FlowerDB
107 flower species with symbolism, bloom season, growing zones, and natural history. From Roses to Orchids.
Featured
Rose
The most commercially valuable flower in the world - over 150 million roses sold for Valen...
Sunflower
Young sunflowers track the sun across the sky (heliotropism) by growing more on the east s...
Tulip
Triggered the first recorded speculative economic bubble - Tulip Mania in 1630s Netherland...
Orchid
The largest family of flowering plants with over 28,000 species. Vanilla comes from an orc...
Lotus
Sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism - symbolizes purity rising from murky waters. The seed pod...
Cherry Blossom
The Japanese tradition of hanami (flower viewing) dates back over 1,000 years. They bloom ...
Peony
The state flower of Indiana and the national flower of China, where they have been cultiva...
Lily
Highly toxic to cats - even small amounts of pollen licked off fur can cause fatal kidney ...
Asteraceae (16)
Sunflower
Young sunflowers track the sun across the sky (heliotropism) by growing more on the east s...
Dahlia
The national flower of Mexico, where they were cultivated by the Aztecs for food, medicine...
Marigold
Used in Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations - believed to guide spirits home with their v...
Chrysanthemum
One of the most cultivated flowers in the world, with over 20,000 varieties. The Japanese ...
Edelweiss
Growing at 1,500-3,400 meters altitude in the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees. Their white...
Yarrow
Used medicinally for over 6,000 years - Achilles allegedly used it to treat soldiers wound...
Aster
Named from the Greek word for star, describing their star-shaped flower heads. They are th...
Dahlia (Cactus)
The cactus dahlia variety has spiky, pointed petals that create dramatic starburst shapes....
Cosmos
Named from the Greek word for ordered universe because of their evenly spaced petals. They...
Zinnia
Named after German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. They are among the most popular and eas...
Sunflower (Dwarf)
Compact varieties bred for containers and small gardens, reaching only 30-90 cm instead of...
Black-Eyed Susan
One of the most recognizable wildflowers in North America. They are in the same family as ...
Dahlia (Bishop)
The Bishop series features dark, almost black foliage that contrasts dramatically with viv...
Sunflower (Red)
Red sunflower varieties like Red Sun and Moulin Rouge produce stunning deep red to burgund...
Gerbera
Also called the Transvaal daisy, Gerbera jamesonii was described from near Barberton in So...
Cornflower
Once a common weed of grain fields across Europe, now much rarer because of herbicides. It...
Ranunculaceae (9)
Anemone
Named from Greek anemos (wind) - they are sometimes called windflowers because some specie...
Hellebore
Also called Christmas rose or Lenten rose because they bloom in mid-winter. They are the f...
Clematis
Called the queen of climbing plants. Over 300 species and thousands of cultivars. They cli...
Delphinium
Named from the Greek word for dolphin because the flower buds resemble dolphins. They prod...
Hellebore (Corsican
One of the toughest hellebores with distinctive toothed evergreen leaves. It blooms in mid...
Aconite (Winter)
One of the very first flowers to bloom, often appearing through snow in January. It forms ...
Ranunculus
Also called Persian buttercup. Their rose-like flowers have hundreds of paper-thin petals ...
Clematis (Montana)
One of the most vigorous clematis, capable of covering entire buildings. It can grow 8+ me...
Columbine
Aquilegia species bear nodding flowers with long backward pointing nectar spurs. The name ...
Amaryllidaceae (7)
Daffodil
The symbol of spring and rebirth - also the national flower of Wales, where wearing one on...
Amaryllis
Popular winter holiday bulbs that can grow 5 cm per day when sprouting. They can be forced...
Agapanthus
Also called Lily of the Nile (though not a lily and not from the Nile). Their name comes f...
Daffodil (Double)
Double-flowered varieties have extra petals creating ruffled rose-like blooms instead of t...
Snowdrop
Often the very first flower of the year, blooming as early as January. They can generate t...
Amaryllis (Red Lion)
One of the most popular holiday bulbs, producing enormous trumpet-shaped red flowers. Each...
Allium (Globemaster)
Produces the largest allium flower heads - up to 25 cm across, composed of hundreds of tin...
Rosaceae (6)
Rose
The most commercially valuable flower in the world - over 150 million roses sold for Valen...
Cherry Blossom
The Japanese tradition of hanami (flower viewing) dates back over 1,000 years. They bloom ...
Rose (Climbing)
Climbing roses do not actually climb - they have long canes that need support. They can co...
