27 Exciting and Unique Flowers to Plant in your Garden for a Space that will Make You Smile

Finding unique flowers to plant in your garden can be fun and exciting. It can also be a little scary. Refreshing a space with unusual flowers might be a risk, but it reaps some beautiful rewards. Visitors to your garden will marvel at the magical flowers and may be surprised to learn the deeper meanings behind them.

27 Fun and Unique Flowers to Plant if You Are Ready to Let Your Wild Side Out

Maybe you are tired of the same flowers year after year, or you are just getting started in the world of botanical joy. No matter what your gardening experience is, there are some extraordinary flowers in the list below to help your space feel new again.

1. Spider Lily (Lycoris Radiata)

All you have to do is see pictures of these unique flowers to appreciate their graceful elegance. Long, arcing stamen will create a visual design statement in your garden in late fall. Because these lilies bloom as summer fades to fall, they are associated with both endings and new beginnings.

2. Eastern Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla Patens)

While its floppy flowers are beautiful, eastern pasqueflower’s extraordinary contribution to your garden is in its silky hairs. When illuminated by morning sunlight, the flowers seem to glow with an inner radiance. This plant is a Native American remedy to relieve headaches, and including them in your garden might bring clarity to your thoughts.

3. Coneflower (Echinacea ‘Hot Papaya’)

You have probably seen coneflower in garden landscapes before. If you want to shake things up with something a little different, try out the ‘Hot Papaya’ variety. Massive double flowers in intense red-orange hues are sure to steal the show. With a beautiful meaning like protection from sickness, what is not to like?

4. Bee Balm (Monarda ‘Gardenview Scarlet’)

Pictures of these unique flowers showcase a flower structure so intricate that it could be a sculpture. Spiky petals will imbue your space with irresistible energy. When planted as a group, bee balm brings beautiful pollinators like hummingbirds to your space. With red-tinted bracts underneath, the ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ variety emphasizes its magnificent red flowers.

5. Balloon Flower (Platycodon Grandiflorus ‘Komachi’)

What better way to celebrate unique flowers to plant than with a bunch of balloon-shaped blooms? While most balloon flowers eventually burst open, this variety remains indefinitely inflated for some balloon fun throughout the summer and into fall. To take full advantage of their tactile pleasure, plant them as a border front.

6. Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea ‘Nigra’)

In a world where colorful flowers are sought after, dark flowers are unusual. With petals such a rich shade of maroon they could be black, this variety of hollyhock is remarkable. Paired with the hollyhock’s proclivity to grow to towering heights, this flower will grace your garden with moody elegance.

7. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides)

Images of these unique flowers show the delicate star-shaped forms that make star jasmine a striking element in any garden. To add to the ambiance, each vine exudes a sweet perfume. Depending on your garden, star jasmine can be treated as a groundcover, given a structure to climb, or used as a groundcover.

8. Flame Lily (Gloriosa Superba ‘Rothschildiana’)

Pictures of these unique flowers show how close a plant can come to capturing the magic of a dancing fire. When the vining flame lily is in bloom, it acts as a glorious focal point. Because the flame lily can be difficult to grow, it is an excellent choice for gardeners who enjoy a challenge.

9. Floribunda Rose (Rosa ‘Jacpurr’ Purple Tiger)

Although the PURPLE TIGER rose may feature a classic rose form, it showcases extraordinary color. Purple and white streaks come together differently to make each flower a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. With an exceptionally long blooming period, you will be able to enjoy a great deal of these beautiful purple flowers.

10. Bearded Iris (Iris Germanica)

With ostentatious flowers and velvety ruffles, bearded irises have long been a garden favorite. While they can be found in nearly any color combination from the common to the unusual, there are a few varieties that include moody black petals. Images of these unique flowers highlight magnificence – when in bloom, bearded irises steal the show.

11. Double Daffodil (Narcissus ‘Southern Hospitality’)

If you are ready to switch up a tired spring garden, double daffodils offer all the pleasure of ordinary daffodils with a frilly twist. Instead of a cup-like corona, these types of unique flowers feature a ruffled center. Despite their double helping of splendor, double daffodils are just as low maintenance as their standard cousins.

12. Pantaloon Flower (Dicentra Cucullaria)

Although pantaloon flowers do not bring vivacious color to your garden, they do imbue a space with a sense of playfulness. It does not take much imagination to see the upside-down pants in this flower’s shape. Related to the more common bleeding heart, pantaloon flowers provide an unforgettable springtime flower.

13. Ornamental Onion (Allium Giganteum)

With a Latin name that means “spicy like garlic,” and softball-sized spherical flowers, ornamental onion is an eye-catching focal point. Used in Himalayan folk medicine to fortify the body for winter, ornamental onion can rejuvenate a garden in late spring to prepare it for summertime resplendence.

14. Toad Lily (Tricyrtis ‘Blue Wonder’)

Although saddled with an unfortunate name, toad lilies are some of the most dazzling plants in a shade garden. An intricate spotted pattern of cool violet-blue contrasts against the creamy white to catch the eye. Because toad lilies are small flowers, they are best planted where they can be admired up close.

