It was previously noted that The Pantone Color Institute has named “Classic Blue” as the 2020 Color of the Year.
Nice for the fashion, design, and paint industries, but what does that mean to the world of gardening?
Color themes and trends will come and go, but what’s different about blue flowers?
It is estimated of the 280,000 species of flowering plants, less than 9% produce blue flowers. Understandably, plant geeks in search of that Holy Grail of blue-ish hue are thrilled to get flowers relatively close to the coveted color. No wonder we even proclaim one shade “Royal Blue”. Indeed, there are true-blue blooms, but gardeners with a critical eye will contend that many are actually a shade of purple or lavender. Sadly, popular cut flowers such as roses, tulips, carnations, and even orchids do not produce real blue flowers without a little help from floral dye. What about the new chrysanthemum adorned in blue? Genetically engineered.
All that said, news of the crowning of classic blue as the color of the year has sparked interest already in gardening sites and publications. Despite the lack of plants with blue flowers, plant breeders and growers step up to the challenge and offer some of the best representations of blue, for you.
A worthy, but not complete, list of blue flowering plants is available below.
We can assume their carefully selected (as well as entertaining) variety names are indicative of one’s feelings upon gazing closely at the flower.
- Aster ‘Kickin Lilac Blue’
- Ageratum ‘Blue Horizon’
- Balloon Flower ‘Pop Star Blue’
- Centaurea ‘Blue Boy’
- Delphinium ‘Summer Blues’
- Evolvulus ‘Blue My Mind’
- For-Get-Me-Not ‘Victoria Blue’
- Geranium ‘Johnson Blue’
- Hydrangea ‘Let’s Dance Blue Jangles’
- Lobelia ‘Laguna Dark Blue’
- Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’
- Salvia ‘Unplugged So Blue’
- Scaevola ‘Whirlwind Blue’
- Supertunia ‘Picasso in Blue’
-Rob McCartney, Horticulturist
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or for more info at:
Above photo credit: (Top left – counterclockwise) –