Rose (David Austin)
Created by David Austin starting in the 1950s by crossing old garden roses with modern hyb...
Rose (Floribunda)
Produces clusters of flowers rather than one per stem, creating massive color impact. Deve...
Rose (Shrub)
The most versatile garden roses, including Knock Out, David Austin, and landscape roses. T...
Iridaceae (6)
Iris
Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris, has been ...
Crocus
One of the first flowers to bloom in spring, sometimes pushing through snow. Saffron crocu...
Gladiolus
Named from Latin gladius (sword) for their sword-shaped leaves. They grow from corms and c...
Crocus (Autumn)
Most crocuses bloom in spring but about 30 species bloom in autumn. Autumn crocuses produc...
Iris (Bearded, Tall)
The most popular iris type with thousands of cultivars. They grow from rhizomes placed at ...
Freesia
Prized for an intense sweet fragrance and one of the most popular scented cut flowers. It ...
Liliaceae (5)
Tulip
Triggered the first recorded speculative economic bubble - Tulip Mania in 1630s Netherland...
Lily
Highly toxic to cats - even small amounts of pollen licked off fur can cause fatal kidney ...
Tulip (Parrot)
Fringed, ruffled, and twisted petals that resemble parrot feathers. They are the most dram...
Lily (Oriental)
The most fragrant lilies - a single stem can perfume an entire room. Stargazer is the most...
Tulip (Darwin Hybrid)
The tallest and largest tulip class, with flowers up to 15 cm across on 60-70 cm stems. Th...
Paeoniaceae (4)
Peony
The state flower of Indiana and the national flower of China, where they have been cultiva...
Peony (Tree)
Woody shrubs that can live 100+ years, unlike herbaceous peonies that die back annually. T...
Peony (Itoh)
Intersectional hybrids between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies, combining the best of ...
Peony (Herbaceous, Red)
Red peonies are the most dramatic members of an already spectacular genus. Karl Rosenfield...
Fabaceae (4)
Wisteria
Can live over 100 years and grow to massive sizes - the largest known wisteria in Sierra M...
Peacock Flower
Also known as pride of Barbados and the national flower of Barbados. Their striking orange...
Lupine
Their name comes from Latin lupus (wolf) because they were thought to wolf down soil nutri...
Sweet Pea
Valued for one of the sweetest fragrances in the garden. A Franciscan monk, Francisco Cupa...
Oleaceae (3)
Jasmine
Over 200 species of shrubs and vines. Jasmine tea is the most popular scented tea in China...
Lilac
One of the most beloved fragrant shrubs, blooming for only 2 weeks each spring. Their scen...
Winter Jasmine
One of the few flowers that bloom in the depths of winter. Its bright yellow flowers appea...
Papaveraceae (3)
Poppy
The red poppy is the symbol of remembrance for war dead, inspired by the poem In Flanders ...
Bleeding Heart
Their heart-shaped flowers with a dangling droplet are among the most distinctive in the p...
Bleeding Heart (White)
A white-flowered form of the classic bleeding heart. The pure white lockets dangling from ...
Rubiaceae (3)
Gardenia
Named after Dr. Alexander Garden, a Scottish-American naturalist who never actually saw on...
Gardenia (Cape Jasmine)
The most intensely fragrant gardenia species. They are the national flower of Pakistan. Th...
Gardenia (Kleims Hardy)
A hardy gardenia variety that can survive temperatures to -12 degrees C, unlike most garde...
Hydrangeaceae (3)
Hydrangea
Their flower color changes based on soil pH - acidic soil produces blue flowers, alkaline ...
Hydrangea (Paniculata)
More sun-tolerant and cold-hardy than mophead hydrangeas. Their cone-shaped flower heads c...
Climbing Hydrangea
One of the best climbing plants for shady walls. It attaches itself with aerial rootlets, ...
Plantaginaceae (3)
Snapdragon
Named because the flower head resembles a dragon mouth that opens and closes when squeezed...
Foxglove
The source of digitalis, one of the most important heart medications ever discovered - use...
Foxglove (Pamela)
A beautiful apricot-pink variety of the classic cottage garden foxglove. Unlike the common...
Asparagaceae (3)
Lily of the Valley
All parts are highly toxic, containing cardiac glycosides similar to foxglove. Despite thi...
Hyacinth
One of the most fragrant spring flowers - a single stem can perfume an entire room. Greek ...
Bluebell
The common bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, carpets ancient woodlands in spring. Brita...