The weather in Connecticut comes and goes like a wild pendulum, so it can be hard to determine what flowers grow well in Connecticut. The state is best known for its continental climate, going from hot summers to snowy winters like it’s a walk in the park. Despite that, plenty of flowers can thrive in The Nutmeg State.
Flowers that grow well in Connecticut include swamp milkweed, turtleheads, pearly everlasting, yellow star grass, wild red columbine, pale-leaved sunflowers, and cardinals. Most of these flowers are native to the state, which means they’re used to varying temperatures.
Read on to discover how you can grow each flower and what climate it prefers, so your Connecticut summer garden will thrive!
Marsh Marigold
If you’re not familiar with the name marsh marigold, you may know the flower by one of its other names, kingcup or cowslip. These flowers are often called king cups because their bright yellow color makes them look like cups for royalty.
Anyway, marsh marigolds are best known for their hardiness in cold temperatures. If you live in the colder part of Connecticut, you’ll find it delightful to plant marsh marigolds and watch them bloom beautiful flowers year after year.
Despite their cold-hardiness, these flowers don’t like the heat. When the weather gets too hot for their liking, they’ll go dormant and stop flowering till next season.
These flowers are best grown near marshlands, swamps, and water bodies in general. They thrive under the full sunlight, but they can live with some shade.
A lot of people use marsh marigolds for landscaping because they serve well as background plants.
Swamp Milkweed
Swamp milkweed grows in clumps of tiny pink and red flowers, so they’re pretty recognizable from a distance. They’re eye-catching, and butterflies love them. Their green leaves can show purple hues under the sunlight.
These flowers are perennials; they tend to bloom in June, and the flowers stay intact until October or early November, depending on the weather. They’re a bit needy for water, needing it every day when they’re becoming established. After that, they can last the whole growing season without water.
To grow swamp milkweeds, you’ll need to offer moist soil because dry soil may cause them to wilt. They also need filtered sunlight or partial shade. Remember that these flowers love wet conditions, so they’ll thrive in your garden if it rains frequently.
Cardinal
When you hear the word cardinal, the first thing that comes to your mind is the tiny red bird that’s common in the US. However, there are cardinal flowers as well, and contrary to common belief, they’re not named after the birds. They actually get their name from their resemblance to the cardinal ropes of the Roman Catholics.
Cardinals are hardy to both hot and cold weather, so they’d be perfect for your Connecticut garden. Like bonesets and marsh marigolds, they thrive in wet soil and moist conditions well. They grow well under full exposure to the sun, but they like shady conditions as well.
You’ll see cardinals blooming from May, and they stay put until October. They’re native to the state, so they bloom for a major part of the year.
In the wild, cardinals originally grow near roadies, ditches, and prairies. So, they don’t mind rough conditions and wet weather.
New England Aster
Smooth aster isn’t the only flower in the aster family to belong to Connecticut. New England aster is also native to the state and grows well in its climate. Both flowers even look strikingly similar, except that New Englands have a pinkish-purple color.
These flowers bloom during the fall, and they can reach up to six feet of height when they’re fully mature. They prefer full sun, but they live under partial shade as well. Plus, they don’t mind most soil types. They may not grow if planted in dry soil, though.
Aside from all that, New England asters are low-maintenance. You don’t have to make a lot of effort to keep them alive.
Wild Red Columbine
Wild red columbines are native to Connecticut, making them a must-have in your garden for the next summer. They belong to the same family as buttercups, although both flowers are different in terms of size and colors.
Columbines are perennials, which means you can have them for a couple of years, unlike annual flowers that only last for a couple of seasons. In their native habitat, they prefer rocky slopes and woodlands, which means they’re no strangers to dry weather.
The bright flowers thrive in full sunlight, but they can survive in partial light too. They prefer their soil sandy and thin, and of course, it should be well-draining to prevent retained moisture.
Pearly Everlasting
Pearly everlasting is native to North America and Asia, and it’s a perennial. So, you can have it reblooming in your garden year after year as long as you take good care of it. The white and yellow flower belongs to the Asteraceae family that includes sunflowers.
Pearly everlasting flowers are drought-tolerant, making them an excellent candidate for Connecticut’s hot summers. They thrive under the full sunlight, and they prefer dry soils because moisture can cause their roots to rot. Unfortunately, this means that they may wilt in the winter if it rains unless you move them indoors.
These flowers attract many pollinators, including butterflies, so get ready to see plenty of those in your garden.
Smooth Aster
Smooth aster is an incredibly hardy flower, making it an excellent candidate to grow in Connecticut’s constantly-changing weather. The flower can even survive through frost, which occurs in the state around October.
If you plant smooth asters, they’ll keep blooming until November, which is more than I can say for most flowers.
You’ll need to provide loamy soil that’s well-drained. If the asters are planted in dry soil, they can wilt. Likewise, if you keep them in wet soil, their roots may rot.
As for the water intake, smooth asters only need around an inch of water per week. Bear in mind that you’ll have to get it right, or the flowers will start wilting right away. They’re extra sensitive to overwatering.
Turtleheads
Turtleheads have that unique name because their petals look like actual turtle heads, with their mouths partially open. However, instead of the reptile’s green color, these flowers come in a vibrant pink color that should look welcoming in your Connecticut garden.
These flowers are excellent for the state because they can handle cold winters. They may go dormant near the end of autumn, but they’ll survive nevertheless.
Turtleheads bloom into white or pink flowers around the summer, particularly in July and until early October. They originally grow in wet areas around water bodies, so they’d do well in wet soil. They make good pairs with marsh marigolds because both species grow in nearly the same conditions.
Boneset
Bonesets are fairly low-maintenance, which is why many flower lovers are hurrying to get them. They’re a plant-it-and-forget-it kind of plant, and they’ll stay alive without much fuss. They belong to the aster family, so it’s no news that they’re hardy.
These flowers bloom in the summer, starting from June, and the flowers will stay put until October. They thrive in full sunlight, but they can grow under partial shade alike. They need wet soil, so try to stay away from dry sandy mixes.
Bonesets attract all kinds of pollinators, so expect to see a lot of butterflies and bees in your garden if you decide to plant them.
Final Thoughts On What Flowers Grow Well in Connecticut
Connecticut’s weather changes at a neck-breaking pace. If the flowers can’t keep up with it, they’ll stop growing altogether. The best you can do is choose flowers that are native to the state, such as cardinals. Other than that, all flowers on this list will bloom beautifully in Connecticut!
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