Flowers That Start With B: 50 Beautiful Varieties to Admire (2024)

If you are a gardener, florist, or lover of nature, then you likely find the vast diversity of flowers and all of their unique features mesmerizing. With the sheer number of different species, hybrids, and cultivars to admire, it can be challenging to sift through all of the flowers Mother Nature has to offer. To help you discover new blossoms in a fun way, we’ve compiled this list (along with pictures, descriptions, native range, and fun facts) of 50 beautiful and common flowers that start with the letter ‘B’.

1. Baby Blue Eyes

Baby blue eyes are annual wildflowers that grow to a height of 30 cm and produce delicate, powder-blue flowers. The flowers have five petals surrounding a pastel yellow center. Baby blue eyes tend to grow in meadows, woodlands, and along the banks of streams. In fact, the genus name Nemophila references the flower’s love for these habitats, as it comes from the Greek words nemos (wooded pasture) and phileos (to love).

2. Bachelor’s Button

Bachelor’s buttons are lovely annual wildflowers that grow to be between 40 and 90 centimeters tall. They produce crown-like flowerheads with arrays of tiny, vibrant-blue flowers that sprout outward from a central point. Bachelor’s buttons are also often commonly called cornflowers because of their tendency to grow as weeds in cornfields. In the Victorian era, single men often wore bachelor’s buttons because, in the Victorian language of flowers, they symbolized celibacy and single blessedness.

3. Balsam

Balsam is a flowering annual with succulent-like stems that can grow to be 20 to 75 cm tall. It produces cup-shaped flowers with larger bottom lips in shades of pink, red, purple, white, and bicolor varieties. In the language of flowers, red balsam means “touch me not” and impatient resolve, and yellow balsam symbolizes impatience.

4. Barberton Daisy

Barberton daisies are flowering herbs prized for their large, vibrant, and very recognizable daisy-like flower blossoms. They have compact foliage and bloom from scapes that can be up to 75 cm tall. The flowers blossom in white and an array of saturated colors like pink, orange, yellow, and red. Generally, gerbera daisies symbolize cheerfulness, friendship, warmth, purity, innocence, and loyal love.

5. Basketflower

Basketflowers get their common name from the pattern found on their flower buds and the undersides of their flower heads. The pattern resembles the texture of a woven basket. The flowers are large at about four inches in diameter, and the plants grow quite tall at about six feet. The flowers are fuzzy and thistle-like, light pink, and creamy white in the center.

6. Begonia

Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants containing 2,053 accepted species. With so many species, the genus contains many plants, some of which are beloved for their beautiful foliage and others more prized for their stunning floral displays. In the language of flowers, begonia flowers mean “beware.”

7. Bellflower

Campanula is a genus of 448 accepted species of flowering plants commonly referred to as bellflowers. The common name refers to the bell-like shape of the flowers, which can be blue, purple, pink, or white. In the language of flowers, bellflowers symbolize either constancy (pyramidal or growing on racemes) or gratitude (small and white), depending on the specific variety of flowers.

8. Bitter Melon Flower

Bitter melon is one of many common names for a flowering vine within the gourd plant family. While it produces pretty and delicate yellow flowers, the vine is most noted for its fruits, which have been compared to melons and squash. Bitter melon is used as a food source in the regions where it grows commonly, and the actual bitterness and shape of the fruit vary significantly between varieties.

9. Bitterroot

Montana’s state flower, the bitterroot, is a low-growing perennial that produces small, cup-shaped, starry flowers with oblong petals in shades of white, light pink, and pale lavender. The roots are edible and were used as a food source by many Native American tribes. During the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Meriwether Lewis ate the roots and brought back specimens resulting in the plant’s scientific name. The plant’s common name refers to the bitter taste of the roots. It has also been referred to as the resurrection flower because it can spring back to life after a year without water.

10. Black Hollyhock

Black hollyhocks are tall perennials that produce large racemes of flowers in upright stalks. They’re perfect for growing along a fence or in the back of a flowerbed. Some of the most popular varieties of black hollyhocks include the ‘Jet Black’, ‘Nigra’, and ‘Blacknight’. In the language of flowers, hollyhocks represent ambition. Hollyhocks also symbolize fruitfulness, fertility, and the circle of life. In flowers, however, the color black is quite unusual and can convey farewells, mystery, and power.

