Garden Flower Gardens 15 Colorful Flowers That Will Brighten Up Your Garden Add a rainbow of hues to your borders and beds with these vibrant blooms. By Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland Blythe Copeland is a contributing writer with more than a decade of experience as a freelance lifestyle writer. Editorial Guidelines Published on July 27, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: landschaftsfoto / GETTY IMAGES Although you could opt for a flower garden that blooms in a single color—like all white or all green—showing off the rainbow of shades that Mother Nature offers is a more cheerful and vibrant option. With more than 400,000 types of flowers in the world, there's no shortage of colors and textures you can add to your yard: Purples and blues so dark they look black; fire-engine reds and lemony yellows; neon pinks and lime greens. Stephanie Zawada and Hayden Regina of Hoerr Schaudt and Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, share some of their favorite bright blooms to inspire your next garden masterpiece. 10 Tall Flowers That Will Take Your Garden to New Heights 01 of 15 Wine Cup weisschr / GETTY IMAGES Tiny wine cup flowers, Callirhoe involucrata, are drought-tolerant gems that expand to create a colorful groundcover. "This native perennial is covered with bright magenta, upward facing, poppy-like flowers in mid summer," says Bunting. "It prefers well-drained soils and can also grow in soils with low fertility." Zone: 4 to 8Size: 4 to 6 inches tall x 36 inch spreadGrowing conditions: Full sun; well-drained or dry soil Find Your Gardening Zone 02 of 15 Canna "Australia" Jina Ihm / GETTY IMAGES This striking tropical perennial is hardy in warmer parts of the country, but can be a summer annual in colder areas. "It is highlighted by glossy purple-black foliage and striking fire-engine red flowers that occur throughout the growing season," says Bunting. "It can grow in any kind of soil, including wet soils." Zone: 8 to 11Size: 6 to 8 feet tall x 18 to 24 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; any soil 03 of 15 Cool Wave Pansy esolla / GETTY IMAGES Pansies add color to your garden with a variety of shades, from purple and orange to white and yellow. Zawada recommends the ‘Cool Wave’ cultivar, a purple, white, and yellow trailing plant for baskets, borders, and groundcover. "You can’t find anything with more flower color for your cool-season window boxes and containers than Cool Wave pansies!" she says. "If planted in the ground, it spreads almost as vigorously as it blooms." Zone: 5Size: 6 to 8 inches tall x 24 inches wide (trailing)Growing conditions: Full sun; rich, well-drained soil 04 of 15 Mandevilla JillLang / GETTY IMAGES This tropical vine shows off oversized, trumpet-shaped flowers in bright red, pink, and white during the summer, says Zawada. "Hybrid varieties offer even more color choices of apricot, peach, and yellow, and tend to be bushier," she says. "Grow this plant on a trellis or massed on its own in a planter." Zone: 8 to 11Size: Up to 20 feet tall x 15 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full to partial sun; rich, well-drained soil The Best Climbing Plants for Your Backyard Pergolas, Fences, and Trellises 05 of 15 False Indigo hanspw / GETTY IMAGES False indigo, a drought-tolerant perennial, typically comes in blue or yellow—both fun choices for a colorful garden. But Decadence-brand hybrids offer shades in other hues. "Indulge in the deep, decadent Dark Chocolate for an added layer of depth, add drifts of candy floss clouds with Pink Truffles, or punctuate a planting with the sun-kissed bronze of Cherries Jubilee," says Regina. Zone: 4A to 9BSize: 36 inches tall x 36 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; average, well-drained soil 06 of 15 Coral Charm Peony PippiLongstocking / GETTY IMAGES Coral Charm peonies change color throughout their growing season, from raspberry to apricot to cream, says Regina. "The Coral Charm Peony has become a florist favorite over the years for the way the color shifts day-to-day, giving a feast for the eyes unlike any other," he says. "It’s a perfect addition to your cutting garden or mixed perennial border." Zone: 3 to 10Size: 24 to 36 inches wide x 24 to 36 inches tallGrowing conditions: Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil 07 of 15 Butterfly Weed Perry Eckhardt / 500px / GETTY IMAGES Citrus-toned butterfly weed improves the vibrancy of your garden in two ways: it offers colorful blooms and attracts pretty pollinators. "This native perennial is one of the keystone species and food sources for the