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The color of passion, power, and fire, red adds a spark of excitement to a drab garden. Plus, hummingbirds adore this color! We also share tips on how to use red sparingly in the garden—a little dab will do! Discover 20 of our favorite red flowers, from annuals to perennials to beautiful flowering shrubs.
Why We Love Red Flowers in the Garden
When it comes to hot colors, you can’t beat red. Just a touch captures your attention and pulls you in. It’s best used as an accent, to mark entrances, or as a focal point.
Too much red can be exhausting, though. Illustrator Norman Rockwell always added a small spot of red in his paintings to draw the eye in and create movement.
When choosing flowers for your garden, be sure to look for nectar-rich blossoms to entice these fascinating little fliers. Tubular-shaped blooms are a favorite since the nectar is hidden where only a hummingbird’s tongue can reach it.
3 Tips for Using Red in the Garden
As red is a strong color, it’s important to consider its role in the three-dimensional garden.
Red’s boldness looks beautiful when paired with gray or blue-green-leaved plants.
Red and white work well in moderation. A lot of sharp contrasts can be tiring on the eyes. Less is more so don’t overdo it, especially in a small space.
Red can be seen from far away, so it can be effective for mass planting in a large space. Shades of red can range from orange-red to wine-red.
20 Red Flowers To Catch the Eye
Spice up a drab garden bed with a few of these red flowers. Consider the bloom time and choose reds that will catch the eye during different seasons.
There is not much red in the early spring palette, but red tulips are a sure cure for our winter-weary eyes.
There are many solid red hybrids to choose from, such as early-blooming ‘Red Emperor’ and late-blooming ‘Sky High Scarlet’, or try a fun, red-striped one like ‘Candy Apple Delight’. Extend the party by planting early, middle, and late-season bloomers.
Depending on the variety, tulips range from 6 to 24 inches tall.
Full to part sun
Zones 3 to 8
Bloom all spring.
2. Cannas
Technically, cannas aren’t grown from a bulb but from a rhizome. Native to Central and South America, these flamboyant flowers will bring a touch of the tropics to your yard. Grow the rhizome in a pot if you want to overwinter it inside; otherwise, they can be planted in the ground.
They like rich, moist soil. ‘South Pacific Scarlet’ grows 4 feet tall with clusters of 6 to 7 bright red, 4-inch wide blossoms per stalk, making it a striking accent plant. or try ‘Black Knight’, which has red flowers and dark chocolate foliage. Find more info on growing cannas.
Depending on the variety, cannas can grow from 2 to 8 feet tall.
Full sun
Zones 7 to 11
Summer blooms
Credit: Tracy Immordino
Annuals
3. Red Geraniums
Geraniums are the workhorses of summer, a classic for windowboxes and summer containers. This assumes that you keep them properly deadheaded, watered, and fertilized.
There are too many to choose from, but I have had great success with ‘Pinto Dark Red.’ Grown from seed, it blossoms early and is about 12 inches tall. When summer is over, bring them inside, and they will bloom all winter long in a sunny window. For an ivy leaf variety, check out ‘Red Tornado’. It is well-branched and naturally trailing, making it a great choice for a hanging basket.
12 to 18 inches tall
Full sun
Zones 10 to 11
Spring to fall
4. Salvia
With names like ‘Bonfire’ and ‘Sizzler,” these salvias are sure to be red!
‘Bonfire’ is 24 to 30 inches tall and sends up multiple spikes of red blossoms all summer long. ‘Sizzler’ is more compact at 10 to 12 inches tall. They make great cut flowers or can be used as bedding plants.
‘Tidal Wave Red Velour’ is a spectacular, dark red petunia sure to win your heart with its non-stop profusion of dark, velvety red blossoms and vigorous growth. An All-America Selections winner in 2015, it is just as popular today. Fertilize weekly when watering to keep it pumping out the flowers. Use it as a ground cover or in a hanging basket.
