shared simple tips to keep them looking amazing as well as how to revive them after dropping in this post.

Endless summer hydrangeas bloom on both new and old wood. So I recommend leaving the pruning until spring so you don’t accidentally cut off this year’s flowers. Wait until the plant leafs out and then prune or cut back any dead wood.

Delphiniums (Zones 3-8)

Towering spires of sapphire royalty prefer rich, well-drained soil and full sun. Deadhead for extra blooms and prepare to be dazzled by lots of butterflies!

In my former garden, I grew them for a few years, but they petered out over time. Here, in my newer gardens, I planted china blue delphiniums last year that are low-growing and beyond gorgeous! Hopefully, we’ll see it return this spring because I love those natural blue flowers! Aren’t they striking?

Caryopteris (Bluebeard) (Zones 6-9)

This bee and butterfly magnet boasts airy lavender-blue flowers on beautiful airy shrubs. Give it sun and well-drained soil for a gorgeous late-summer show.

I’ve been growing it for several years and will tell you that you can’t beat these periwinkle blue flowers in the beds! In my former garden, I planted Longwood Blue and I believe that’s what we have here too but am not sure since I did not plant it myself.

Bluebeard is really easy to grow, adds tons of color in August and September, and is a must-have in every garden if you can spare the room.

Borage (Zones 3-8)

Starry blue flowers adorn these bushy herbs, attracting pollinators and adding edible beauty to sunny gardens. Well-drained soil is essential.

Last year was the first year I grew it and let me tell you that I am hooked! It’s such a pretty plant, with these small blue flowers that exude happiness. But the best part?

They are a great companion plant in the potager garden because they drew aphids away from my cut flower and vegetable garden beds.

I directly sowed the seeds in my raised garden beds and I have to say, after watching how they grew, I would do them in the ground next year. The foliage and stems are a bit prickly so I suspect that most wildlife would leave them alone as well.

Brunnera (Zones 4-8)

Heart-shaped leaves of silver and green topped with airy, forget-me-not-like flowers, brunnera thrives in cool, shady spots with moist soil. They are easy to grow and a create a haven of tranquility for your garden.

Brunnera is another one of those perennial plants that I’d not grown before moving here, and that’s primarily due to the fact we had very little shade in my former garden.

I was thrilled to see it pop up in the zen garden here. And we have a few different varieties here too to enjoy. I love how the small blue flowers look so pretty against the heart-shaped foliage, don’t you?

Iris (Zones 3-9)

Elegant swords of foliage rise above velvety blue blooms in spring. Irises are crazy easy to grow and are very deer-resistant. Plant in part sun or partial shade with well-drained soil for the most flowers, but the more sun they get, the better they’ll perform.

I’m growing several varieties here, but I recently planted a few blue flower types that include: Iris Germanica, Mother Earth, Iris Germanica Cafe Bleu and Iris Germanica Whale’s Tale.

The blooms don’t last long, so I recommend planting several different varieties to get lots of blooms or look for reblooming varieties so you get a second flush of flowers.

Anemone (Windflower) (Zones 4-8)

Delicate dancers in lavender and white grace the spring garden with their charm in early spring. Plant in the front of the border in light shade or dappled sun with well-drained soil. Let their fleeting beauty enchant you.

I planted Banda Blue Shades anemones in a full sun garden when we first moved here back in December 2021. Fortunately, the ground hadn’t froze so I was able to get them in the ground that late in the season.

And let me tell you, they are beautiful blue spring flowers that look great with daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. They are small and low-growing so make sure you plant them near the front of your borders.

In this photo, they are pulling a little more purple but look very blue in person.

Baptisia (False Indigo) Zones 4-8

Tall spikes of deep blue pea-like flowers bloom in late spring, attracting bees and adding architectural drama to sunny borders. Full sun and well-drained soil are the key to success with growing false indigo.

When it is planted in the right location, it will take off and do well with minimal care. I’ve got several planted around the front porch and they look gorgeous in spring! When the flowers fade they leave pretty seed pods that add a lot of texture and elegance to the garden.

Baptisia is so easy to grow and a must-have if you want to add more blue flowers to your garden this spring!

Amsonia (Zones 4-8)

This prairie gem offers feathery blue flowers and golden autumn foliage. Full sun and well-drained soil make it happy.

I recently planted a few in my pollinator garden and cottage garden by the pool. I’m hopeful to see it return because it’s such a beautiful perennial. Proven Winner Stormcloud has the prettiest shade of blue and is a great option if you want a lighter, airier bloom in your garden.

