True-Blue Hues for You

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Amy Dee Stephens

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Photo Credit: Holly Chichester

‘Blue Daze’ dwarf morning glory won’t have you in a purple haze – it’s really a blue bloomer!

I learned my colors in kindergarten. The sky is blue. Water is blue. My eyes are blue. They are not purple.

So why in the gardening world are purple plants called blue?

After much pondering and research, here’s the best layman’s answer I can offer: It comes down to the three primary colors. The varying shades of plant colors are all rooted in red, yellow or blue. Since red and blue combine to create purple, plants with almost any blue (cool tones) are considered to be “in the blue range.” You get it now, right? (Of course, it’s rare to find pink flowers that are named red something-or-other, but that’s just how it works.) You can’t trust plants’ names to be accurate. But it certainly explains why a flower like Carpet Blue petunia looks suspiciously like the color of a certain purple dinosaur.

Putting the pesky color wheel aside, blue is my favorite flower color. Perhaps the most appealing thing about bright blue is that it’s not common in nature. Plants and animals in shades of blue are real standouts. Hence, our attraction to bluebirds, blueberries and blue blooms.

Someday, I’m going to have an entire garden bed dedicated to truly blue flowers – without a purple wannabe in sight. I’ve been gathering my plant wish list based on my own visual verification so that the color is just right. Based on my judgment of what’s blue and what’s purple, here’s my Top 10 list of strikingly true-blue flowers:

The Bluest of the Blues

‘Blue Daze’ dwarf morning glory (Evolvulus ‘Blue Daze’) eats up the heat! Unlike most morning glories, this plant doesn’t act as a vine and climb – it’s a low-spreading mound. The sky blue flowers only last a day, but the next morning, the silvery leaves are again host to dozens of new blooms. (USDA hardiness zones 13-15)

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Photo Credit: Amy Dee Stephens

Want butterflies? Try ‘Black and Blue’ salvia in your true-blue garden.

‘Black and Blue’ salvia (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’) and gentian sage (Salvia patens) have tall stalks of cobalt blue flowers complemented by bright green leaves. The sepal, or base, of ‘Black and Blue’ flowers really looks black – although it’s actually a deep, dark purple if you look closely. (USDA hardiness zones 7-10)

Facts

A number of shade-loving plants have “blue” leaves – or they have cool blue undertones. For example, the dark green leaves of some hostas are covered in a waxy coating that gives them a bluish-silver cast.
You can bring more blue into your garden by attracting blue butterflies with certain plants. Each butterfly species has its own preferences for host and nectar plants, so find out which species flitter in your area and what they like, then plant away!

Tips

For eye-popping color combinations, pair your blue-toned plants with yellow flowers. For a “calmer” feel to your garden, white and pale pink make better complementary colors.
When photographing blue flowers, turn off the flash. The yellow light from it alters the color’s appearance and often causes the blue to appear more purple.

Come to The Garden Party and share your garden success stories with the rest of our Learn2Grow community! Post some pictures of your blue-tiful yard, create a blog, or learn from our experts and other home gardeners some more ways to add blue hues to your landscape.

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