A South American native, this striking architectural plant (Amaranth caudatus) produces long chenille-like, twisted tassels that look like red dreadlocks. It can grow to be over 6 feet tall and will be covered with many long tassels. Be sure to give it a sturdy support or grow it where it can hang over a fence. It reseeds readily so check to see if it is considered an invasive in your area before planting. The tassels are stunning in fresh or dried arrangements.
4 to 6 feet tall
Full sun
Easily grown from seed
Flowers until frost
Credit: pjhpix
7. Starflowers
Tropical plants, starflowers (Pentas lanceolata) are native to Egypt, but that does not deter our native butterflies from taking advantage of their nectar. Each flower head is made up of many, small star-shaped blossoms.
It can be grown in a pot or in the ground and does especially well in the hot and humid South. Look for compact (10 to 12 inch tall) ‘Lucky Star Dark Red’ for your containers or taller (18 to 24 inch) ‘Sunstar Red’ for planting out in the garden.
10 to 24 inches tall, depending on the variety
Full sun
Pots can be wintered over inside
Blossoms all summer
8. Zinnias
Reliable summer blooms, zinnias can be tall or short, and there are many reds to choose from. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to them for their color and their nectar.
We like California Giants and Benary’s Giants for cut flowers. The more you cut, the more they branch and the more blossoms they produce. For a front-of-the-border zinnias, look for Profusion Red. It forms neat 8 to 14-inch clumps covered with blossoms. Zinnias are native to Mexico and are heat and drought-tolerant.
6 inches to 4 feet tall, depending on the variety
Full to part sun
Easy to grow from seed
Bloom from summer to fall
Vines
9. Scarlet Runner Beans
Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are edible and decorative. Their bright red blossoms adorn the quick-climbing annual vines and form pods. Keep them picked to keep the blossoms coming.
They can be steamed and eaten; let the last few mature on the vine to give you beans to replant next year. Plant as you would any type of pole beans, giving them something to climb, like a teepee of poles, a trellis, or mesh fencing. Hummingbirds will flock to the bright red blossoms!
10 to 20 feet tall
Full sun
Direct seed outdoors after the threat of frost has passed
Blossom all summer until frost
Green runner beans in flower. Credit: Patricia Blasco
10. Cardinal Climber
A delicate-looking annual vine, the Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea quamoclit cardinalis) is tougher than it appears. Given a fence or trellis to climb, it will quickly cover it with deeply cut green leaves and bright red tubular-shaped flowers, irresistible to hummingbirds!
10 to 15 feet tall
Full to part sun
In the Morning Glory family, so seeds are poisonous
Blooms from midsummer to fall
Credit: Tasak
Perennials
11. Jupiter’s Beard
Also called red valerian, Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber) has clusters of fragrant, red, star-shaped flowers atop fleshy, bright green leaves.
It is drought tolerant and prefers lean, sweet soil with a pH of 7 to 7.5. Deadhead older stems to keep the blossoms coming.
2 to 3 feet tall
Full sun
Zones 4 to 8
Summer blooms
Credit: Lyudmyla Uleyskaya
12. Cardinal Flower
A North American native, the Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is often found growing wild along streams and ponds. It is a great choice for your rain garden—plant it in a location with morning sun, afternoon shade, and moist soil.
It sends up stalks covered with tubular-shaped red blossoms that are a rich, late-season source of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
2 to 4 feet tall
Sun to part shade
Zones 3 to 9
Late July through September
Credit: Patrick Jennings
13. Bee Balm
Plant bee balm (Monarda didyma) in a separate area where it can run free; it’s part of the invasive mint family as indicated by its square stem. The vivid red, shaggy, dome-shaped blossoms of this native are a hummingbird’s favorite.
The whole plant has culinary and medicinal uses. The smell of its fragrant leaves will bring Earl Grey tea to mind! Plants are prone to powdery mildew, so look for mildew-resistant cultivars such as 15-inch tall dwarf ‘Fireball,’ 3-foot tall ‘Gardenview Scarlet,’ or 4-foot tall ‘Jacob Cline.’ Tolerates moist, heavy soil.