Bachelor Buttons (Cornflowers) (Zones 3-8)

Cheerful charmers bring pops of cerulean from spring to fall. Plant them in full sun and well-drained soil for endless waves of vibrant blooms, perfect for cutting gardens.

I used to have them in my former garden and they self-sowed and grew well with ease. I love the shade of blue on these pretty flowers and should find a home for them here.

Columbine (Zones 3-8)

Delicate dancers in violet and cerulean thrive in light shade or afternoon sun with well-drained soil. Hummingbirds will thank you for adding their whimsical charm to your garden.

They can be a little aggressive in some gardening zones so ask around before planting. Here in my zone 6b garden they self sow with ease but don’t take over like some stories I’ve heard from other parts of the country.

Columbines are easy to grow and look so pretty in the garden. If they aren’t agressive in your locality, give these pretty blue flowers a whirl.

Morning Glory (Zones 3-10)

Greet the day with these twirling sky-blue trumpets. Give them morning sun and well-drained soil, and watch them climb fences and trellises with whimsical charm, painting the dawn with their vibrant hues.

I have not grown morning glory in several years because I planted it once and it returned in places that I had to actively keep moving it out. It self sows in my locality more aggressively than I like, so I don’t grow it anymore.

If you have the space and want to invest your time managing it, plant it. But for me and my garden, there are other blue flowers that aren’t as much work.

Salvia (Zones 3-8)

Vibrant spikes of violet, azure, and lavender attract pollinators like magic. Give it well-drained soil and sun or partial shade for endless spring and summer blooms.

I’ve been growing different varieties of salvia since I started growing perennial flowers. It looks great with nepeta, coreopsis, peonies, bearded iris, lavender, false indigo, alliums, and so many more.

Globe Thistle (Zones 5-8)

Sculptural steel-blue spheres atop spiky stems add architectural drama to sunny gardens. Full sun and well-drained soil are the key to success with growing echinops.

These pretty blue flowers are very prickly so globe thistle are deer resistant flowers. Other wildlife prefer to bypass it in the garden too.

I had this planted in my former cottage garden and really loved it with my echinacea and bee balm in the summer. It’s a gorgeous plant combination that attracts lots of pollinators too.

It’s easy to grow, grows fairly tall and does not need staking. Plant these tall blue flowers towards the back of your garden.

Grape Hyacinth (Zones 4-8)

Clusters of fragrant indigo stars peek out from early spring, adding magic to shady corners. Plant in well-drained soil with light shade or full sun.

I have grown muscari for about 25 years and love the scent they have! Plant them in the front of a border en masse to get the most from them.

In my gardens, I have found look beautiful with forget me nots, tulips, daffodils, pansies, and creeping phlox.

Siberian Squill (Zones 3-8)

Early spring heralds arrive with these charming clusters of sky-blue stars, perfect for shady rock gardens or under deciduous trees. Well-drained soil is a must. I have never grown them but want to add them here around my front pond.

Aster (Zones 3-8)

Long-blooming clusters of lavender, violet, and purple stars add late-summer cheer to sunny borders. Well-drained soil is essential for their success. Asters are not deer resistant flowers and need protections.

I’ve been growing asters for several years in my gardens and I always gravitate to the ones that look more blue.

To keep their compact shape, cut them back until about July 4 so they don’t bloom too early. If you don’t get to it like I did last year, they’ll get taller and leggier. I kind of like that look, so go with your preference.

Love in a Mist (Zones 2-8)

Delicate, small blue flowers peek out from wispy foliage, adding an air of mystery to shady borders. Moist soil and partial shade are their happy place.

I have not grown this flower yet but have the seeds to get started from my good friend Jennifer at Cottage on Bunker Hill.

Rose of Sharon (Zones 5-9)

While there are lots of rose of sharon varieties to grow, Blue Chiffon by Proven Winners is a tall shrub explodes with delicate lavender-blue blooms in late summer, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators while adding a touch of elegance to sunny gardens.

To keep them happy, plant in sun to party shade in well-drained soil. They are really simple to grow and propagate with ease so if you grow one plant, you can easily grow lots more in a few years without spending a dime.

I haven’t grown Blue Chiffon. I grew the white in my former garden. But I’d love to add Blue Chiffon here in my new gardens.

Lobelia (Zones 3-9)

Cascading trails of tiny blue flowers bring vibrant cheer to sun or partial shade in pots or hanging baskets. Well-drained soil, fertilizing and regular watering are key to keeping them looking fresh and vibrant.

Bacopa (Zones 10-11)

For warm climates, this tender perennial offers trailing cascades of vibrant blue flowers, perfect for containers or hanging baskets. Full sun or partial shade and consistently moist soil are best.