11. Black Locust

Black locust is a hardwood deciduous tree that can grow to be up to 100 feet tall but typically only achieves a spread of two to four feet. Black locust trees have attractive blue-green foliage and produce impressive bunches of large, white flowers that are also highly fragrant with an aroma similar to orange blossoms. Due to their nature of spreading quickly and tolerating drought, black locust trees symbolize endurance and strength.

12. Black-Eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan is a type of coneflower beloved for its golden-yellow, daisy-like flowers surrounding prominent, fuzzy, cone-shaped, black centers. Black-eyed Susans grow wildly across most of the United States and are beloved by gardeners for their bright, sunny colors. Black-eyed Susans symbolize encouragement, motivation, and justice.

13. Blanket Flower

There are 21 accepted species of annual and perennial flowers, commonly called blanket flowers, belonging to the Gaillardia genus. Blanket flowers are prized for the truly striking appearance of their petals, which blossom in a gradient color pattern of yellows, oranges, reds, pinks, and purples that rival the colors of the sunset. These brightly colored petals surround prominent, dark, fuzzy centers. Blanket flowers symbolize happiness, charm, and modesty.

14. Bleeding Heart

The bleeding heart is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows with a clumping, shrub-like habit. It produces lovely foliage, and from its long, narrow branches sprout lines of the prettiest, most delicate, pendulous heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and red with white accents. As the common name suggests, bleeding hearts symbolize rejected or spurned love. However, they are also associated with compassion and the ability to speak freely.

15. Bletilla Orchid

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Bletilla is a genus containing six accepted species of orchids. These orchids are commonly called urn orchids, and their flower petals open up in butterfly-like shapes, wearing shades of pink, purple, and white. The most common of these orchids is the Bletilla striata. It can be found in most garden stores and floral shops that sell live plants. This species of Bletilla is popularly marketed under common names, including the hardy orchid and Chinese ground orchid.

16. Blue Columbine

Colorado’s state flower, the blue columbine, belongs to the buttercup family, but its flowers are much more intricate than a simple buttercup. Blue columbines have prominent centers of bright-yellow stamens that are immediately surrounded by five round petals, which are further encircled by five prominent, oval-shaped sepals. The petals and sepals are always different colors, and these contrasting colors include shades of blue, pink, yellow, and white. The specific name coerulea comes from the Latin word for sky-blue.

17. Blue Clematis

Clematis is a genus containing 384 accepted flowering plants, primarily lianas or vines. Some popular varieties of blue clematis flowers include Clematis durandii, ‘Sugar Sweet Blue’, and ‘Gabrielle.’ In the language of flowers, clematis symbolizes mental beauty. As such, clematis flowers symbolize mental ingenuity and artifice.

18. Blue Fescue

Blue fescue is a flowering grass species belonging to the grass plant family. Blue fescue grass grows in dome-shaped clumps of bluish-gray, blade-shaped foliage. When in bloom, tall and slender stems shoot upward from the clumps of grass, opening up with feathering racemes of flowers in a pale shade of green that fades to a buff tan as the blossoms mature.

19. Blue Flax

Also known as wild blue flax or prairie flax, blue flax is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows wild across much of North America. The stems are slender with relatively sparse foliage and produce round, five-petaled flowers in a striking yet delicate blue flowers. Blue flax’s specific name lewisii is an homage to the explorer Meriwether Lewis. In the language of flowers, flax symbolizes fate, domestic injury, and the phrase, “I feel your kindness.”

20. Blue Grass

Poa is a genus containing 573 accepted species of grasses, many of which are commonly referred to as blue grass. The genus has a diverse array of grass species that can thrive in various climates, from coastal areas, swamps, and bogs to arid meadows. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is one of the most well-known species of the Poa genus. Despite its common name, Kentucky bluegrass is not native to North America but was actually brought to the New World by Spanish explorers.

