12 Flowering Plants That Produce Big, Show-Stopping Blooms

Large blooming flowers in a garden setting — Credit:
Alex Manders / Getty Images

Incorporating focal points in your garden creates visual order by telling the eye where to look first. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to grow flowering plants that are so big, colorful, or surprising that they're impossible to ignore. As you design your garden, experts say to consider adding these flowering plants with dramatic blooms to your space.

Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association
Dawn Fradkin, a horticulturist with Colorado State University Extension in Arapahoe County

01 of 12

Daylily

Decades of dedicated breeding have produced nearly 100,000 different varieties of daylily (Hemerocallis). Newer selections with 44 chromosomes—twice the normal number—have bigger flowers and darker green leaves, so you get a much bolder statement in the garden, says Whitinger. 'Strawberry Candy' is one of his favorite varieties thanks to its beautiful yellow-and-pink blooms.

Zones: 3 to 10
Size: 6 to 60 inches tall x 12 to 48 inches wide
Care requirements: Full to partial sun; rich, well-draining soil

02 of 12

Allium

One of Martha's favorite perennials, ornamental onion (Allium), boasts whimsical purple blooms that add color and texture to the garden. On Martha's farm in Bedford, New York, she grows hundreds of alliums of all sizes. For a particularly impressive variety, try Allium giganteum, which grows up to 3- to 5 feet tall.

Zones: 4 to 10
Size: Depends on variety
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

03 of 12

Angel's Trumpets

Angel's Trumpet flowers — ntdanai / GETTY IMAGES

Grown as a woody shrub or tree, angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) can thrive outdoors in warm climates and in containers in cold ones, says Dave Whitinger, the executive director of the National Gardening Association. Its cone-shaped flowers (which grow up to 24 inches long, depending on the cultivar) dangle downward like trumpets from the heavens. Enthusiasts buy and sell cuttings online, but know that it's toxic to humans and animals.

Zones: 9 to 11 (and as an annual in colder regions)
Size: 6 to 35 feet tall x 3 to 10 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun (with afternoon shade in very hot regions); moist, well-draining soil

04 of 12

Panicle Hydrangea

Clustered blossoms on hydrangea plants outdoors — Anna Grigorjeva / Getty Images

Just about any hydrangea variety will add drama to your yard, but there's something special about panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). This flowering plant grows massive cone-shaped flowers that bloom on new wood and put on quite the color show. Flower heads emerge as white or green in mid-summer, fading to gentle pink or red as the season draws to a close.

Zones: 3 to 9
Size: up to 10 feet tall x 10 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun or partial shade; well-draining soil

05 of 12

Balloon Flower

Closeup of purple flowers with green foliage — Wirestock / Getty Images

Buds on this perennial inflate like living balloons, opening into large bell-shaped flowers from early spring through late summer. In addition to the cool periwinkle hue of the popular 'Astra Blue' variety, balloon flower (Platycodon grandifloras) also comes in pink and white.

Zones: 4 to 9
Size: 8 to 24 inches tall x 8 to 18 inches wide
Care requirements: Full to partial sun; rich, loamy, well-draining soil

06 of 12

Dahlia

Dahlias (Dahlia spp.) can produce massive flowers that bloom from mid- to late summer. They're striking in cut arrangements where they can survive for nearly a week. Bloom colors range from tangerine and bright purple to the prettiest pale pinks and yellows. Want even more drama? Dinner plate dahlias have enormous blooms that can measure 10 inches across.

Zones: 8 to 10
Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
Care requirements: Full to partial sun (with afternoon shade in very hot regions); fertile, moist, well-draining soil

07 of 12

Globe Thistle

Cluster of spherical thistlelike flowers in a natural setting — Frans Sellies / Getty Images

Globe thistle (Echinops) produces ball-shaped, bluish-purple blossoms that add a playful touch to the garden. Their height and whimsical nature make them look as though they're dancing above everything else, Whitinger says. These tough little blooms hold their own in arrangements, too.

Zones: 3 to 10
Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

08 of 12

Red Feathers

A wildflower that thrives even in dry conditions, red feathers (Echium amoenum) have fringed 12- to 15-inch flower spikes in a beautiful raspberry-crimson color, Fradkin says. Pinch off spent blossoms to keep them blooming, but wait until late in the growing season to do so to encourage reseeding.

Zones: 3 to 9
Size: 12 to 16 inches tall x 6 to 10 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; evenly moist to dry, well-draining, sandy loam soil

09 of 12

Texas Bluebonnet

Bluebonnet flowers — George Rose / GETTY IMAGES

Plant this fragrant, winter-hardy annual en masse for a dramatic swath through your garden. It reseeds vigorously, so you can look forward to new blooms every spring. If you're in search of cool hues, check out the 'Lady Bird Johnson Royal Blue' variety, a violet-blue overachiever named after the former first lady who advocated for the spread of wildflowers along Texas roadways.

Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; dry, fast-draining soil

10 of 12

Red Yucca

Closeup of a flowering plant with small buds and blooms on a branch — ChuckSchugPhotography / Getty Images

Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), also known as hummingbird yucca, is a member of the agave Americana family. Its bright red tubular flowers keep on blooming even in summer's hottest months, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden.

Zones: 5 to 10
Size: 36 to 60 inches tall x 48 to 72 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; dry, sandy soil with excellent drainage

11 of 12

True Lily

Part of the genus Lilium, true lilies produce striking flowers in a vast range of colors. Their long vase life and dramatic blooms—think bright spots, ruffled petals, and elegant curves—have made them some of the most popular cut flowers in the world.

Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 1 to 12 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun or partial shade; well-draining soil

12 of 12

Hibiscus

This tropical plant is known for its big, colorful statement blooms. For an especially eye-catching variety, consider growing 'Disco Belle' hibiscus in your garden. It produces big blooms with stunning red eyes from July to September. "The flowers are humongous," says Dawn Fradkin, a horticulturist with Colorado State University Extension. "They're just striking for our area and our environment," she says.

Zones: 4 to 9
Size: 24 to 30 inches tall 18 to 24 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun; rich, moist soil