Red flowers—love ‘em or hate ‘em—add an undeniable fiery look to gardens. The hue stands out brilliantly against the predominant greens of most landscapes, which makes red flowers an instant focal point. For many gardeners, red blooms are the heartbeats of their beds and borders, radiating passion, energy, and a timeless charm. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the familiar line “Roses are red . . .” from the popular nursery rhyme comes so readily to mind; those four words have etched red flowers into the cultural imagination as symbols of love and beauty.
Whether it’s the velvety petals of a crimson peony or the fiery spikes of a hummingbird favorite, these blooms offer not just color but drama. If you think you’re not a fan of red-flowered plants, give this episode a listen because we offer up some options for every imaginable shade of this controversial color, from magenta pinkish-red to dark and moody burgundy.
Expert: Erin Schanen is creator of the Impatient Gardener blog and YouTube channel and a Fine Gardening author.
Danielle’s Red-Flowered Plant Picks
- ‘Sword Dance’ peony (Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sword Dance’, Zones 4–9)
- ‘Major Wheeler’ trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major Wheeler’, Zones 4–8)
- ‘Claude Shride’ martagon lily (Lilium ‘Claude Shride’, Zones 3–9)
- Red trillium (Trillium erectum, Zones 3–7)
Carol’s Red-Flowered Plant Picks:
- ‘Red Rouge’ pinks (Dianthus ‘Red Rouge’, Zones 4–9)
- ‘Showy Lantern’ redvein enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Showy Lantern’, Zones 4–7)
- ‘Strawberry Fields’ gomphrena (Gomphrena ‘Strawberry Fields’, annual)
- Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia, Zones 4–8)
- Bonus plant: ‘America’ peony (Paeonia ‘America’, Zones 4–9)
Expert Guest Erin Schanen’s Red-Flowered Plant Picks:
- ‘Golden Delicious’ pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’, Zones 7b–10)
- Breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum and cvs., annual)
- ‘Red Giant’ (not pictured)
- Frilly hybrid cross
- ‘Ladybird’ poppy (Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’, annual)
- ‘Lucifer’ crocosmia (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, Zones 5–9)
All photos from the contributor unless noted otherwise.
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Plant Covers Freeze Protection 10 ft x 30 ft Floating Row Cover 0.9oz/yd²
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Lightweight and Breathable MATERIAL Good for protecting Plant: the plant frost cover material is 0.74 oz/sq non-woven polypropylene fabric, which is lightweight, breathable, and durable. The plant blanket frost protection allows sunlight reach the plants, perfect for protecting plants from the damage of freeze or frost. Wide Application In your Garden Work. The plant row cover not only can work as a barrier against frost, but also can be a great tool for germination and good for rapid seedling growth. By using the fabric plant covers over your plant, you can start the plant earlier in the spring and extending the growing season of your plants. How to Use the Plant Covers: you can cover the plant covers for freeze over your the plants loosely directly and then secure the plant frost blanket with soil, stones or staples. You can also support the floating row covers with a hoop, make enough room for plants to breath and grow. You could also cut the plant covers into different sizes for different purposes.