21. Blue Lupine

Lupinus polyphyllus is a species of one of more than 600 species of lupines within the legume plant family. This species grows to nearly five feet in height. It produces finger-shaped foliage and large, cone-shaped racemes of vibrant blue flowers. This variety of lupine primarily attracts bumblebees. In the language of flowers, lupine flowers symbolize imagination and voraciousness.

22. Blue Mistflower

Blue mistflower is a common wildflower in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada. It can grow to be about three feet in height, has triangular, deep-green foliage, and produces flat-topped panicles of flowers in a dusty shade of blue. Individually, the flowers are disc florets, and their proliferation of fine petals creates a misty visual effect that attracts both bees and butterflies. The specific name comes from the Latin word caelum which means heavens and refers to the sky-like color of the flowers.

23. Bluecrown Passion Flower

The bluecrown passion flower is a woody, evergreen, or deciduous vine that produces unusually complex yet beautiful flowers in shades of blue and white. Passion flowers have a strong symbolic association with Christianity. The coronal filaments are said to symbolize Christ’s crown of thorns worn during the passion, and the ten petals are symbols of the apostles who remained faithful to Jesus throughout the Passion. In the language of flowers, passion flowers symbolize religious superstition.

24. Blue Poppy

Also known as the Himalayan blue poppy, this flower opens up in an icy shade of blue. The blue hue of these poppies is a color rarely seen in nature and resembles the azure color of blue-raspberry-flavored candies and drinks. The Himalayan blue poppy is the national symbol of Bhutan. It represents psychic skills, possibilities, and potential.

25. Blue Sage

Also known as azure sage, prairie sage, and blue sage, Salvia azurea is a perennial wildflower that tends to grow in grasslands. The plant features vibrantly hued blue flowers that are two-lipped, pitcher-shaped, and spiraled around square stems. In the language of flowers, sage symbolizes domestic virtue, and garden sage represents esteem.

26. Blue Mist Spirea

Caryopteris x clandonensis is a hybrid cross of Caryopteris incana and Caryopteris mongholica. Its common names include blue mist spirea, blue spirea, and Bluebeard. The plant is a perennial shrub that has pleasantly fragrant foliage and produces racemes of misty or cloud-like flowers during summer. This shrub is an excellent addition to garden beds at two to three feet tall and wide. Spirea symbolizes wealth and prosperity, creative growth, success, and victory over hardship.

27. Blue-Eyed Grass

More than 206 species of flowering plants, commonly called blue-eyed grasses, belong to the Sisyrinchium genus within the iris plant family. Although these plants resemble grass with their long, slender foliage and tendency to grow in grasslands, they are not true grasses. They produce lovely blue flowers with dark-blue veining and bright-yellow centers when in bloom.

28. Bouvardia

There are 57 accepted species of flowering plants belonging to the Bouvardia plant genus. These plants produce showy clusters of tubular flowers in shades of red, pink, salmon, and white. Named for Charles Bouvard, King Louis VIII’s physician, and superintendent of Paris’s Jardin du Roi, bouvardia flowers symbolize enthusiasm. As a result, they’re popularly included in bouquets arranged for celebratory occasions.

29. Borage

Borage is an annual flowering herb that is also commonly called starflower due to the star-like appearance of its perfectly shaped, five-petaled flowers. The flowers appear in clusters opening up from fuzzy buds. The name borage is thought to possibly have come from the Celtic word borach which means courage. In the language of flowers, borage symbolizes bluntness.

30. Bottlebrush

Callistemon is a genus of flowering shrubs belonging to the myrtle plant family, commonly called bottlebrushes. The common name for these plants refers to the appearance of their inflorescences which are fuzzy and cylindrical in shape, creating a strong resemblance between the household bottlebrushes used for cleaning bottles. The flowers can be white, scarlet, red, pink, mauve, or yellow. Bottlebrush flowers have been symbolically associated with strength and unity.

31. Brain Cactus

The brain cactus, a type of succulent, gets its common name from the resemblance of its folded and tightly wound recumbent stems to the folded surface of a brain. The brain cactus is often symbolically associated with themes of resilience, endurance, adaptability, and tenacity due to its ability to thrive in a harsh, desert environment. For fun, they can also be used to represent brains, making them a good gift for your favorite graduate or the most intelligent person you know.

