Red is one of the more looked for colors in the garden, and yet it can be difficult to find. Sure, in the tropics, there are lots of red flowers. When my wife and I went to Hawaii, there were red flowering plants all over the place. But back home, it can be a difficult flower to find.
Of course, there are a lot of annuals with that particular shade. But in perennials and shrubs, it can be a challenge to find true red, and not an off color. But why do I want red flowering plants in my garden? Well, for a lot reasons. But the most important ones are to attract hummingbirds and hummingbird moths, and to have that bright spot that shines in the garden. Much the way orange does. And also because butterflies prefer red and orange flowers, while bees are more attracted to blues and purples.
Red Flowering Annuals
Like I said, there are a lot of annuals with red flowers. But we often do not choose them because I can be difficult to match red flowers in the landscape. Sure, there are a lot of gardeners and cities that choose red salvias for mass plantings. But in my experience, it can be difficult to see these adequately from the road or walkway, unless paired with white flowers or silvery leaves.
But that does not mean you should not put in beds of red annual flowers. Indeed, you can put together containers where the primary thriller is a red flowering plant, and pair it with other tropical looking flowers in shades of orange and yellow.
List of Red Flowering Annuals
These are just some of the annuals you can grow with a brilliant scarlet coloring.
- Petunia
- Begonia
- Zinnia
- Lantana
- Marigold
- Sunflower
- Tassel Flower
- Gomphrena
- Celosia
- Firecracker Plant
- Salvia
- Cardinal Vine
- Pentas
- Geranium
- Canna
- Gerbera Daisy
Perennials
I am a perennial grower. I like flowers which I can plant once, and cleanup once, and will keep growing and producing flowers. But that does not mean I do not like other flowering plants. It just means that perennials are more important to me.
Some of the perennials with scarlet flowers are quite showy, being attractive not only in the landscape, but to a variety of butterflies, hummingbirds, and even bumblebees. But others barely stand out in the garden. Finding the right ones can be tricky, especially if you have as many different garden types going on in the landscape as I do. But then, my whole landscape is dedicated to trialing plants and observing insects.
The following list includes some of the better perennials I have found with scarlet red flowers for the Central Great Plains region.
The List
- Yarrow
- Agastache
- Salvia
- Valerian
- Coreopsis
- Coneflower
- Blanketflower
- Sneezeweed
- Geum
- Daylily
- Indian Pink
- Red Hot Poker
- Oriental Lily
- Lobelia
- Maltese Cross
- Hardy Hibiscus
- Beebalm
- Penstemon
- Royal Catchfly
- Columbine
- Tulips
Shrubs With Red Flowers
Besides the perennials (the list was bigger than I though it would be), there are some shrubs which you can add to your landscape with scarlet flowers. Because shrubs are more planted for their texture and foliage, the flowers sometimes get lost. A lot of the shrubs bloom in spring time and are done before the heat of summer. But there a variety of shrubs with flowers that are preferred by butterflies and hummingbirds. So plant some!
- Weigela
- Butterfly bush
- Sweetshrub
- Flowering Quince
- Texas Red Flowering Yucca
- Coral Honeysuckle
- Rose
Pollinators of Scarlet Flowered Plants
The main pollinators of red flowered plants are hummingbirds and butterflies. But there are other pollinators too. Bumblebees and long tongued bees are also pollinators of plants with scarlet flowers. Long tongued bees include carpenter bees, miner bees, and parasitic (mimic) bees. With butterflies, it can be any kind, including monarchs, swallowtails, true-brushfoots, and skippers.
Conclusion
Planting flowers which are fiery scarlet can have many added benefits to the garden. Besides brightening the colors of the garden, they attract hummingbirds and butterflies. And they can bring on a tropical feel in the garden. So add something red to your garden today!
Happy planting!
