Red flowers bring intensity and movement to the garden. Whether you create a massive red flower bed or simply pepper the area with red clusters, you’ll feel the garden gains in depth. A great many plant species display deep red blooms in different tones and hues.
Here are three magnificent red-flowered bulbs, three perennials and three shrubs that unveil crimson beauties over the year! Discover:
Bulbs, perennials and shrubs each play a different part in a red garden: some carry the colour high at the back of a bed, others spill over edges and pots. This table gathers the nine selections, what their flowers look like and where each one belongs.
The nine red flowers at a glance
Variety
Type
Flower and season
Where to plant
Dahlia ‘Dark Spirit’
Bulb
Pom-pom flower lined red and crimson, June to October
Flower beds, edges, garden boxes
Amaryllis ‘Red Lion’
Bulb
Fragrant trumpet on a tall stem, September to October
Beds, edges, garden boxes, rock gardens
Tulipa praestans ‘Fusilier’
Bulb
Several imperial red flowers per stem in March-April
Flower beds, edges, garden boxes
Achillea millefolium ‘Summerwine’
Perennial
Violet-red flat corymbs over fragrant foliage
Beds, rocky terrain, wild prairie settings, pots
Paeonia tenuifolia ‘Plena’
Perennial
Globe-shaped crimson double flowers, April to May
Flower beds and pots
Canna indica
Perennial
Small red flowers held upright, August to October
Beds, pots, standalone
Nerium oleander ‘Otalia’
Shrub
Simple flowers with five deep red petals
Hedge, growing beds, standalone, large containers
Rhododendron ‘Red Jack’
Shrub
Clusters of trumpet-like, large ruby red flowers
Hedge, growing beds, standalone, large containers
Rosa x polyantha ‘Marondo’
Shrub (ground cover)
Velvety semi-double roses with yellow stamens, June to October
Atop a mound, in beds, in containers
Read across the table and the reds can be staggered from the first tulips through to the last roses of autumn.
3 red bulb flowers
Plant these in Fall or Spring for your bulbs to decorate your flower beds. Most species also have many other colors, too. Here are three specific varieties that only bear red flowers. They’re perfect for flower beds and pot compositions, and you can also cut them for elegant bouquets.
Dahlia
‘Dark Spirit’ repeats its crimson pom-poms until October
Variety: ‘Dark Spirit’
Blooming: a classic pom-pom flower with red and crimson linings appears repeatedly between June and October.
Foliage: regular green rounded folioles.
Planting: from March to May.
Location: in flower beds, along edges, and garden boxes.
Amaryllis
Variety: ‘Red Lion’,
Blooming: an evanescent fragrance wafts from a trumpet-shaped flower atop a tall, elegant stem. Blooming period is September-October.
Foliage: long, green leaves sprout from the base of the flower stem once the blooming is over.
Planting: in April-May or August-September.
Location: in flower beds, along edges, garden boxes and rock gardens.
Foliage: long, wide blue-green leaves that wrap around right from the base of the stem.
Planting: from September to November.
Location: in flower beds, along edges, and garden boxes.
3 red-flowered perennials
Perennials win the top spot in terms of convenience! Set them up in a flower bed or pot, and they bloom again every year. Here are 3 perennials selected for their dramatically unique styles: wild and free yarrow, elegant and noble peony, and adventurous exotic canna.
Foliage: long, extremely narrow leaves, similar to those of fennel.
Planting: from February to May or from September to November.
Location: in flower beds and pots.
Canna
Variety:Canna indica (shown in feature image)
Blooming: sophisticated small red flowers with an upright bearing from August to October.
Foliage: long wide lanceolate green leaves that form a clump.
Planting: from March to June, after the last frosts have subsided.
Location: in flower beds, pots and as standalones.
3 red-blooming flower shrubs
Shrubs are also a valuable option, they bring volume to the garden and fill in the rear portions of flower beds. These flowering shrubs will also bring a lot of color! As a backdrop to other shorter bloomers, you’ll find that that oleander, rhododendron and rose bushes truly live up to their reputation of abundant blooming.
Oleander
Variety:Nerium oleander ‘Otalia’
Blooming: cute and simple flowers with 5 deep red petals.
Foliage: linear, green leaves that escalate around each branch, forming a beautiful flowered shrub.
Planting: in April or October.
Location: as a hedge, in growing beds, as a standalone and in large containers.
Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.