Flowers exist in a massive variety of shapes and colors, with hundreds of methods to categorize them for easier browsing. Following the alphabetical order is one way you can get the job done, so we’ve decided to put together a list of flowers that starts with A.
Considering both botanical and common names, flowers that start with ‘A’ include Aconite, Adriatic Bellflower, African Daisy, African Lily, Ageratum, Ajuga, Alcea, Alchemilla, Allium, Alstroemeria, Alyssum, Amaranth, Amaryllis, Amsonia, Anemone, Angelonia, Angel’s Trumpet, Anise Hyssop, Anthericum, Anthurium, Antirrhinum, Aquilegia, Artichoke Cactus, Arum Lily, Asclepias, Aster, and Azalea.
If you’re interested in learning more about these flowers, keep reading as we discuss features and information regarding each plant.
1. Aconite
- Botanical Name: Aconitum
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, summer
- Color(s): White, blue, yellow purple, and pink
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Aconitum is a genus of flowering plants with over 250 members, most of which are poisonous. Hood-shaped and spiky, these flowers are also called Aconite, Monkshood, Wolfsbane, Devil’s Helmet, Queen of Poisons, and Blue Rocket.
Beautiful yet dangerous, Aconitum comes from “akónitos”, a Greek word meaning pointed cone, which is a tribute to its use as an arrow poison. The plant has also been used in medicine to treat various conditions such as asthma, colds, migraine, and rheumatism.
2. Adriatic Bellflower
- Botanical Name: Campanula garganica
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Summer
- Color(s): Purple, blue
- Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Also known as Dickson’s Gold, the Adriatic Bellflower is a low-growing plant that forms clusters of golden-yellow/green foliage and blue or purple flowers. The leaves look like small hearts while the flowers have star-shaped petals.
Easy to grow and look after, the Adriatic bellflower makes an excellent addition to rock gardens, cottage gardens, garden edges, containers, slopes, and banks.
3. African Daisy
- Botanical Name: Dimorphotheca ecklonis
- Plant Type: Annual, perennial, shrub
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer, fall
- Color(s): Pink, blue, purple, white, mauve, cream, and yellow
- Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
Also known as Cape Marguerite, Van Staden’s River Daisy, and Star of the Veldt, these flowers are very commercially popular thanks to their large outline, long blooming time, and extensive shades of hybrids.
Native to Africa, these daisies are a symbol of innocence and purity. They love the sun and can reach up to 2 feet high.
4. African Lily
- Botanical Name: Agapanthus africanus
- Plant Type: Perennial, bulb
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, summer
- Color(s): White, purple, and blue
- Hardiness Zones: 6 to 11
Also called Lily of the Nile and the Flower of Love, flowers of this genus are native to southern Africa. They grow in clusters with funnel-shaped flowers on tall, thin stems.
African lilies are symbols of love and beauty. They’re used as aphrodisiacs and are believed to boost fertility when worn by women. They also have medicinal applications in treating colds, coughs, and heart conditions.
5. Ageratum
- Botanical Name: Ageratum houstonianum
- Plant Type: Annual
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, summer
- Color(s): blue, pink, purple, white, and red
- Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Also called Whiteweed and Floss flower, Ageratum flowers exist in more than 40 species. Native to Central and North America, these are low-growing plants that produce small clusters of fluffy blooms.
Ageratum flowers are symbols of long life. Thanks to the plant’s antibacterial properties, it has medicinal application in treating many conditions including fevers, colds, rheumatism, diarrhea, and spasms.
6. Ajuga
- Botanical Name: Ajuga
- Plant Type: Perennial, annual
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): Purple, blue, and white
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
Commonly known as Bugleweed, the Ajuga genus of flowering plants includes around 70 members. Among its most common species are Ajuga reptans, pyramidalis, and genevensis.
A symbol of joy, Ajuga flowers are small yet beautiful with upright stems and evergreen foliage. Although they can be invasive, these plants have been used in medicine to treat nosebleeds, coughs, anxiety, hormonal disorders, and more.
7. Alcea
- Botanical Name: Alcea rosea
- Plant Type: Biennial, perennial, or annual
- Blooming Season(s): Summer
- Color(s): pink, red, purple, yellow, white, yellow, and black-violet
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Also called Hollyhock, the Alcea genus has over 50 flowering members. Probably native to Turkey, these plants possess tall, erect stems with bright, saucer-shaped blooms sitting on top.