32. Bridal Wreath Spirea

The bridal wreath spirea is a deciduous shrub with arching, reddish-brown branches that produce clusters of petite, double-white flowers in the purest shade of bridal white. Flowers and small, green leaves adorn the branches in spring and summer. In fall, the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange, putting on a perfectly gorgeous late-season display.

33. Bright Eyes

Bright eyes is a garden variety of phlox, an herbaceous perennial. It grows to be about two feet in height and produces large pyramid-shaped racemes of flowers. The flower clusters consist of multitudes of tubular blossoms that open up with five lobes that resemble flowers. The flowers are a light shade of rosy pink with deeper, pinkish-red centers. Bright eyes attract birds, bees, and butterflies to the garden. In the language of flowers, phlox symbolizes unanimity.

34. Brittlebush

Britttlebush is a deciduous desert shrub that sheds its silvery leaves during the dry season to preserve water in its stems. The shrub can grow to be almost five feet in height. Brittlebush flowers are produced in panicles and are comprised of prominent disc and ray florets that resemble bright-yellow daisies or coneflowers. Resin collected from the plant’s fragrant yellow foliage has been used to make incense that smells similar to frankincense.

35. Bromeliad

Bromeliaceae is a plant family containing 73 genera and about 3,700 species of plants, commonly called bromeliads. The family includes a wide array of plants, including terrestrial plants, epiphytes, aerophytes, and some with a climbing growth habit. Many types of bromeliads are popular ornamental plants (Aechmea bromeliad, portea bromeliad, and hechtia bromeliad), but the species of bromeliad that is likely the most popular and widely grown is the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus).

36. Brown-Eyed Susan

Cousins of the more well-known black-eyed Susan, brown-eyed Susans grow taller than their cousins, reaching up to about five feet. They also produce slightly smaller blossoms. Though smaller, the flowers are no less vibrant, with golden-yellow petals and fuzzy, brownish-purple centers. In the language of flowers, rudbeckia flowers symbolize justice.

37. Burning Bush

Euonymus alatus is a flowering, deciduous shrub. That that has vibrant green foliage and small greenish-white flowers during the spring and summer. However, the plant’s real attraction is the shade of scarlet worn by its leaves in autumn. While given the common name, burning bush, about the plant’s fiery-looking foliage, it can also be considered a biblical reference to the burning bush, which appeared to Moses in The Book of Exodus.

38. Buttercup

Buttercup flowers rise up from long, lobed clumps of basal foliage. The flowers are cup-shaped and buttery yellow in color. The petite flowers are usually among the first to appear in late winter or early spring. In the language of flowers, buttercups symbolize childishness and ingratitude. Today, buttercup flowers symbolize purity, friendship, joy, youthfulness, and happiness.

39. Butterfly Bush

Buddleja is a genus containing 113 accepted species of plants commonly called butterfly bushes. The genus is comprised of mainly flowering shrubs and a few small trees and can be either evergreen or deciduous. Butterfly bushes are prized for their large, showy, cone-shaped racemes of petite flowers. When in bloom, they create a stunning explosion of colors, such as orange, yellow, pink, violet, purple, and white. The butterfly bush symbolizes resurrection, new beginnings, and rebirth.

40. Butterwort

There are 121 accepted species in the Pinguicula genus. They are commonly known as butterworts. These plants are carnivorous and use their sticky leaves to attract, trap, and digest various insects. The nutrition they absorb from the insects they eat helps to supplement the usually poor mineral content of the soil in which they tend to grow. Butterwort flowers sprout on long, slender stems high above the sticky leaves. This protects pollinators (that the plant needs for reproduction) from becoming stuck on their hungry leaves.

41. Buttonbush

Buttonbush is a flowering deciduous plant that can grow as either a shrub or small tree up to and sometimes beyond 12 feet in height. The buttonbush is most recognizable for its unusual flowers. They blossom in clusters and, with their spherical inflorescences, resemble spiky, white pom-poms. These plants commonly grow in wetlands such as the Everglades and other swamps, marshes, and riparian zones.

