Pink is a soothing color, known to calm emotions. In a garden setting you can use pink flowers to make a relaxed setting feel even more comfortable and add a general sense of well-being. There are many shades of pink to choose from, so whether you prefer a soft pastel pink or a vibrant hot pink, you’re sure to find a pink tone suited to your design scheme.
Perennial pink flowers can be enjoyed year after year and require less maintenance than annual flowers. However, annuals add a pop of instant color, bloom all summer long, and you can easily experiment with new flower varieties every year, or even change your mind in the same season! Climbing plants with pink flowers can make a lovely addition to a trellis or chain-link fence. Many of the pink flowers in our list can be grown in pots for your deck, patio, or balcony.
Here are suggestions for popular pink flowers based on the plant’s size and whether they are annual or perennial. Discover how easy it is to bring the relaxing effects of pink into your landscape!
Tall Perennial Pink Flowers
Tall flowering perennials can be used to create a dramatic and colorful background for shorter plants. Use a clump to create a strong focal point for a corner or in the center of an “island” planting. Tall plants also have the advantage of bringing the beauty of flowers closer to eye-level.
Prairie Mallow (Sidalcea hybrid)
Produces elegant spikes of satiny textured, bright pink flowers in summer. Resembles a compact hollyhock. Creates a great vertical line in the garden and lots of color impact when planted in groups. Perfect for planting with other wildflowers to create a cottage garden look. Excellent for planting along fences and walls. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)
This plant gets the common name “Fireweed” from its tendency to quickly colonize burnt areas following forest fires. Fireweed thrives in cool climates and mountain meadows. It is the official flower of the Canadian Yukon territory. This is great selection for gardeners with short growing seasons. Great naturalized along the border of moist woodlands. Beautiful in mixed garden borders.
Hollyhock Mallow ‘Fastigiata’ (Malva alcea)
A deceptively delicate-looking plant that can withstand some pretty challenging conditions. Hollyhock mallow is tolerant of most soil types and holds up under hot, dry conditions. This is a wonderful plant for attracting butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects to the garden. A great choice for large border plantings or naturalized areas where the plant can have the space to grow bush-like. Also excellent for planting along fences and walls.
Japanese Windflower (Anemone hupehensis)
A refreshing site in the late summer when many other garden plants have grown tired-looking. Flowers continue right up to frost in cold climates. This is sure to be a garden favorite! Terrific in mixed borders, rock gardens, or mass plantings. Looks great in woodland settings. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Excellent cut flowers.
Bergamot, Bee Balm (Monarda hybrid)
This wonderful, all-around performer emits a delightful scent. Bee balm produces whorled clusters of tubular florets and deliciously fragrant foliage. Flowers are loved by hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Outstanding for planting near walkways, decks and patios where scent can be enjoyed. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens.
Garden Peony, Chinese Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
Large, lush blooms bring grace, beauty and often fragrance to the late spring and early summer garden. Varieties are available that offer single, semi-double or double blooms in a range of shades. Excellent for planting along a fence, wall, foundation, or in a mixed flower border. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Oriental Lily (Lilium hybrid)
Oriental lilies are fragrant hybrids originally derived from three Lilium species native to East Asia. Their leaves are more lance-like and the bloom clusters a bit less orderly than those of Asiatic lilies. Lots of flower colors and plant heights are available, so try them in multiple locations, planting extra for cut flowers! Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Nice for larger patio containers. Best planted in groups.
Daylily (Hemerocallis hybrid)
Daylilies are tough and adaptable, yet their form is elegant and refined. Each trumpet-like bloom of a daylily only lasts for one day. Most varieties offer up daily blooms for several weeks and some rebloom throughout the entire summer. Plant a mix of daylilies with different colors and bloom times to assure a colorful garden for months. Combines beautifully with ornamental grasses.
Garden Phlox, Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
The Phlox paniculata species is an upright growing phlox perfect for bringing color and height to mixed perennial plantings. Large, fragrant bloom clusters are produced from summer into autumn. Remove spent bloom clusters to encourage continued flowering. Effective in borders and cutting gardens. Ideal for specimen, foundations, and mass plantings. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Medium Height Perennial Pink Flowers
Medium-height perennial flowers are the perfect filler between taller perennials or shrubs and lower, edging plants. They can also be planted in a row along a wall or fence to create a dense flow of color in an otherwise barren setting. Medium-sized perennials are useful for foundation plantings where you don’t want the view of your home overwhelmed with plantings.
Stonecrop, Upright Sedum ‘Pink Bomb’ (Sedum spectabile)
A fantastic, compact stonecrop variety with sturdy stems that won’t droop under the weight of dense flower clusters. Terrific for hot, dry locations and a refreshing burst of color in late summer when many plants start looking tired. A magnet for butterflies and other beneficial insects. A classic plant for rock gardens! Combines beautifully with small ornamental grasses.
