Tony O’Neill, gardener and author of the popular “Composting Masterclass” and “Your First Vegetable Garden,” combines lifelong passion and expert knowledge to simplify the art of gardening. His mission? Helping you cultivate a thriving garden.
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After long, dreary winter days full of hues of brown and grey, you are probably ready for some pop of color. Orange brightens your garden and adds to the spring and summer cheer and vibrancy associated with enthusiasm, joy, and sunshine. Combining the happiness of yellow and the energy of red, orange is an upbeat and enthusiastic color that quickly grabs your attention.
Bright orange flowers often feature garden designs and make them seem more intimate. Additionally, they also stir up feelings of courage and positivity. Here are some of the bright orange flowers you can plant in your garden.
Table of Contents
This piece discusses the top 15 orange flowering plants that spruce up your garden. Read on to learn more.
Angel’s trumpet
As the name suggests, this plant is characterized by large drooping flowers that take the shape of a 10-inch trumpet. The flowers are creamy-white when they first bloom and gradually change to apricot-orange after a few days.
These plants are heavy feeders and require a lot of water or start wilting. They thrive in warm outdoor temperatures. However, it would help if you planted them in a sheltered area with moist, well-drained soil. The plant is susceptible to pests such as aphids and spider mites.
Begonias
Producing magnificent double flowers with a diameter of up to 10 centimeters, non-stop begonias would be perfect for any garden. The popping orange forms a perfect contrast against the serrated, heart-shaped, dark green leaves.
The plant is drought and heat-intolerant and grows perfectly in moist, well-drained loam soil. Tuberous begonias can grow up to 3 feet or even more in an outdoor setting.
Begonias start blooming quite early and have a continuous blooming period all summer. As they are not winter-hardy, you might consider digging up the tubers before winter sets in and storing them in a cool, dry place. Once the season is over, plant them in early spring.
Bird of paradise
This is a tropical evergreen whose colorful flowers more or less resemble tropical birds. Besides the beautiful bird-like flowers, the leathery green leaves are also quite attractive.
A South African native, the plant grows quite well in warm temperatures and well-drained soil. By planting your bird of paradise plants in containers, you can move them into a heated, well-lit room in winter and then back out in spring and summer.
It would be best to prune off worn flower stalks and old leaves from time to time. While they do not have many pest attacks, they can be occasionally infested with mealybugs, aphids, and whiteflies. These can easily be treated using insecticidal soap.
Blackberry Lily
Also known as the leopard flower, the blackberry lily is an herbaceous plant that grows as tall as four feet. It has sword-shaped leaves that extend upward.
The most striking blackberry lilies are orange flowers with crimson-red spots that last only a day. They then dry into tight spirals and fall to reveal shiny black seeds. However, the short flower lifespan should not deter you from planting them, as other blossoms quickly follow.
Plant the blackberry lily seedlings outdoors in early autumn or spring to get perfect blooms. Plant them in a lightly shaded or sunny area in moist, well-drained soil.
Buttercups
Buttercup flowers are from the Ranunculaceae plant family, which has over 400 species. The petal-packed blooms have made Buttercup flowers a favorite for gardeners. While they can grow as high as 30 centimeters, you can choose the dwarf variety that grows to about 20 centimeters.
The flowers begin to bud in early spring and will continue to bloom until summer. Although you could plant them in containers, they are perfect border plants. They thrive in sunny conditions but also do well in partially shaded areas. Keep your ranunculus moist, cut worn stems off, and trim the foliage to encourage blooming.
As they are perennials, you can leave the bulbs in the ground for the following year.
Butterfly Weed
The herbaceous perennial North American native produces showy orange, red, or yellow blooms throughout summer. It is rightfully named as it attracts butterflies, particularly Monarch butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects. They are common in dry fields, meadows, open woods, prairies, and by the roadside.
Known to thrive in poor soils, the butterfly weed sprouts late in the spring and rapidly grow up to 2 feet tall. They require minimal effort to grow and maintain. You only need to keep the soil around the plant moist until it is well-established. After that, water only once in a while. You do not need to add any fertilizer to the plant. Doing so may harm it.
Calendula
Popularly known as pot marigold, calendula was used as a yellow coloring in butter and cheese in ancient times. The petals were also used in broths, salads, and stews to add a spicy taste similar to saffron.
The calendula plant is quite independent, and too much care may result in stunted or slow growth. They do well in poor to average soil. Once the plant is established, you only need to water it occasionally. You can plant them in the sun, shady areas, or containers.
If you deadhead your calendula plants regularly, they can bloom from the spring through fall and beyond.
