Blue might be everywhere in nature, but when it comes to flowers, it's surprisingly hard to find.
That being said, if you're looking to introduce some beautiful blue blooms to your beds and borders, there are still plenty to choose from: whether you're looking for a statement perennial, an easy annual, or a pollinator-friendly addition.
From statuesque delphiniums and crowd-pleasing hydrangeas to pretty forget-me-nots, these beautiful blue flowers can bring cool, calming colour to almost any garden. Here are 13 of our favourites, along with the key growing details you need to help them thrive.
1. Delphinium
Few flowers say cottage garden quite like delphiniums. Their statuesque spikes make a striking addition to summer borders, with some varieties reaching well over a metre tall. Taller plants are best grown in a sheltered position and may need staking to protect them from strong winds, while compact varieties are a good choice for smaller gardens. For rich blue flowers, look for varieties such as ‘Guardian Blue’.
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Position: Full sun
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Flowering time: Early to mid-summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
2. Aster
Also known as Michaelmas daisies, asters are invaluable for extending colour into late summer and autumn, when many other garden plants are beginning to fade. Their daisy-like flowers come in shades including blue, purple, pink and white, and work particularly well in cottage-garden borders and naturalistic planting schemes.
Plant type: Usually herbaceous perennial
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Fertile, moist but well-drained
Flowering time: Late summer to autumn
Good for pollinators: Yes
3. Agapanthus
With their tall stems topped by rounded heads of blue or white flowers, agapanthus make a dramatic addition to summer borders and containers. Also known as African lilies or Lily of the Nile, these South African perennials generally perform best in a warm, sunny spot. Hardy varieties can be planted in borders, while more tender types are easier to protect when grown in pots.
Plant type: Perennial
Position: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, well-drained
Flowering time: Summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
4. Hydrangea
Some mophead and lacecap hydrangeas can produce spectacular blue flowers, but their colour depends partly on the soil they're growing in. Blue- and pink-flowered varieties tend to be bluest in acidic soil, where aluminium is more readily available to the plant, while the same varieties may become mauve or pink in neutral or alkaline conditions.
If you're determined to keep a hydrangea blue, growing it in a container can make the soil conditions easier to manage.
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Position: Partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Flowering time: Mid-summer to early autumn
Good for pollinators: Some varieties
5. Globe thistle
Globe thistles, or echinops, produce distinctive spherical flower heads in shades of steel blue and are a striking choice for sunny borders.
They are particularly effective in gravel gardens and wildlife-friendly planting, and the architectural seedheads can be left in place or the stems cut for drying. ‘Taplow Blue’ and ‘Veitch’s Blue’ are both good choices.
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Mid- to late summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
6. Forget-me-not
Tiny blue forget-me-nots are a classic spring sight, with clusters of delicate flowers held above softly hairy foliage. They grow well in moist soil in either sun or partial shade and are particularly at home beneath shrubs or towards the front of informal borders. They self-seed enthusiastically, so remove plants after flowering if you don't want them to spread.
Plant type: Biennial or short-lived perennial
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist, moderately fertile
Flowering time: Spring to early summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
7. Cornflower
Cornflowers are easy annuals with vivid blue, thistle-like flower heads. Sow them in a sunny, well-drained spot and deadhead regularly to encourage a longer display. They also make excellent cut flowers. For a particularly intense shade of blue, try ‘Blue Ball’, which produces bright cobalt-blue blooms throughout summer.
Plant type: Annual
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Late spring through summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
8. Grape hyacinth
Grape hyacinths, or muscari, produce dense spikes of jewel-like blue flowers in spring and look particularly effective when allowed to naturalise beneath shrubs, through borders or in lawns. They spread readily over time, however, and Muscari armeniacum can become invasive, so plant it somewhere you're happy for it to roam.
Plant type: Spring-flowering bulb
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Early to mid-spring
Good for pollinators: Yes
9. Anemone
For a jewel-bright splash of blue, try Anemone coronaria ‘Mister Fokker’. This tuberous perennial produces rich violet-blue, poppy-like flowers above finely cut foliage and works beautifully in pots as well as borders. Spring-flowering anemones prefer free-draining soil and a sunny position.
Plant type: Tuberous perennial
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Spring
Good for pollinators: Yes
10. Scabious
A cottage-garden favourite, scabious produces pincushion-like flowers on slender stems from summer into early autumn. It thrives in a sunny position with well-drained soil and is particularly attractive planted among grasses and other airy perennials.
Regular deadheading will help to prolong flowering. ‘Perfecta Blue’ produces large lavender-blue blooms.
Plant type: Annual or perennial, depending on variety
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Summer to early autumn
Good for pollinators: Yes
11. Aquilegia
Aquilegias, also known as granny's bonnets, are quintessential cottage-garden plants. Their nodding flowers appear in late spring and early summer in shades including blue, purple, pink and white, and their nectar-rich blooms are particularly attractive to bumblebees. They are easy to grow and often self-seed, making them ideal for relaxed, naturalistic planting.
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Soil: Moist but well-drained
Flowering time: Late spring to early summer
Good for pollinators: Yes
12. Blue daisy
Felicia amelloides, commonly known as blue daisy, produces masses of cheerful blue flowers with bright yellow centres. Although it is a perennial in its native South Africa, it is relatively tender in Britain, so is often treated as an annual or grown in a pot that can be moved somewhere protected over winter. Give it a sunny spot and free-draining soil for the best display.
Plant type: Tender perennial, often grown as an annual
Position: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Flowering time: Summer to autumn
Good for pollinators: Yes
13. Sea holly
For a low-maintenance plant with plenty of architectural interest, try sea holly, or eryngium. Its spiky blue flower heads and silvery foliage thrive in sunny, free-draining conditions, making it a particularly good choice for gravel gardens and dry borders. Avoid rich or waterlogged soil: many eryngiums perform best in poor to moderately fertile ground. ‘Big Blue’ is a striking variety with vivid blue stems and flower heads.
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Position: Full sun
Soil: Dry to moderately moist, well-drained
Flowering time: Summer to early autumn
Good for pollinators: Yes
Spring bulbs to order now
Narcissus 'Thalia'
Narcissus miscellaneous daffodil bulbs - Narcissus Tete a Tete
Crocus Vanguard | Large Flowering Crocus
Galanthus nivalis
Charlyne Mattox is the Food and Crafts director with over 20 years recipe development, recipe editing, and crafting experience. Prior to starting at Country Living in 2014, she worked in the crafts department at Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Kids before attending cooking school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She was nominated for a James Beard media award while a senior editor at Real Simple magazine and authored a cookbook Cooking with Seeds.
When not in the kitchen she loves to garden, focusing on growing flowers and kitchen herbs (of course), watering her 25 house plants, and knitting scarfs or hats she will never be able to wear in the always hot and steamy Alabama.