I gravitate to growing Proven Winners Snowstorm Giant Snowflake, but they do have a blue flower variety called Snowstorm Blue that’s quite beautiful.

Eryngium (Zones 5-8)

Sculptural steel-blue spheres atop spiky stems add architectural drama to sunny gardens. They love full sun and well-draining soil. I have not grown them before but am starting them from seed this year via winter sowing. Erynium is a deer-resistant flower and looks great in a bouquet.

Bellflower (Zones 3-8)

Charming clusters of blue stars adding cottage charm to sun or partial shade.

Speedwell (Zones 3-8)

Low-growing carpets of vibrant blue flowers add a touch of whimsy to sunny borders or rock gardens.Speedwell (veronica) loves full sun and well draining soil. They are deer resistant and look very similar to salvia.

I planted Magic Show Wizard of Ahhs here by Proven Winners last year and can’t wait to see them bloom this spring!

Agapanthus (Zones 7-9)

Sculptural globes of blue atop lily-like stems add Mediterranean flair to sunny spots with well-drained soil.

Because agapanthus isn’t matched to my hardiness zone, I haven’t grown it but I fell in love with it when Chris and I visited Napa a few years ago. One of the wineries had loads of them in the gardens and they make quite a statement.

Now that my hardiness zone changed to 6b, I may try growing them and covering them really well in fall so they can hopefully survive the winter here. It’s worth a shot!

Lungwort (Pulmonaria) (Zones 3-8)

Early spring charmers with spotted foliage and clusters of violet-blue flowers,thriving in dappled shade or morning sun.Moist,well-drained soil is their preference.

Spanish Bluebells (Scilla hispanica) (Zones 5-8):

Early spring heralds with clusters of starry blue flowers,perfect for naturalizing shady woodlands or adding color under shrubs.Well-drained soil is key.

Quick List of Blue Flowers for Each Season

If you are planting a blue flower garden, you’ll want to keep that going from spring through fall. There are so many different options of blue spring flowers with a little less for summer and fall blooms but there’s still plenty of options to choose from.

Here is a quick sample of ideas you can try. Keep in mind these might have different soil and light requirements, so drill down on each one to match your zone, light, and soil conditions before planting.

• Spring: Siberian Squill, Windflowers, Siberian Iris, Virginia Bluebells, Lungwort, Spanish Bluebells, Forget Me Nots, Brunnera
• Summer: Echinops, Eryngium, Hydrangea, Delphinium, Bacopa, Borage, Salvia, Columbine
• Fall: Caryopteris, Rose of Sharon, Asters

More About Growing Blue Flowers

What are your favorite blue flowers to grow? Are you growing any of these in your gardens? I would love to know more in the comments below.

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• I like to use a good-quality, potting soil, garden soil, compost, and perlite when planting. While I make my own compost, you can easily buy it ready-made for use.
• I have used this deer repellent with great success. But now, I’m all about this deer repellent that is systemic instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad. If you want to minimize the work and not use repellents, choose plants that are deer-resistant from this list.
• Hands down this is my favorite hand-weeding tool. You can use it to get underneath roots and loosen soil, and it cuts down on the weeding time because you work much faster.
• But I also love this long, stand-up weeding tool to really get around roses from afar.
• I use this organic fertilizer for roses because the blooms are more prolific and it’s organic.
• And I use this organic fertilizer for my vegetables and herbs in the potager garden.
• You’ll need a sharp set of pruners when working with plants and flowers. I buy a few so I can stash them around.
• I use these garden snips to deadhead and cut flowers from my gardens.
• Where pest and disease problems are concerned, if I need to, I generally use this insecticidal soap or neem oil to help control infestations depending on the issue. When using, only apply when pollinators are less active.
• This is my go-to bait for slug and snail problems with my hostas and dahlias.
• This is my favorite set-and-forget slow-release fertilizer for houseplants, annuals, and container gardens.
• Whenever I stake my peonies or other plants, I generally use these grow-through garden supports because they work really well and keep the blooms upright.
• I use this collapsible bin ALL THE TIME. It is invaluable when working in the beds as it’s light to carry around and folds flat for easy storage.
• Drip irrigation set on a timer is your friend! I love these for my planters, window boxes, and hanging baskets.
• And this four way hose bib allows you to split one spicket into four!

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I’m a master gardener who’s been gardening and growing things for over 25 years and author of the best-selling book, The Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden. With a deep passion for gardening, I enjoy helping others find their inner green thumb with all things plants and flowers, as well as finding ways to bring the outdoors inside their homes.

Get the inside scoop about my background as a master gardener, education, and experience, as well as why I started blogging here.

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