by Matt Gibson
Looking for orange flowers to add to your garden this growing season? We don’t blame you. The color orange is vibrant and energetic, falling between yellow and red in the color spectrum. The color orange is reflective of joy, heat, warmth, creativity, success, change, health, happiness and fun. Orange promotes a feeling of overall wellness and positive energy and orange flowers in your garden will bring that feeling to everyone who enters it. Orange is an eye catching color. It is flamboyant and stimulating. It has all the passion and fierceness of the color red mixed with the subtle calmness and happiness of yellow.
There are around thirty different flowers that have orange varieties. The following list contains the cream of the crop of orange garden flowers and is complete with care instructions to get your orange flower garden started up right. One small warning: if your orange blossoms spring up in perfect harmony, you will be the envy of all of your neighbors.
Did we miss any of your favorite orange flowers? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
Ranunculus
Ranunculus blooms have layer upon layer of rich, loud color. Their long stems elevate their beautiful blooms up high upon a pedestal for all the world to see. At the end of the summer, they will fade to yellow. When this occurs, you should consider cutting them and bringing them inside to decorate your home inside a vase, where they enjoy a long and healthy second life. Leave a little foliage behind, however, as green leaves help to gather the sun’s energy for next year’s blooming season.
Ranunculus grow best in zones 8-11 and enjoy well-drained soil and full sunlight.
Lion’s Tail
Lion’s tail (leonotis leonurus) blooms are exotic and full of expression. This perennial stands tall and proud, while it’s bright orange blooms catch the eye of every passerby.
Use gloves when handling lion’s tail, as its spine has sharp thorns like the claws and teeth of the jungle beast it’s named for. Lion’s tail is a perfect addition to any garden, as its drought resistant durability keeps it blooming bright and strong all season long.
Lion’s tail thrives in zones 10-11 in well-drained soil and full sunlight.
Begonia
Plant your begonias in between other flowers that stand tall and provide ample shade and protection from the wind. Be sure to select an orange varietal, as begonias come in many different shades.
The large, bright double blooms of the begonia stand out well atop dark green foliage underneath. Be careful not to overwater their soil, but keep it nice and moist.
Begonias enjoy zones 6-11 and prefer moist, well-drained soil and a mix of full sun and partial shade.
Marigold
Marigolds (Tagetes) are quite a popular annual found in many gardens. They won their popularity due to their gorgeous color and long bloom cycle, which can last a full summer. The ruffled feather petals come in thick layers similar to the blooms of carnations. Marigolds love to bask in the sunlight and prefer deep watering to light daily drinks. Make sure the soil is completely dry around your marigolds before re-watering and water at the base of the plant instead of from above to keep the blooms healthy and dry.
Marigolds do best in zones 9-11 and love well-drained soil and full sunshine.
Gerbera Daisy
The Gerbera daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii) is a bright but gentle beauty, ranging anywhere from 2 to 5 inches in diameter. It’s bloom looks similar to a sunflower, and like a sunflower, the gerbera daisy enjoys lounging in the sunlight.
The only drawback to these lovely daisies is their susceptibility to crown rot if the crowns are buried too deep within the soil, so be sure plant them with the crowns well above ground level and keep an eye on the crowns to ensure that they do not burrow too deep as they sink into the ground from watering and weight.
The Gerbera daisy thrives in zones 9-11, in full sun and well-drained soil.
Butterflyweed
The Butterflyweed’s name is somewhat misleading, as it is hardly an invasive weed, but a lovely bushy perennial with cluster-like blooms of bright, flat-topped orange flowers that can draw the eye from far away.
The one downside to these luscious lovelies, are their tendency to draw aphids. To keep them free from pests, blast the plants with water or run your fingers on the underside of their lance shaped leaves a few times per week.
Butterflyweed performs best in zones 3-9 in well-drained soil and full sunlight.
Dahlia
The dahlia flower has large luxurious blooms adorned with curved, spiked petals that symmetrically frame the blossoms.
Wait until your garden’s ground temperature reaches 60 degrees before planting, as dahlias struggle in cold weather conditions. Keep soil conditions moist but avoid overwatering as dahlias like to drink low and slow. Be sure to select orange varieties as dahlias are available in a wide array of colors.
Dahlia’s get along famously in zones 8-10 in full sun and moist, well-drained soil.
Zinnia
The dazzling auroral glow of the daisy-like zinnia blossoms are always a pleasing sight in any garden. Blooming annually and extending up to three feet tall, the zinnia flower stands high above its floral friends like a gleaming, sunny pillar. Gardeners love zinnias as they are both very easy to please and stunningly beautiful. Their long, slender stems may occasionally need some light support from medium stakes. To promote continuous flowering throughout the season, remove faded blooms and watch as new buds pop up in their place in no time. Fertilize lightly several times throughout the season instead of using a time released food source or fertilizing heavily once or twice.
Zinnias relish zones 3-10 in full sunlight and well-drained soil.
These 8 orange flowers will help your garden stand out and bring immense pleasure to all who get a chance to see them. The bright orange buds should give you and your family a warm, calming sense of peace and serenity and inspire active days and stress-free contentment. When it’s time to add a little zest into your life, orange flowers will more than do the trick. Feel free to add other orange flowers to the combination, or sprinkle in some additional colors (red and yellow pair well with orange) to bring some variety to the table.
Want to learn more about growing orange flowers in the garden?
HGTV covers Eye-Catching Orange Annual Flowers
Home Stratosphere covers 30 Different Types of Orange Flowers (A-Z)
ProFlowers covers 27 Types of Orange Flowers
The Spruce covers Pictures of Plants with Orange Flowers
Gardenerdy covers A Wow-worthy List of 20 Orange Flower With Names, Facts, And Pictures
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