Painted Daisy, Pyrethrum (Pyrethrum coccineum)
Dark green, feathery, aromatic foliage provides wonderful texture. Cheerfully colored daisy blooms, with sunny yellow centers, complete the picture. Removing spent blooms will assure the most continuous flowering. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets. Perfect for all kinds of containers.
Astilbe, False Spirea ‘Fireberry’ (Astilbe x arendsii)
Astilbe adds airy charm to the garden. Vibrant, raspberry-pink flowers above lush green foliage. This low-maintenance selection is certain to please. Makes a dependable mixed border plant. Looks great in woodland settings. Ideal for specimen, foundations, and mass plantings.
Strawberry Foxglove (Digitalis mertonensis)
Stately spikes of rose-pink, tubular blooms make a grand centerpiece or backdrop in a mixed border. Hummingbirds love this plant! Plant near a porch or patio where winged visitors can be enjoyed up close. Perfect for beds, borders, and woodland gardens. Perfectly suited to informal, naturalized settings.
Campion, Flower of Jove (Lychnis flos-jovis)
A mat-forming perennial with soft, silver-gray foliage that brings texture and contrast to the garden. An abundance of blooms covers this easy care alpine native throughout the summer. Wonderful for mixed borders and rock gardens.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Yarrow brings soft texture and long lasting color to the perennial garden with a minimal care. The Achillea millefolium species includes many of the deep red, pink, and orange hued varieties. Regardless of color they all attract butterflies and admiring eyes. An ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens.
Short Perennial Pink Flowers
Short flowering perennials bring color and interest along the edges of a large flower border. Use them as an edging plant along pavement or gravel paths, walkways, or a patio. Many are appropriate for use in containers, either solo or mixed with other plants.
Bloody Cranesbill ‘Max Frei’ (Geranium sanguineum)
Carmine-rose, cup-shaped flowers over a mound of deeply divided foliage. One of the best perennials for multi-season interest. The foliage adds beautiful texture to the garden even when the plant is not in bloom. Excellent for borders, rock gardens, or mass plantings. A reliable groundcover for any location. Plant in groups for increased color impact.
Fringed Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia)
Fern-like foliage combines well with dainty, heart-shaped flowers. The perfect choice for brightening lifeless shaded areas. A favorite for traditional perennial gardens. Beautiful in shady borders and woodland gardens. Makes a dependable mixed border plant. Combines well with Hosta in woodland gardens.
Hardy Hybrid Ice Plant (Delosperma hybrid)
Delosperma bring long-lasting, brilliant color to the most challenging of hot, dry planting sites. The fleshy, mat forming foliage sparkles in the sunlight and softens harsh surroundings. Perfectly sized for rock gardens and border fronts. A reliable groundcover for any location. Tumbles beautifully over rocks, slopes, and banks.
Evening Primrose ‘Siskiyou’ (Oenothera berlandieri)
Fragrant, papery pink flower cups on a compact, spreading plant. The blooms appear throughout most of summer into autumn. The flowers are loved by hummingbirds! Plants are perfectly sized for rock gardens and border fronts. Tumbles beautifully over rocks, slopes, and banks. A reliable groundcover for any location.
English Primrose (Primula acaulis)
English primroses bring a welcome splash of color to the early season landscape. Colorful, sometimes fragrant flowers bloom during cool weather. Easy to grow and very rewarding. A beautiful choice for shady borders and woodland gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Especially nice for mixing with spring bulbs.
English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
These cool season bloomers provide a long lasting display of cheerful, pom-pom shaped flowers. Plant English daisies with spring-blooming bulbs like daffodils, tulips, and hyacinth for a spectacular spring display. Also combines well with cool-season annuals like stock, English primrose, and pansies.Perfectly sized for rock gardens, border fronts, or pots.
Climbing Perennials with Pink Flowers
Climbing perennial plants with pink flowers are an easy way to “drape” elegant color along a fence, privacy trellis, or trained to a wall. Climbing plants can also be grown in a large pot with a cage or trellis for support.
Large Flowered Clematis (Clematis patens)
Easy-care, vining plant that produces some of the largest blooms among all of the Clematis species. Flowers can be expected over a long season, from late spring into summer. Flower buds are produced on previous year’s wood, so pruning should be done immediately after the blooming period ends. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises.
