10 Beautiful Blue Annual Flowers

ROCKIN’^™ PLAYIN’ THE BLUES^® Salvia

We’ve taken this popular super-sized salvia and made its awesome flower power even better. Bright violet blue flowers emerge from purple calyxes which hold their color after the flowers are spent, giving the illusion of being in bloom over a longer period. New flower spikes continue to emerge all season long above the bushy, bright green foliage, even in the hot, humid conditions of the deep south. This plant is the perfect thriller for large containers and a fantastic vertical element for landscapes. Pollinators will delight in its flowers from spring through fall.

2-4’ tall x 2-3’ spread. Part sun to sun.

ENDLESS^™ Illumination Browallia

Blue flowering plants are always hard to find, but blue flowering plants for shade? Darn near impossible! Well, we’ve found a fantastic option for you. In addition to being a shade lover, Browallia loves heat and can tolerate periods of dry soil. Endless Illumination will bloom all summer and while not truly trailing in habit, it will cascade over the edge of containers, creating a lovely waterfall of blue flowers. It works as both a filler and a spiller in containers.

12-16” tall x 10-14” spread. Part shade to shade.

BLUE MY MIND^® Evolvulus

There are a handful of plants that I think everyone would agree are really, truly, blue-as-blue can be. Delphinium is at the very top of that list and Lobelia is close behind. Evolvulus Blue My Mind is less well-known, and every bit as blue as the other two, but with one key difference—heat tolerance. If Lobelia struggles in the summer heat in your garden, Blue My Mind is your ticket to a never-ending summer show of blue. Use it in containers where it will spill over the edges and in the front of landscape beds where its spreading nature will be shown to great effect.

6-12” tall x 12-24” spread.  Sun.

BETH’S BLUE^® Isotoma

Continuing with the theme of heat tolerance, let’s take a look at Beth’s Blue Isotoma. Its blue, star-shaped flowers can feel like a long, cool drink of water in your heat-blasted summer garden. It forms a low mound of frilly, green foliage dotted with blue blooms all season. Grow it as a filler in containers and near the front of the flower border where it can really strut its stuff. If Beth’s Blue is new to you, give it a chance to be the star of your garden.

12-14” tall x 10-12” spread. Sun.

LAGUNA^™ SKY BLUE Lobelia

One of my favorite activities on a perfect summer day is to lie on the grass and look for shapes in the clouds with my daughter. The flowers of Laguna Sky Blue match the blue summer sky, with just enough hint of white in the center to make you think of clouds. This is a vigorous selection that has much better heat tolerance than many lobelias. Plant it in spring, and in most climates it will bloom through the summer and late into fall. It is wonderful as a filler in container combinations and landscapes.

6-12” tall x 12-24” spread.  Part sun to sun.

LAGUNA^™ COMPACT BLUE WITH EYE Lobelia

OK, I’ll agree—Laguna Compact Blue with Eye isn’t exactly a sexy name, but this plant truly is awesome. Its deep blue flowers are highlighted by a large white eye. Selected for its ability to handle the summer heat better than typical lobelias, this semi-upright plant is covered in flowers all season. It is an ideal low-maintenance filler for hanging baskets, window boxes, combination containers and landscapes.

8-12” tall x 10-12” spread. Part sun to sun.

LAGUNA^® DARK BLUE Lobelia

Knock-your-socks-off cobalt blue is the best way to describe the flower color of Lucia Dark Blue lobelia. A tiny touch of white accents the intense blue flowers. This is a vigorous, heat tolerant selection that will bloom through the summer months in most climates and then continue to put on a show deep into fall. Grow Lucia Dark Blue as a filler in combination containers and landscapes.

6-12” tall x 12-24” spread. Part sun to sun.

BLUEBIRD Nemesia

Bluebird Nemesia is beloved for its cold tolerance and the loads of blooms it produces beginning in early spring. This can be one of the first things you plant in spring along with your pansies before the threat of frost has passed. Subsequently, it will also be one of the last plants to finish blooming in late fall. Decent heat tolerance means its soft blue flowers will appear all summer in most climates. You’ll love its clove-scented blooms that usher in the hope of spring.

10-12” tall x 12-18” spread. Part sun to sun.

SUPERTUNIA^® ROYAL VELVET Petunia 

Supertunia petunias are one of our most popular series of plants, and Royal Velvet has long been a crowd favorite. Luscious velvety textured flowers in the deepest shade of blue purple appear on vigorous plants that are well-suited for containers and landscapes. When grown in baskets, window boxes or containers it will first act as a filler, then will cascade over the edges as it matures, creating a waterfall of color.  Don’t overlook its uses in the landscape, too.

6-12” tall x 18-24” spread. Part sun to sun.

SUPERBENA^® Violet Ice Verbena

Impress your neighbors with these luscious lilac blue blossoms as they cascade out of your window boxes, hanging baskets and patio containers. Superbena Violet Ice is a vigorous, disease resistant variety that thrives in the heat. Count on it to perform beautifully all summer long while attracting hummingbirds to the garden. Also try growing a few in the landscape as a small scale, flowering groundcover.  

6-12” tall and 18-24” spread. Part sun to sun.