Blue is such a unique and beautiful color to add to your perennial flower garden! I have listed my favorite blue flowers below to help you add a splash of color to your yard. There are a surprising number of blue perennials that are easy to grow, so give them a try in your garden.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t have room in your garden for new plants! I guarantee there is a space that can be filled with one of these blue plants. That is what I tell myself when I add new plants every year. Also, I usually lose a perennial or two each winter as my garden ages, so I am happy to add some new plants whenever possible. You can shop late season sales to find some new blue perennials to add and save yourself some hard earned money.

Iris

There are many different kinds of Iris, but all of them have a blue flower option that will add the color your are looking for to your perennial garden. Iris grow from bulbs that you can plant in the Spring. You can also purchase a started plant from your garden center to add to your beds at any time.

These plants produce tall flower stalks, and many blue varieties have a yellow stripe down the center of the petal that makes the blue color really stand out. Because iris flower in late spring, you want to be sure to surround your iris with plants that flower through to the end of summer so you don’t have an empty space. Most iris are perennials in zone 3 through 9 and will grow to about 2 or 3 feet in height.

This article explains in depth the many different kinds of iris available.

Salvia

Salvia produces tall spikes of blue flowers for most of the summer. This plant grows as an annual in all except zones 8 through 10, but its flowers will attract many bees and butterflies to your blue flower garden. These plants also grow very well in containers, so you can place them around your yard on a deck or front porch.

I like to try to plant them as a centerpiece in a large pot, with sweet potato vines surrounding them to cascade down the sides. Salvia is a very easy to grow annual. Give it lots of water for the first few weeks to help it establish, and then watch it produce many flowers for the rest of the season, even in hot sun.

Clematis

Clematis is a beautiful blue flowering perennial vine. This one will climb up a trellis that you provide, or over a deck railing if that is what you have available. It is important to understand what type of clematis you are growing and this guide from Empress of Dirt will help you figure out what you have.

There are many different varieties of clematis, in many colors, so call or go to your garden center to find a blue variety to add to your garden space. While you are there, see if you can find someone to help you understand the different pruning groups of clematis.

Columbine

If I had to choose, columbine would be in my top three perennials. Although it is available in many colors, you will find a striking light blue color is quite common. Columbine is a hardy perennial in zones 3 to 9, and flowers from early to mid summer.

It can self seed and spread if you like, but is easy to control. I like to let it seed for a couple of years and once those plants are established I will move them around so that I have columbine in a number of different locations in my garden.

Forget Me Not

One of the original blue flowers in the garden, forget-me-nots. These low growing plants can be a ground cover in your garden, so make sure you have the space for them to naturalize, or plant them along a tree line and let them spread naturally. I wouldn’t put these in unless you are hoping for them to spread.

These light blue flowers bloom in the spring and only reach about six inches in height. They are hardy for zone 4 through 9 and are a great addition to your blue flower garden space.

Cranesbill (Perennial Geranium)

This mounding perennial geranium will produce buckets of blue flowers in mid summer. I have also successfully had it re-bloom after deadheading all of the flowers. Cranesbill makes quite a statement in my garden; it forms a large 3 foot mound of beautiful green foliage and then shoots out many stalks of blue flowers that bloom for weeks. It also attracts bees and butterflys to my front yard.

Cranesbill is a tough perennial growing in zones 3 through 9 and reaching heights of 2 to 3 feet. It will grow in full sun and part shade locations.

Let me know below what your favorite type of blue flower is. Have you tried any of the ones listed above?