Everlasting Sweet Pea, Perennial Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)
Fragrant, pea-type flowers bloom from mid-to-late summer. Winged stems produce soft foliage that clings effortlessly with many tendrils. For a truly cottage look let it ramble amongst your roses. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. A reliable groundcover for any location. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea species)
This South American native is easy to grow and offers a spectacular display of color all season long. In addition to adding a lush, tropical feel to the landscape, bougainvillea is drought tolerant, salt tolerant, and thrives in just about any well-drained soil. The vines can be pruned to maintain desired size. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. Nice for larger patio containers.
Tall Annual Pink Flowers
Tall annual flowers are a great way to bring consistent color to a perennial flower garden. As the perennial plants go in and out of bloom, annuals continue to fill the space with color. Tall annual plants are also perfect for creating a central focal point for a mixed planter or add height and dimension to large or small garden spaces.
Tall Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
A must-have for gardeners who enjoy creating their own cut flower arrangements. The long-lasting blooms add great height, texture and fragrance to mixed arrangements. In the garden they make a great background plant. Also effective planted in small groups to create dramatic focal points throughout the landscape. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Suitable for container plantings but may require staking.
Siam Tulip (Curcuma alismatifolia)
Siam Tulip is not a true tulip; it is actually a relative to tropical species such as ginger and shell flowers and is a native plant in Thailand. This is a gorgeous annual plant for the garden or in containers. The blooms are long-lasting and make excellent cut flowers. It can be grown as a tender perennial in frost-free climates, but expect a period of winter dormancy. This is a reliable choice for borders, containers and rock gardens. Especially nice for mixing with spring bulbs!
Flamingo Flower, Jacobinia (Justicia carnea)
One of the best plants around for adding color and interest to shaded areas. Flamingo flower has a very tropical feel with its unusual spikes of tubular flower clusters. Nice shrubby habit that is well suited for containers outside or as a houseplant in a bright location indoors. A terrific choice for partly shaded locations such as porches, entryways and patios. A great specimen for the garden border or near the foundation of a building.
Canna Lily (Canna x generalis)
Choose canna lilies to add an instant tropical feel to the landscape. Incredibly striking when planted in groups of several plants or even a large mass in open areas. Cannas are perennial in warm climates, but the tubers cans be dug up in the fall and stored for the winter in cold areas. Simply replant the roots in the spring when all danger of frost is past. Great for larger patio containers and nice in any mixed border. The tall varieties can be planted closely to create a privacy screen.
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Saucer-like blooms stand out against a backdrop of fine, airy leaves. Spanish missionaries gave it the name cosmos. Legend has it that the missionaries saw the symmetry of the petals as a symbol of the divinely ordered universe, the meaning of “cosmos” in Greek. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Cosmos look striking as a backing plant in mixed borders or filling out mixed plantings. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Cleome, Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana)
Some plants have natural charisma and cleome is one of them. Spidery poufs of flower heads top tall stems in a striking display. The curious looking bloom clusters bring fragrance, soft color and lightness to gardens and large containers. Cleome plants bloom for months on end and provide hummingbirds with a season-long buffet. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Superb backing plant for mixed borders. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Medium Height Annual Pink Flowers
Medium-height annual flowers are popular for using as a filler in a mixed flower garden, hanging basket, combination planters or grown solo in a decorative pot.
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
Daisy-like blooms atop sturdy stems make gerbera daisies an excellent choice for bringing color and definition to plantings. The blooms are incredibly long-lasting whether growing in the garden, a pot, or using as cut flowers. Color selection ranges from pastel to sunny bright.
Diascia (Diascia barberae)
A spreading mound of foliage with spikes of dainty flowers that have interesting spur forms at the back of the blooms. That’s why Diascia is often commonly called “twinspur”. Diascia prefers cooler temperatures, so if you live in a hot climate, grow in a partially shaded location, whether grown in the garden or in a pot. The flowers are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds! Perfect for mixing with different plants in large containers.
Lantana (Lantana )
Lantana are native to several tropical regions and popular as heat tolerant annuals for gardens and containers. Their clusters of tiny blooms come in a good range of colors and are loved by butterflies. They may be upright or trailing, depending on variety chosen, but all have nicely textured foliage and good drought tolerance. The perfect choice for beds and borders. Superb for baskets, containers and window boxes. Looks great in rock gardens.
New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hybrid)
New Guinea Impatiens offer the same wonderful range of bloom colors as their shade-loving cousins in the walleriana and balsamina species, but with the ability to grow in sunnier locations. They also have lush foliage, which is variegated with yellow in some varieties. A beautiful choice for beds, borders, baskets, and pots.
