By Jennifer Poindexter
Are you looking for a specific color of annual to grow? Sometimes people like to color coordinate their flowers when creating annual flower beds or window boxes.
If this is one of your gardening goals for the year, you’ve come to the right place. There are many types of blue annual flowers to choose from to help you create the look you desire.
I’ve compiled a list and will walk you through your options, provide a description of what the flower looks like, and let you know what types of growing conditions each option finds favorable.
If you’re ready to pick out the blue flowers for your floral design, check out these options:
1. Lily of the Nile
Lily of the Nile is a beautiful blue flower that grows atop a mound of greenery. From the greenery emerges long stems which create many small, blue blooms which form a larger, rounder bloom.
This plant also goes by the name agapanthus and prefers to grow in full to partial sunlight. Lily of the Nile thrives in warmer temperatures but also needs fertile, well-draining soil.
2. Isotoma
Isotoma grows lower to the ground and produces blue star-shaped flowers. This plant also stands out for its rich green foliage. If you need a versatile plant, this could be your flower.
It can grow in areas of shade or full sunlight. The main thing is that it grows in an area with rich soil that drains adequately. This plant is hardy in zones five through twelve. However, it can still be grown as an annual in lower planting zones.
3. Salvia
I love salvia. It stands out to me because it grows from a mound of lush foliage. The foliage then produces long stems which produce vertical blooms. Along the stem are small, blue blooms which form a burst of color wherever they grow.
If you have room for a plant that can reach heights of two feet, this plant might deserve your attention. Ensure you grow salvia in an area with full sunlight and well-draining soil.
4. Cornflower
The cornflower is a great option for a cut flower garden or an area for wildflowers to grow should you be interested in feeding the local bees. This plant produces fluffy blue blooms that stand out wherever planted.
However, when growing the cornflower, you must provide adequate growing conditions. Ensure you select a location with full sunlight and well-draining soil that’s consistently damp.
5. Browallia
Browallia is a great option for inground garden plots or containers. This plant produces deep green foliage and small blue blooms. Browallia is also commonly recognized as a bush variety of violet.
If you’re interested in a traditional style plant, be sure you provide the right growing conditions. Browallia prefers a growing location with full to partial shade. It also needs well-draining soil.
6. Larkspur
Larkspur is another favorite plant of mine on this list because it produces beautiful vertical blooms that stand out thanks to their rich blue color.
However, be mindful of their growing location as larkspur can become as tall as four feet. This plant grows best in an area with full sunlight and well-draining soil that can hold adequate moisture.
7. Petunia
Petunias come in a variety of colors. For this reason, they’re one of the most common flowers that people grow around their home.
When growing petunias, you may plant them in the ground, in a container, or use a window box. The main thing is to ensure they’re grown in well-draining soil and an area with full sunlight. When they don’t receive enough sun, these flowers can become leggy.
8. Morning Glory
Morning glory flowers are a show-stopper. They stand out due to their green foliage and cup-shaped, blue blooms. When growing morning glory, be sure to select a location with full sunlight.
They also must be grown in rich, well-draining soil. These plants enjoy consistent moisture, so try to provide some protection from strong winds which could dry the growing location out.
9. Brachyscome Iberidifolia
If the name of this plant intimidates you, don’t let it. In more common terms, this plant is known as a swan river daisy. Therefore, it should come as little surprise when I tell you it looks like a blue daisy.
You may enjoy the typical daisy-like petals with rich yellow centers. If you’d like to grow this plant around your home, provide a growing location with quality soil that drains well. Plus, they need full to partial sunlight.
10. Vinca
Vinca are some of the sweetest flowers you can use to decorate your home. They grow amongst rich, green leaves. Then they stand out because of their small, traditional blooms.
As you grow blue vincas, be sure to provide the right growing location. These flowers need partial to full shade. They also prefer well-draining soil. Keep in mind, if given the opportunity, vincas can spread and be used as groundcover.
11. Evolvulus
Evolvulus is a dwarf variety of the morning glory. If you love morning glories but have a smaller growing location, this might be the right variety for you.
When growing evolvulus, be sure to provide a location with full to partial sunlight. This plant also prefers to grow in well-draining soil. In return, it may become as tall as one foot and spread as much as three feet wide.
12. Love-in-a-Mist
This plant has a unique name, but it’s fitting as this is a unique flower. This plant has layered, blue blooms with wispy green foliage which frames them.
Should you grow love-in-a-mist, ensure you select a growing location with full sun and rich soil that drains adequately.
13. Cineraria
Cineraria are hard flowers to miss. They produce daisy-like blooms with bright petals that start with rich coloring, fade to white as they get closer to the center, and are met with a center of the same color as the rich portion of the petal.
If you’d like to grow these unique blooms, be sure to provide the right conditions. Cineraria grows best in areas with bright but indirect sunlight. They prefer mild temperatures around sixty-degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, they prefer soil that drains adequately but is also consistently damp.
14. Lobelia
Lobelia is another plant that grows well in the ground and in containers. It produces small, bright blooms that add color wherever planted.
When growing lobelia, be sure to select an area with full sunlight and fertile soil that drains adequately. This flower doesn’t want to be left with soggy roots, but it does enjoy consistently damp soil.
15. Verbena
Verbena is another flower that just makes you feel good when you look at it. These flowers grow from a mound of greenery. Amongst the leaves, tiny blooms start to form clusters. These larger clusters stand out with their rich colors.
Should you choose to add the blue variety of verbena to your landscape, be sure to give this plant every reason to thrive. Grow verbena in an area with full sunlight and well-draining soil. This plant can grow in most soil varieties as long as it receives adequate water.
16. Nemesia
Nemesia is a great choice, whether growing in the ground or in a container, if you’d like subtle beauty and a touch of color to a growing location.
This plant produces tiny blooms in a variety of colors. Nemesia tends to grow best in areas of warmth, morning sun with afternoon shade, and in soil that’s well-draining.
17. Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa is also commonly known as million bells. The reason being, this plant produces many small, bell-shaped blooms amid rich, green leaves.
If you’d like a plant that’s great for containers, don’t overlook this option. Calibrachoa grows best in areas of full sun and soil that’s consistently damp but well-draining.
18. Pansy
Our last option is the pansy. I love this flower because of its durability and simplicity. Pansies produce larger, flat blooms that introduce bright colors to their growing location. When growing pansies be sure to select an area with rich, well-draining soil. These flowers do best during the cooler portions of the year.
However, if you’re growing them when it’s warmer outdoors, plant them in a location where they’ll receive some morning sun but mostly shade throughout the day.
You now have eighteen different options for blue flowers you may grow as annuals to brighten up your home and gardening spaces.
Pick the flower that best suits your needs, ensure you can provide adequate growing conditions, and start growing the floral design you’ve crafted to make your home a welcoming but unique space.
Learn More About Blue Annuals
https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/growing-pansies
https://extension.umn.edu/flowers/growing-petunias
Please add pictures to each flier/plant you are talking about.