Canna Lily
Canna lilies are perfect if you want to make your garden a tropical paradise. Shortly known as cannas, these plants produce flowers ranging from vibrant orange to pale pastels.
While the canna lily is a herbaceous perennial, it can be grown as an annual plant, particularly in cooler climates. Cannas like lots of heat, so they will thrive in full sun. But they can also do well in areas with partial shade.
Plant your canna lilies earlier in the summer or late spring when the soil is warm. They will do well in almost any garden soil if you occasionally water them.
Chrysanthemums
Commonly referred to as ‘mums,’ chrysanthemums are among the most popular garden flowers. The Asteraceae family members are related to the cosmos, dahlias, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias. The hardy perennial plants do quite well when planted earlier in the spring.
Mums thrive in areas where they can receive full sun. They need good air circulation and proper water drainage. These are predisposed to mildew and rot, so keep them dry. As they are heavy feeders, ensure you fertilize them every month.
Cut off the plants’ tips when they are six inches high to encourage more blooms and business. Keep cutting off every few weeks for heavy blooming in the fall.
Cosmos
This plant gets its name from ‘kosmos,’ a Greek word meaning ‘beautiful. Besides orange, cosmos flowers come in other colors:: maroon, yellow, and white. The three to five-inch flowers that resemble daisies may be open-cup or bowl-shaped. This explains why they are magnets to beneficial insects, butterflies, and bees.
Cosmos thrive in soils with little or no organic matter. They do quite well, even in hot and dry areas. Once the flowers wither away and the cosmos seeds fall, they will germinate on their own once the conditions are right. Your new plants will take about seven weeks to bloom.
Dahlia
Color your garden with vibrant dahlias that bloom from around midsummer to fall. Dahlia flowers come in various colors, including cream, yellow, pink, red, maroon, orange, etc. They are also quite versatile: You can grow them in containers, as border plants, or treat them as cutting-flower crops.
The dahlia plant does well in areas with moderate climatic conditions. As overwatering may cause the tuber to rot, you only need to start watering after the plant sprouts. At low-nitrogen fertilizer will do the plants some good.
Cut about three to four inches off the bud when the plant is one foot tall to increase the stem count. Disbudding also encourages larger flowers.
Daylilies
Daylilies are a classic among gardeners, and for a good reason: they are among the most beautiful and easy-to-care-for flowers. The bright orange flowers with ruffled edges could be as wide as three and a half inches and last for only one day.
Unlike most other perennials, daylilies are quite versatile. When planted in groups of three to five, they are perfect landscape plantings, while you can have mass plantings along walkways or a fence.
The plant is rather low-maintenance. Despite poor soil, uneven sunlight, and hot, dry conditions, they do well. Daylilies are also virtually pest and disease-free.
Gerbera Daisy
Originating from Africa, the gerbera daisy is characterized by bright daisy-like blooms that may be pink, orange, salmon, white, or yellow. The flower sizes range from two to five inches.
You can either plant the seeds or begin with a grown plant. The latter is costly, but you will immediately enjoy its flowers. Your gerbera daisies will do quite well if you plant them in early spring. When properly cared for, they can last up to three years.
Gerbera daisies thrive in the direct morning sunlight and afternoon shade. It would help if you deeply watered the plants once or twice a week. As they are susceptible to plant lice and aphids, ensure you stock up on herbicides.
Heleniums
Heleniums or sneezeweed are perennial plants that could be two feet, seven feet, or anything in-between, depending on the variety. They are perfect when planted in groups or between bunches of crocosmia.
The plant does well in moist, well-drained soil and full sun. You need to water it regularly and deadhead withering blooms for a consistent supply of flowers. Clumps can become quite congested with time. Therefore, unclamp them in the spring or fall.
Lantana
Lantana flowers are from the verbena family. Indeed, they are so similar to the verbena flower that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. The only difference is that the lantana plant grows taller. The vibrant flower clusters bloom throughout spring and summer. In warm climates, they bloom all year round. They are available in other colors, including pink, purple, red, yellow, or a combination of several colors in one cluster.
Lantanas thrive in full sun and well-draining soil. Being a heavily branched plant, it works perfectly as a hedge. You will need to prune it every once in a while to prevent it from becoming too leggy.
Conclusion on 15 best orange flowering plants
Orange flowers are the perfect choice for a tropical garden theme. Not only are they visually appealing, but they also raise your awareness of your surroundings. Bright orange flowers can also be perfectly paired with other hues.
I also wrote an article about another best color to grow in your garden. Suppose you want colors Blue, Red and White. You can read it by clicking those colors, which will take you to another article.
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