12 Flowering Plants That Produce Big, Eye-Catching Blooms

Angel's Trumpets

Grown as a woody shrub or tree, angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) can thrive outdoors in warm climates and in containers in cold ones, says Dave Whitinger, the executive director of the National Gardening Association. Its cone-shaped flowers—as big as 24 inches long, depending on the cultivar—dangle downward like trumpets from the heavens.

"If you have a Brugmansia on your patio where it gets plenty of sunlight during the day, at night you can sit outside, and it just it fills the air with the sweetest fragrance," says Whitinger. Enthusiasts buy and sell cuttings online, but be aware that it's toxic to humans and animals.

• Zones: 9 to 11 (and as an annual in colder zones)
• Size: 6 to 35 feet tall x 3 to 10 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun (with afternoon shade in very hot regions); moist, well-draining soil

Panicle Hydrangea

Just about any hydrangea variety will add drama to your yard, but there's something special about panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata). This flowering plant grows massive cone-shaped flowers that bloom on new wood and put on quite the color show: Flower heads emerge as white or green in mid-summer, fading to gentle pink or red as the season draws to a close.

• Zones: 3 to 9
• Size: up to 10 feet tall x 10 feet wide
• Care requirements: Full sun or partial shade; well-drained soil
  

Astra Blue Balloon Flower

Buds on this perennial inflate like living balloons, opening into large bell-shaped flowers from early spring through late summer. In addition to the super-cool periwinkle hue, astra blue (Platycodon grandifloras 'Astra Blue') also comes in pink and white. 

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Size: 8 to 24 inches tall x 8 to 18 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full to partial sun; rich, loamy, well-draining soil

Dahlia

This bulb perennial's massive flowers bloom from mid- to late summer. They're striking in cut arrangements, where they can hold their own for nearly a week. Bloom colors range from sumptuous tangerine and electric purple to the prettiest pale pinks. Want even more drama? Dinner plate dahlias have enormous blooms that can measure 10 inches across. 

• Zones: 8 to 10
• Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full to partial sun (with afternoon shade in very hot regions); fertile, moist, well-draining soil

Daylily

Decades of dedicated breeding have produced nearly 100,000 different varieties of daylily (Hemerocallis). Newer selections with 44 chromosomes—twice the normal number—have bigger flowers and bigger, darker green leaves, so you get a much bolder statement in the garden, says Whitinger. Among his favorites are strawberry candy, which features yellow-and-pink blooms, and Webster's pink wonder, which has 13-inch flowers with spidery petals and a gorgeous chartreuse center.

• Zones: 3 to 10
• Size: 6 to 60 inches tall x 12 to 48 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full to partial sun; rich, well-draining soil 

Globe Thistle

Globe thistle (Echinops) produces ball-shaped, bluish-purple blossoms that add a playful touch to your garden. Their height and whimsical nature make them look as though they're dancing above everything else, Whitinger says. These tough little blooms hold their own in arrangements, too.

• Zones: 3 to 10
• Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

Disco Belle Pink Hibiscus

This tropical perennial produces big, pink blooms with stunning red eyes from July to September. "The flowers are humongous," says Dawn Fradkin, a horticulturist with Colorado State University Extension in Arapahoe County, where intense sunlight and clay soils can be a challenge for gardeners. "They're just striking for our area and our environment," she says.

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Size: 24 to 30 inches tall 18 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; rich, moist soil

Ornamental Tobacco

Also known as woodland tobacco, Nicotiana sylvestris has a floral scent that is reminiscent of jasmine. Southern gardeners love its pendant clusters of trumpet-shaped white flowers, which resemble shooting stars and bloom from early through mid-fall.

• Zones: 10 to 11
• Size: 36 to 60 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; rich, moist, well-draining soil

Red Feathers

A wildflower that thrives even in dry conditions, red feathers (Echium amoenum) have fringed 12- to 15-inch flower spikes in a beautiful raspberry-crimson color, Fradkin says. Pinch off spent blossoms to keep them blooming, but hold off late in the growing season to encourage reseeding. 

• Zones: 3 to 9
• Size: 12 to 16 inches tall x 6 to 10 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; evenly moist to dry, well-draining sandy loam

Red Yucca

Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), also known as hummingbird yucca, is actually a member of the century plant, or agave Americana, family. Its bright red tubular flowers keep on blooming even in summer's hottest months, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden.

• Zones: 5 to 10
• Size: 36 to 60 inches tall x 48 to 72 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; dry, sandy soil with excellent drainage

Texas Bluebonnet

Plant this fragrant, winter-hardy annual en masse to cut a dramatic swath through your garden. It reseeds vigorously, so you can look forward to new blooms every spring. If you're in search of cool hues, check out the Lady Bird Johnson Royal Blue bluebonnet, a violet-blue overachiever named after the former first lady who advocated for the spread of wildflowers along Texas roadways.

• Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; dry, fast-draining soil

True Lily

Part of the genus Lilium, true lilies produce striking flowers in a huge range of colors. Their long vase life and dramatic blooms—think bright spots, ruffled petals, and elegant curves—have made them some of the most popular cut flowers in the world.

• Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 1 to 12 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun or partial shade; well-drained soil