Dahlia (Dahlia hybrid)
Native to the mountains of Central America, Dahlias are a garden favorite throughout the world. The huge selection of varieties provides for a multitude of flower forms and colors to choose from. Dahlia tubers can be dug and stored for reuse, but careful attention to timing, moisture and potential fungal infection is needed. Ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)
A classic choice for summer annual containers and window boxes, though the plants are evergreen perennials where hardy. The zonal part of their name comes from a zone or band of darker color near the perimeter of each leaf. Bright bloom clusters provide color all season. Geraniums can be grown in beds, borders, baskets, mixed containers and window boxes.
Short Annual Pink Flowers
Short flowering annuals can be used to create a colorful edging for a large border planting, along a garden path, or to add color and definition to a paved walkway. They’re great for mixed flowering containers, individual pots, or in a vertical wall planter. Plant a few flowering annuals in your vegetable garden to add beauty and entice even more pollinators to your vegetable flowers.
Vinca (Catharanthus roseus)
Vinca’s glossy foliage and simple, bright blooms look spectacular all summer long! A perennial in its native Madagascar, Catharanthus is popular for annual plantings and can also be used as a houseplant. Plants are incredibly heat and drought tolerant making this a good choice for difficult “hot spots” in the landscape or near pavement. Also wonderful for borders, beds, window boxes and containers.
Dianthus, China Pink, Indian Pink (Dianthus chinensis)
Commonly called China pink or Indian pink, this species of Dianthus produces fringe-petaled blooms with little to no scent. These Chinese natives are technically short-lived perennials, but are generally grown as annuals. Dianthus are an ideal choice for beds, borders, and cutting gardens. Perfect for all kinds of containers. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)
A tried and true garden favorite! Wax Begonia’s beauty and reliable performance make them a “must-have” for most gardeners. Begonias adapt to a wide range of conditions and can be grown in the garden, patio containers, or even indoors if given a bright location. With green and burgundy-red leaf forms available and a many flower-color options, the creative possibilities are huge.
Portulaca, Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
The colorful blooms of a portulaca plant open when the sun shines bright and close at night or during periods of heavy cloud cover. The stems of succulent-like foliage may be upright or spreading, and the blooms single or double, depending on the variety. Portulaca offers carefree color for poor soil and hot, dry situations. Perfectly sized for rock gardens and border fronts. Superb for baskets, containers and window boxes either alone or used in combination with other plants.
Petunia (Petunia hybrid)
Petunias are a classic choice among annuals for their bold, trumpet blooms in a range of single-hued, striped and white-rimmed colors. Plant them en masse for a dramatic burst of color or mix into combinations needing a bit of brightness. The perfect choice for beds and borders. Superb for baskets, containers and window boxes.
Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Impatiens have become one of the most popular plants for bringing instant color to shady sites. Varieties are available with flower colors from bright to pastel to striped. In the 1960s, plant breeder Claude Hope brought us the tremendous color scheme that we now expect. Double flowering and compact types are also available. Impatiens can be grown in beds, borders, hanging baskets, pots and window boxes. Mass plant impatiens for maximum color impact.
Climbing Annual Pink Flowers
Climbing annual vines are a fun way to add variety and dimension to your summer landscape. You can grow them in a pot with a small trellis to place on a deck or patio. Use them on a privacy trellis to add color and an extra layer of screening and noise control. Try different types of climbing annual vines and colors from year to year to suit your changing tastes in a new season.
Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
Morning Glory gets its name from the magnificent, trumpet-shaped blooms that open each morning. The flowers last for just a day, but there will be more blooms tomorrow. Be sure to provide a trellis or some other type of structure to support the vine. This is a great plant for temporarily hiding unsightly objects such as an old tree stump or brush pile. Native to Central and South America. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. Use to create a quick and beautiful privacy screen on a trellis near a patio or porch.
Mandevilla, Pink Allamanda (Mandevilla splendens)
Incredibly showy and easy to grow vine with large, trumpet-shaped blooms. Creates a splendid centerpiece on a trellis in the garden or in a patio container. Produces an abundance of blooms all season long that are sure to draw butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. Nice for larger patio containers. Great for privacy screening on decks or blocking unsightly views.
Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
Old fashioned Sweet Pea is intoxicatingly charming with its proliferation of perfumed blooms. It will quickly scramble to the top of a fence or trellis to put on a lush display right into autumn. For a truly cottage look let it ramble amongst your roses. Beautiful trained to fences, posts, latticework and trellises. A reliable groundcover for any location. Cut flowers are long-lasting in fresh bouquets.
More Ways to Use Pink Flowers
Pink is a versatile flower color that looks especially nice in combination with blue, purple, white, or yellow flowers. You can create a casual cottage-garden feel with flowers like cosmos and foxglove or go for a tropical vibe with canna and mandevilla. Whatever your design scheme or mood, there’s a pink flower to suit your needs. For more ideas on plant selection and how to design your outdoor spaces see our article, Garden Design: Planning a Beautiful Garden.