Monarch butterfly," says Bunting. "Throughout the summer it has vivid, bright orange flowers that sit atop the foliage." Zone: 3 to 9Size: 24 inches tall x 24 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; dry, sandy soil 08 of 15 Bat Face Cuphea emer1940 / GETTY IMAGES Plants don't come much more eye-catching than the Bat Face cuphea, with its orange-red "wings" and purple-black "face." "Don’t let the name scare you—whether a broadleaf evergreen perennial or annual addition in your zone, the cuphea is sure to bring saturation and conversation to your plantings," says Regina. "Blooming late spring through frost, the peculiar flower shape and gentle arcing habit is the perfect edge planting condition for your garden or containers." Zone: 10 to 12Size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 24 to 26 inch spreadGrowing conditions: Full sun; average, well-drained soil 10 Incredible Flowers and Plants That Look Like Animals 09 of 15 Lollipop Itoh Peony Olga Seifutdinova / GETTY IMAGES Hybrid Itoh peonies are a mid-century icon in stunning shades. "A horticultural marvel of the 1960s, when first introduced in America the plants sold for over $1000 each," says Regina. "Singing in the Rain provides an ever-changing color story, Bartzella offers an electric yellow alternative to standard pinks, and, if you can’t decide, Lollipop will provide the best of both worlds." Zone: 3 to 10Size: 24 to 36 inches wide x 24 to 36 inches tallGrowing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, well-drained soil 10 of 15 Nasturtium Amit KUMAR / GETTY IMAGES Bright nasturtiums provide a dose of color to your plate as well as your plantings. "Garnish your next salad with these vibrant, edible flowers that grow in shades of red, cherry, orange, peach, yellow, pale yellow, and burgundy," says Zawada. "With pretty, round green leaves, nasturtium are easy to grow from seed with dwarf bush varieties that can fit in any garden, or vining varieties that trail in window boxes or containers." Zone: 9 to 11Size: 12 inches to 10 feet tall x up to 36 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil 11 of 15 Blue Wonder Fan Flower Maria Mosolova / GETTY IMAGES Though the fan-shaped flowers on this plant look delicate, Zawada says, they are hardier than they seem. "Available in white, blue, purple, or pink, this trailing annual plant is a knockout in hanging baskets, window boxes, or containers, and can be planted in the ground," she says. "It just loves hot and humid weather, as long as it’s well watered." Zone: 10 to 11Size: Up to 18 inches tall x up to 24 inches wide (trailing)Growing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; The Best Types of Flowers for Your Window Boxes 12 of 15 Hardy Ice Plant Nitas / GETTY IMAGES Delosperma Granita® Raspberry, a hybrid ice plant, is a cold-hardy spring bloomer that thrives in gravel gardens, says Bunting. "Covering the ground and reaching only 4-inches tall, it is covered in stunning fuchsia-colored, star-like flowers from late spring to early summer," he says. Zone: 6 to 10Size: 4 inches tall x 10 to 14 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soils 13 of 15 Rose Mallow Hibiscus jrubacha / GETTY IMAGES Hibiscus Summerific® Holy Grail rose mallow is "a fabulous bold perennial for the garden," says Bunting. "The foliage is dark purple, and in mid-summer to early fall it is covered in large, upward-facing, bright red flowers, which contrast beautifully with the foliage." Zone: 4 to 9Size: Up to 5 feet tall x 4 to 5 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; any soil type 14 of 15 Midnight Mystic Hyacinth Me-che / GETTY IMAGES Up the drama in your garden with rich, purple-black Midnight Mystic hyacinth. The glossy blooms emit the same distinctive fragrance the plant's more springtime-ready lavander, white, and pink cousins are known for. Zone: 4 to 8Size: 7 to 8 inches tall x 3 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full sun to part shade; loose, well-drained soil 9 Black Flowers That Will Add Drama to Your Garden 15 of 15 Limelight Hydrangea Tessa57 / GETTY IMAGES This color-changing panicle hydrangea is a fast-growing shrub that offers a burst of vivid lime green to your planting beds in spring. As the season progresses, a creamy white plays well with your other mid-summer blooms, and a washed pink complements other late-summer flowers. Zone: 3 to 9Size: 6 to 8 feet tall x 6 to 8 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full sun to partial shade; rich, well-watered soil 12 Green Flowers to Grow in Your Backyard Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit