Updated on Oct. 04, 2024
Green flowers are not common. Plant them in your gardens as eye-catching stunners that blend in beautifully with the rest of your blooms.
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Bells of Ireland features green calyxes growing around the actual flowers, which are tiny and white. Calyxes are leaf-like structures that form the “bell” in their common name.
Directly sow seeds in a sunny, well-drained location once the danger of heavy frost has passed. Then be patient. It may take up to two weeks for the seeds to germinate, and two months before they bloom. You may need to stake them because they’ll grow almost three feet tall. Or purchase a dwarf variety like ‘Pixie Bells,‘ which only grows to two feet.
Bells of Ireland can be used fresh in flower arrangements or hung to dry for dried arrangements.
You may have to search to find green mums. But they’re out there, especially if you’re willing to grow them from seeds.
Blooming mums show up at garden centers in late summer and early fall, and many gardeners mistakenly think they’re annuals. But mums are perennials in Zones 5 through 9. They like well-drained, sunny locations.
If you buy a mum in the fall, buy it early, just as the color shows on the buds. Then plant it in the garden and keep it watered until it becomes established. If growing mums from seeds, start in the spring, following instructions on the seed packet. Be patient. It may take a while for a mum started from seed to bloom.
Also known as Lenten roses, hellebores, especially Helleborus x hybridus, are perennials hardy in Zones 4 through 8. They grow about a foot tall and wide and prefer shady locations with well-drained soil. Let the leaves grow through winter and cut them back just before flower buds emerge.
Hellebores come in a lots of colors, including variations of green. One such variety is ‘Frostkiss Moondance,‘ which opens as white but fades to a soft green.
Spurges are mostly perennials hardy in Zones 6 through 11. They come in many varieties and often have green flowers. One popular green flowering spurge is Martin’s Spurge. It will grow about two feet tall and wide.
In general, spurges grow best in sunny locations with well-drained soil. Even when not blooming, they have attractive foliage, often in chartreuse — a great color to brighten up a flower border.
When handling any spurges, wear protective gloves. Their white, sticky sap can be a skin irritant.
If you’ve grown nicotiana, also known as flowering tobacco, you might think it only has white flowers. But some varieties feature green flowers.
Grow this annual by starting seeds indoors four to six weeks before your last frost. That will give them the warmth they need to germinate. Plant seedlings in the garden once there is no danger of a late frost.
Because it’s related to tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, don’t grow it near those plants because it’s susceptible to many of the same viruses.
Many varieties of nicotiana can grow up to three feet tall. For that special one with green flowers, try Lime Green. All nicotiana flowers attract pollinators.
Most gardeners consider snowdrops to be white flowers. But some varieties have enough green on the petals to be included on any list of green flowers.
Snowdrops are hardy in Zones 3 through 8. Plant the small bulbs in the fall as soon as you get them. The small flowers come up and bloom in late winter, so put them near a walkway or other location where you won’t miss them.
After they’ve bloomed in early spring, allow the foliage to continue growing to ensure the bulbs grow, too. That way you’ll have snowdrops every spring.
One of the best snowdrops for showing off is ‘Flore Pleno,‘ which has extra petals tipped in green.
Tulips come in many colors, several of which are almost green or heavily striped with green.
In Zones 3 through 8, buy tulip bulbs to plant in the fall. They require a cold period before coming up and blooming in the spring.
For best results, choose a sunny, well-drained location and cut off the spent blooms, leaving the foliage to die off naturally. While the foliage grows, it sends energy down to the roots to grow a bigger bulb for next year.
When cutting tulips to enjoy indoors, choose flowers that have barely begun to open. They’ll last longer in a vase. For that special green tulip, look for varieties such as ‘Spring Green‘ or ‘Green Star.’
We might think of the amaryllis as a red Christmas flower. But several varieties feature greenish flowers, or white flowers with lots of green on them. Cybister is one example.
Most of us will grow amaryllis as potted plants, except in Zones 9 and warmer where there is no chance of frost. Remember, these are tropical plants. Keep them inside throughout the winter.
To get your green flowering amaryllis to bloom again, follow the same instructions you would for a red Christmas amaryllis.
Zinnias are one of the easiest annual flowers to grow. All you need are sun and well-draining soil.
Although zinnias are often sold in seed mixes of many colors, if you want strictly green flowers, look for a packet that only contains the heirloom variety, Envy. Sow seeds indoors five to seven weeks before your last frost, or directly in your garden after your last frost once the soil warms.
‘Envy’ will grow to almost three feet tall. When zinnias are in bloom, bees and butterflies will be frequent visitors.
Gladiolus is another commonly grown flower that blooms in many colors, including pastels that tend toward green. One of the most common is called ‘Green Star.‘
If you live in United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 8 through 11, you can plant bulb-type gladiolus corms in a sunny, well-drained location and enjoy them as perennial flowers. If you live Zones 6 through 7, mulch gladiolus well to protect them in the winter. In colder zones, dig up corms in the fall to overwinter in a cool location before replanting in spring.
Gladiolus grows up to three feet tall, so you’ll need to stake yours.