1 to 4 feet tall
Sun to part shade
Zones 4 to 7
Blossoms July-August
14. Columbine
Another native, columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), is one of the first spring bloomers, providing nectar for hummers, bees, and butterflies. It looks dainty but is a rugged native able to thrive in a wide range of conditions.
1 to 3 feet tall
Sun to shade
Zones 3 to 8
Blooms April thru June
15. Penstemons
Also called beardtongues for the hairs on the lower lip of its trumpet-shaped flowers, this plant offers several colors, including some excellent reds.
For example, (P. barbatus) ‘Pristine Scarlet’ is native to the southwestern US and Mexico, drought tolerant, and hardy to zone 4. (P. schmindel) ‘Red Riding Hood’ has showier flowers and is hardy to zone 3. They loathe wet feet.
Some are semi-evergreen, while others die back to the ground in winter. All produce tubular red flowers on tall spikes that hummingbirds love. Choose one hardy in your area.
1 to 4 feet tall, depending on the variety
Sun to part shade
Zones 3 to 9, depending on the variety
Flower late spring to summer
Credit: Traveller70
16. Lychnis Chalcedonica
An old-fashioned cottage garden favorite, Lychnis chalcedonica is a pollinator magnet. ‘Maltese Cross’ has dense, slightly domed, vivid red flowerheads, each made up of many smaller blossoms. A short-lived perennial, it will self-seed and is known to naturalize so make sure it is not considered invasive in your area before planting.
2 to 3 feet tall
Full sun to part shade
Zones 3 to 7
Blossoms all summer
Credit: Alex Manders
Shrubs
17. Rhododendron
A slow grower, this red rhody is the perfect understory plant to grow beneath trees and taller rhodies. ‘Nova Zembla’ has deep red balls of funnel-shaped blossoms and blooms mid-spring, providing bumblebees with early nectar. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall.
Dwarf ‘Scarlet Wonder’ tops out at only 2 feet tall. There are many, many more reds to choose from that will suit almost any location.
This bright red quince, Chaenomeles speciosa, blooms on old wood, so prune after it flowers to encourage new growth for next year’s blossoms. The crimson 2-inch wide, 5-petalled flowers open before the leaves emerge in early spring. They are followed by tart, yellow-green fruits that make delicious jelly.
6-10 feet tall
Sun to part shade
Zones 4 to 8
Early spring flowering
19. Weigela
Blossoming on last year’s wood, wait until this weigela is done flowering before pruning. ‘Red Prince’ has funnel-shaped red flowers that hold their color without fading. ‘Sonic Bloom’ flowers profusely in late spring and blooms again, not as heavily, in late summer. ‘Rubidor’ has soft chartreuse foliage, which contrasts nicely with its deep red, funnel-shaped flowers. All weigelas attract hummingbirds.
4 to 8 feet tall, depending on the variety
Sun to part shade
Zones 4 to 8
Blossoms in late spring
20. Roses!
We can’t talk about red flowers without including roses! There are almost too many to pick from, but here are some reliable bloomers.
For a climber, try ‘Ramblin’ Red’. It is an everbloomer with deep red, semi-double 3 to 4-inch wide fragrant flowers. Vines grow 6 to 10 feet tall on their own roots and are resistant to black spot.
Knockout Roses have made growing roses much easier. For a red shrub rose, try ‘Double Knock Out Radtko’. It looks like a classic tea rose but is much less finicky and extremely disease-resistant.
You can’t beat an heirloom rose for beauty and fragrance. Check out ‘Red Moss’. The American Rose Society rates it as one of the best old garden roses. Its exceptionally fragrant, 3 ½ inch wide blossoms can have as many as 40 petals each.
4 to 10 feet, depending on the variety
Sun to part shade
Zones 3 to 9
Summer blossoms
Deep dark red rambling rose bush: Credit: Aia DS
Add some exciting red, hot red flowers in your garden this year. The hummingbirds will thank you for it!
Another beautiful red flower is the poppy. I remember the gorgeous poppies my aunt grew in her flower garden when I was a child. I was surprised not to see red poppies listed here.