Red flowers draw attention to a garden. Planting all red can practically stop traffic! Red flowers, particularly red roses, signify love, but crimson blooms can also represent strength, family bonds, good luck, security, and prosperity, so adding this bold hue may bring many good things to your garden beyond beauty. A bouquet of fresh-cut red flowers will brighten a kitchen table or primary bedroom nightstand in a way other colors of blossoms can't.
Red flowers pair beautifully with orange, yellow, and white blooms. Read on to learn all about some of our favorites to add to your garden. We have everything you need to know to grow them and boost the color of your landscape.
Zinnia
One of the best annual cut flowers, zinnias bloom in a wide range of colors. They don't mind hot, dry conditions and will reward you with flowers all summer long. They're also a pollinator favorite, so they'll draw butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.
Plant Name: Zinnia elegans
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: Annual
Plant it with: Zinnia looks gorgeous with finer-textured cosmos or brightly colored marigolds.
Shirley Poppy
This easy-to-grow annual is a surefire way to add a dose of bright red flowers to a spring garden. In the North, sprinkle seeds of this wildflower in spring; in the South, plant them in the fall.
Plant Name: Papaver rhoeas
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: Annual
Plant it with: Other wildflowers, such as Texas bluebonnet or bachelor's buttons.
Knock Out Rose
Traditional roses are beautiful but require a lot of work. Add a big dose of color the easy way with Knock-out roses. These hardy, long-blooming roses require virtually no care and still put on a massive show.
Plant Name: Rosa 'Knock Out'
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4-9
Plant it with: To extend the rose's bloom season, mix in some peonies (which are also virtually carefree).
Celosia
A top-notch cut red flower, celosia also dries well, making it a favorite of crafters who like to make dried flower arrangements. If you don't have the heart to cut it, celosia is a great garden plant that reliably blooms all summer.
Plant Name: Celosia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 2 feet tall and wide
Zones: 10, but usually grown as an annual
Plant it with: White cosmos or zinnias for a perfect summer bouquet.
Peony
Plants don't get much easier to grow than peonies, which can thrive for years in a sunny spot with no real care. When they're not in bloom, peonies have deep green and leathery foliage that stands up to any weather.
Plant Name: Paeonia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 4 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3-7
Plant it with: Iris for a gorgeous, old-fashioned, fragrant perennial combo.
Dianthus
One of the best fragrant red flowers you can grow, many types of dianthus also offer attractive foliage so they look great when they're not in bloom. The annual types in particular are great for containers.
Plant Name: Dianthus selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Plant Size: To 3 feet tall and wide, depending on type
Zones: 3-9, depending on type; some are commonly grown as annuals
Grow it with: The silvery foliage of dusty miller or lamb's ear is a great foil for boldly colored dianthus blooms.
Tuberous Begonia
A regal plant that's well-suited for shade, tuberous begonias offer full, double red flowers over attractive foliage. Though actually perennials that grow from tubers, they're often grown as annuals.
Here's a hint: Don't overwater tuberous begonias; they rot easily.
Plant Name: Begonia selections
Growing Conditions: Shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 18 inches tall and wide
Zones: 10; in colder areas, dig and save the tubers in a frost-free place for winter.
Plant it with: Double impatiens are a perfect plant partner with their opulent flowers.
Pentas
If you want to attract butterflies, pentas is the plant to add to your garden. It bears stunning clusters of bright red flowers. It's also an easy plant to grow as it tolerates heat, humidity, and drought like a champ.
Plant Name: Pentas lanceolata
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and wide
Zones: 10, but usually grown as an annual in colder areas
Plant it with: Lantana is a perfect plant partner; both love hot, dry conditions and attract scores of butterflies.
Dahlia
From charming little front-of-the-border annuals to massive plants with flowers bigger than your head, dahlias can be counted on to make a statement in the garden.
Plant Name: Dahlia selections
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: From 6 inches to 6 feet tall; to 2 feet wide
Zones: 8-10; dig and store the tubers in a frost-free spot in colder areas
Plant it with: Dahlias look great with gladiolus—both in the garden and in the vase.
Columbine
Bright color isn't just for the sun! Add bold red flowers in early summer with columbine. This easy-growing perennial blooms for weeks and attracts hummingbirds, to boot.
Plant Name: Aquilegia canadensis
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide
Zones: 3-8
Plant it with: Red columbines look fantastic with white-flowering perennial geraniums, which bloom at the same time.