Since they’re edible, you can add these plants to salads. Alcea is known to treat conditions such as constipation and dry cough.
8. Alchemilla
- Botanical Name: Alchemilla mollis
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): Greenish-yellow
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Commonly called Lady’s Mantle, this award-winning plant produces clumps of green foliage with greenish-yellow flowers that look like small stars. They can reach up to 18 inches high and are great for attracting butterflies.
9. Allium
- Botanical Name: Allium
- Plant Type: Perennial, bulb
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): Purple, lilac, white, pink, blue, and yellow
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
With over 800 members in the genus, Alliums are garlic- or onion-scented bulbs that produce ball-shaped flower clusters. They’re called ornamental onions and look like huge lollipops of length up to 6 feet!
10. Alstroemeria
- Botanical Name: Alstroemeria
- Plant Type: Perennial, bulb
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, summer
- Color(s): orange, white, pink, red, purple, and yellow
- Hardiness Zones: 5 to 11
Also called Lily of the Incas and Peruvian Lily, Alstroemeria is a genus of more than 50 species that form trumpet-shaped flowers. Named after its discoverer, Claus von Alstromer, this genus is among the most popular and best-selling cut flowers across the globe.
11. Alyssum
- Botanical Name: Lobularia maritima
- Plant Type: Perennial, herbaceous
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, fall
- Color(s): Purple, white, red, yellow, and pink
- Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Also known as Sweet Alyssum and carpet flower, this low-growing plant produces a gorgeous spread of tiny cross-shaped flowers. It’s native to Europe and is considered an invasive species in California.
12. Amaranth
- Botanical Name: Amaranthus
- Plant Type: Annual, perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Summer, fall, winter
- Color(s): Purple, crimson, orange, red, pink, and green
- Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
Native to North and Central America, Amaranth is commonly known as Pigweed. The plant is characterized by long, reddish stems with large leaves and dense inflorescences of flowers.
Amaranth has edible seeds and foliage, which are packed with protein, fiber, calcium, and iron.
13. Amaryllis
- Botanical Name: Amaryllis paradisicola, Amaryllis belladonna
- Plant Type: Perennial, bulb
- Blooming Season(s): Summer, fall
- Color(s): Pink and white
- Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
Amaryllis is a genus with 2 members only. It produces scented, trumpet-shaped flowers that symbolize pride and confidence.
Amaryllis belladonna is also called “Naked Lady” because it demonstrates “hysteranthy”, a phenomenon where flowers appear before leaves.
14. Amsonia
- Botanical Name: Amsonia tabernaemontana
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): White, blue, purple, and pink
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 11
Also known as Blue Star, the Amsonia genus is famous for its star-shaped flowers that feature 5 pointed petals sitting on a tubular base.
Easy to grow and maintain, Amsonia looks great in cottage gardens and garden borders. These flowers can also help you attract hummingbirds and bees.
15. Anemone
- Botanical Name: Anemone
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer, fall
- Color(s): White, red, orange, yellow, purple, blue, purple, pink, crimson, and ivory
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 11
Widely referred to as Windflower, the Anemone genus includes over 100 species originating from North America, Europe, and Japan.
These flowers should only be enjoyed by sight as all parts of the plant are toxic to humans and animals due to the presence of protoanemonin.
16. Angelonia
- Botanical Name: Angelonia
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, winter
- Color(s): white, lavender, purple, and pink
- Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
If you’re planting borders, beds, or containers, flowers from the Angelonia genius can be a fantastic option in your garden. Also known as Summer Snapdragons, these flowers love the sun and demand well-drained soil for optimal growth.
17. Angel’s Trumpet
- Botanical Name: Brugmansia
- Plant Type: Perennial, tree, shrub
- Blooming Season(s): Summer, fall, winter
- Color(s): White, red, yellow, peach, gold, pink, and orange
- Hardiness Zones: 8 to 11
Thanks to their eye-catching trumpet-like shape, flowers in the Brugmansia genus are referred to as Angel’s Trumpet. Despite their beauty, they’re very toxic to humans and animals due to the presence of tropane alkaloids.
Additionally, the plant has strong anticholinergic properties, so it’s used to alleviate depression, anxiety, and pain. It can also induce hallucinations and euphoria.