15. Lollipop Flower (Pachystachys Lutea)

Graceful white flowers and dramatic yellow columns characterize the lollipop flower’s unique appeal. When grown in their native tropical climate, these flowers can grow large enough to act as a hedge. For gardens in cool temperate climates, the lollipop flower can give a tropical twist to your annual borders.

16. Checquered Lily (Fritillaria Meleagris)

Chequered lilies showcase some of the most unique coloration on this list. Muted purple and cool white create a chessboard effect on the petals. Because these dainty bell-shaped flowers grow less than 12 inches tall, they are best planted en masse or planted near walkways or seating areas where they can be seen.

17. Zulu Giant (Stapelia Gigantea)

With pale flowers that look like starfish, the Zulu giant flower is undeniably unusual. However, their unique appeal does not end with their startling appearance. Perfect for the gardener who enjoys the bizarre, this flower is pollinated by flies. To attract flies, it exudes an unpleasant smell and should be located accordingly in the garden.

18. Bird of Paradise Flower (Strelitzia Reginae)

Treasured for its ability to create a strong architectural focal point, the bird of paradise flower features one of the world’s most unique flowers. In a single flower, you can enjoy asymmetrical energy, vivid orange flower, and cool blue. If you enjoy challenges, a bird of paradise flower adds tropical flair to any landscape.

19. Hedgehog Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea ‘Coconut Lime’)

In the world of floriculture, finding an attractive green flower can feel like discovering a buried treasure. Images of these unique flowers show a lime green hedgehog-like central cone with white ray-shaped petals. With its unique coloring, this prairie wildflower can help your garden feel like a tropical paradise.

20. Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea Paniculata ‘Renhy’ Vanilla Strawberry)

While most varieties of panicle hydrangea feature familiar colors, the Vanilla Strawberry cultivar showcases color-changing flowers. When they first bloom, the flowers are a creamy vanilla white. As the flowers mature, they slowly darken to a deep strawberry pink. To enjoy a plant that provides a fresh look for each season, try these unique flowers.

21. Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus ‘Teddy Bear’)

Sunflowers are a flower often seen in United States gardens. Make a botanical splash by planting a variety like ‘Teddy Bear’ that showcases a fluffy double flower. Because this cultivar is closer to the ground than its towering cousins, it is at the perfect height for both children and adults to enjoy.

22. Marvel of the World (Mirabilis Jalapa)

Vibrant dappled petals are only part of what makes these gorgeous flowers a unique addition to your garden. Marvel of the world flowers opens every afternoon without fail. In the morning, the colorful flowers close again. To attract hummingbirds to your garden, plant as a specimen or a hedge.

23. Fringed Rosemallow (Hibiscus Schizopetalus)

Grace your garden with an evergreen shrub to enjoy these impressive flowers. Images of these unique flowers show what a great addition they are to any garden. Lacy petals arch back while the stamen droops in a daring display. If you live in a warmer climate, you can plant fringed rosemallows as a dramatic hedge.

24. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum × Superbum ‘Beaute Nivelloise’)

In a maelstrom of snowy-white petals, the Shasta daisy’s cheerful yellow eye seems to say that everything will turn out well. While most Shasta daisies showcase orderly white petals, this variety channels the untamed spirit that the flower symbolizes. This variety of Shasta daisies is a great way to jazz up your usual botanical style.

25. Firewheel (Gaillardia Pulchella)

Use these cheerful pinwheels to spice up your garden just in time for Independence Day. Because each petal appears to be a distinct trumpet-shaped flower, Firewheel is special. With a plot of Firewheel, you can enjoy a blanket of bright flowers all season with almost no maintenance.

26. Mickey Mouse Bush (Ochna Serrulata)

Plant a Mickey Mouse bush in your garden to enjoy a show all season long. In spring, attractive yellow flowers emerge. The yellow petals fall to be replaced by intense red petals and round fruits. These dark fruits bear more than a passing resemblance to Mickey Mouse and are a feature that children love.

27. Tetraploid Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Golden Tear Drops’)

Although this flower looks fancy, it is actually low-maintenance. Because it takes little effort or skill to successfully produce a plot of daylilies, these are some of the most popular perennial flowers. If you want to spice up your space, pick a cultivar with unusual features like fiercely ruffled edges or multiple colors.

Discover the 27 Most Unique Flowers to Plant this Year for an Unforgettable Garden

Over time, your botanical style will change. While some gardeners never tire of familiar friends, a gardener must occasionally grow. That can mean redesigning your entire landscape all at once or slowly replacing the flowers you have outgrown with new floral companions. While it can be difficult to embrace change, it is also exciting to begin a new journey.

If you are not ready to try a new species of flowers, start with a new variety of an old favorite like roses, hydrangeas, or daffodils. For gardeners who are ready for an adventure, there are plenty of fanciful flowers that offer exhilarating challenges and bountiful rewards.