42. Bush Violet

Bush violet is a species of flowering plant with a spreading growth habit. They produce pretty two-inch flowers in shades of blue, purple, and white. Unlike most other plants from the nightshade family, bush violet flowers are asymmetrical, and this is why they are described as like violets. Other common names for the bush violet include the Jamaican forget-me-not and amethyst flower.

43. Butterfly Weed

Butterfly weed is a vibrant species of milkweed that produces clusters of fragrant, nectar-rich, bright-orange flowers that butterflies love. In the language of flowers, butterfly weed means “Let me go.” Today, butterfly weed has become strongly symbolic of immigration – especially immigrants emigrating north from Mexico and Central and South America – because the monarch butterflies that migrate from South America to North America make stops at these flowers along the way.

44. Bluebell

Bluebell is a bulbous perennial plant characterized by long (20-inch) stems that gracefully arch, carrying the weight of their attractive, characteristic inflorescences. The inflorescences consist of a series of pendulous, bell-shaped flowers in a mesmerizing shade of violet-blue. In the language of flowers, bluebell flowers symbolize constancy and humility. They are also associated with ever-lasting love and gratitude.

45. Bird of Paradise

There are just five accepted species of perennial flowering plants commonly called birds of paradise in the Strelitzia genus. These exotic-looking flowers get their common name from the appearance of their inflorescences, which resemble the colorful plumage of tropical birds. They are regularly included in tropical floral bouquets and are also popular houseplants. Bird of Paradise flowers symbolize faithfulness, love, and thoughtfulness.

46. Bird’s Foot Trefoil

The bird’s foot trefoil is an herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the pea plant family. The plant’s foliage grows low to the ground (usually no taller than eight inches) and has a sprawling habit with long, 20-inch stems. The flowers are a lovely golden-yellow color, and they sprout in tiny clusters before giving way to pea-like pods. In the language of flowers, the bird’s foot trefoil represented revenge.

47. Blue Grama

Blue grama is a species of perennial grass that makes up much of the vegetation found growing in the Great Plains of the United States. It’s long-lived, low-growing, and drought-tolerant, and these features make it a low-maintenance choice for native landscaping. When in bloom, tall stems rise up from the clumps of grass blades to produce a comb-like row of spikes that eventually give way to seeds.

48. Blackthorn

Blackthorn is a flowering perennial plant that belongs to the rose plant family. It grows into large, deciduous shrubs or small trees with thorned branches. When a blackthorn blooms, it produces a proliferation of snowy-white flower blossoms that completely cover its branches. In the language of flowers, blackthorn symbolizes difficulty. It is also associated with bad luck, black magic, and witchcraft. These negative and dark connotations are likely associated with the plant’s thorns and its dark, almost-black berries.

49. Black Mondo Grass

Black mondo grass is an evergreen plant that produces long, blade-shaped foliage in a blackish-green hue and produces white or purple flowers. Despite its clumps of blade-like foliage, black mondo grass isn’t actually grass at all. It belongs to the asparagus plant family and has rhizomatic root systems. Other common names include black dragon and black lilyturf.

50. Bladderwort

Utricularia is a genus containing 269 accepted species of flowering carnivorous plants that catch and digest prey using sophisticated, bladder-like traps, which are actually modified leaves. The genus consists of both aquatic and terrestrial species. To prevent pollinators from being eaten, bladderwort flowers blossom high above their dangerous foliage, opening up with two prominent petal-like lobes.

Flowers That Start With the Letter ‘B’ FAQs:

A ‘B’eautiful Garden of Flowers That Start With the Letter ‘B’

Thinking about flowers in terms of their names means that you can discover a whole new variety for your garden. Whether you plant a garden of all ‘B’ flowers or plant the whole alphabet, you’re sure to grow beauty and add to your home’s curb appeal.

For more, see our in-depth guide to:

• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘A’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘C’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘D’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘E’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘F’
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• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘N’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘O’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘P’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘Q’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘R’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘S’
• 50 beautiful flowers that start with the letter ‘T’