18. Anise Hyssop
- Botanical Name: Agastache foeniculum
- Plant Type: Perennial, herbaceous
- Blooming Season(s): Summer, fall
- Color(s): white, purple, lavender, blue, pink, and red-violet
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Also known as Lavender Giant Hyssop, Fragrant Giant Hyssop, and Blue Giant Hyssop, the Anise Hyssop isn’t related to anise nor hyssop! It’s part of the mint family, producing clusters of tiny tubular flowers with erect spikes.
19. Anthericum
- Botanical Name: Anthericum liliago
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): White
- Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Also called St. Bernard’s Lily, this flower is native to Turkey and Southern Europe. Its shape is somewhere between a star and a trumpet, with yellow prominent anthers.
The plant loves direct sunlight and can reach up to feet high. It also attracts bees and works great in rock gardens or borders.
20. Anthurium
- Botanical Name: Anthurium
- Plant Type: Perennial, herbaceous
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer, fall
- Color(s): Red, pink, white, yellow, purple, and green
- Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
With more than 1,000 species in the genus, Anthurium is also referred to as Flamingo Flower, Laceleaf, and Tailflower. These flowers are known for their unusual look, which is often misunderstood.
What most people think is a large heart-shaped flower is actually a modified leaf. The flowers are actually present along the contrasting spadix.
21. Antirrhinum
- Botanical Name: Antirrhinum
- Plant Type: Perennial, annual
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer, fall
- Color(s): Red, pink, white, orange, yellow, purple, green, and bicolor
- Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10
The Antirrhinum includes more than 25 species that produce scented, 2-lipped flowers sitting on tall spikes on top of the leaves.
The flowers closely resemble a dragon opening its mouth and when lightly squeezed look like a dragon’s head, which is where the names Snapdragon and Dragon Flower came from.
22. Aquilegia
- Botanical Name: Aquilegia
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): Yellow, blue, pink, white, red, and purple
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Also called Columbine, the Aquilegia genus includes about 65 species of flowers. Native to North America, the flowers owe their unique shape to the 5 rounded petals sitting alternatively on top of 5 pointed sepals with spurs radiating from the base.
23. Artichoke Cactus
- Botanical Name: Obregonia denegrii
- Plant Type: Succulent, Cactus
- Blooming Season(s): Summer
- Color(s): White with yellow stamens
- Hardiness Zones: 9 to 12
A rare rock cactus, the flowers of this plant are funnel-shaped with thin petals and a cluster of stamens at the center. Native to Mexico, it’s named as a tribute to one of the country’s former presidents, Alvaro Obregon.
24. Arum Lily
- Botanical Name: Zantedeschia aethiopica
- Plant Type: Perennial, bulb
- Blooming Season(s): Spring, summer
- Color(s): white, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and black
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
One of the most popular flowers for a variety of occasions and events -including weddings and funerals-, the arum lily is also known as the Calla Lily.
These showy flowers have a unique funnel-shaped spathe with a protruding spadix. If any part of the plant is ingested, it can be very toxic or even fatal to humans and animals.
25. Asclepias
- Botanical Name: Asclepias
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Blooming Season(s): Fall, summer
- Color(s): White, red, pink, purple, yellow, and orange
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Also called Milkweed, flowers in this genus are tiny and star-shaped. They give off a sweet scent, effectively attracting insects such as bees and butterflies.
26. Aster
- Botanical Name: Symphyotrichum
- Plant Type: Perennial, herbaceous
- Blooming Season(s): Summer, fall
- Color(s): pink, red, white, blue, and purple
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Part of the Asteraceae family, the Aster genus has well over 150 species. These flowers have yellow centers with one or multiple rings of petals surrounding them, giving them a daisy-like look.
27. Azalea
- Botanical Name: Rhododendron
- Plant Type: Evergreen or deciduous shrub
- Blooming Season(s): Year-round
- Color(s): White, pink, gold, red, purple orange, and peach
- Hardiness Zones: 3 to 11
Last but not least, Azalea flowers are a delight to witness as they appear in clusters of bell-shaped or tubular blooms above evergreen foliage. Native to North America, Europe, Asia, and Northern Australia, these flowers represent temptation and caution.
Wrap Up on Flowers That Start With A
As you can tell by now, there are many beautiful flowers that start with A. Each one has something unique to offer, so you’re bound to find a flower that matches your taste.
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