11 Types of Orange Flowers That Add Colorful Cheer to Your Garden

Does the color orange get a bad rap? It’s not as popular as yellow or red when it comes to flowers, and it’s certainly not one of humanity’s favorite choices when it comes to décor or clothing. But this striking color – a kind of halfway point between the colors mentioned above – has its own beauty, especially when found in nature. With a bright, cheery lightness, orange flowers can add life and happiness to any garden, brighten up any bouquet, and inject a dose of fun into your home. If you’re interested in experimenting with orange flowers, here are 11 that are sure to please.

#11 – Nonstop Orange Begonias

This extraordinary version of the wonderful begonia is a hardy flower that produces double-flowering blooms that are excellent for wind resistance. Begonias begin producing their flowers almost immediately; you can see the first buds develop alongside the original leaves! These flowers have an unusually long blooming period from early summer to fall, so if you’re looking for a flower with staying power, this one will suit you well.

#10 – Bird of Paradise

Unlike many of the orange flowers on our list, the majestic bird of paradise is limited to Zone 10 for best growth; this plant requires a lot of sun and a warm climate to thrive. While these plants can work well as indoor house plants, they truly take off when planted in the yard as an accent flower, where they can spread their stunning blooms and turn an ordinary lawn into a place of exquisite beauty.

#9 – Orange Lily

Sometimes known as the fire lily, Lilium bulbiferum is a complex flower whose undemanding beauty has turned it into one of the most popular choices for floral bouquets. Growing naturally throughout Europe, orange lilies face the sun with open, tangerine-shaded blossoms with black spots throughout. Simultaneously beautiful and almost alien-like in its strangeness, this flower is a delightful crowd-pleaser in any setting.

#8 – Orange Tulips

According to tradition, orange represents happiness in the tulip family. People use these unique flowers to express their connection to their partners or friends and represent enthusiasm for life. Of course, you don’t need to tap into the latent symbolism of the orange tulip to use it as a spot of sunshine in your garden or spring display. Pair with purple tulips for a striking color combination that will wow you every time you step outside.

#7 – Carnations

Plastic flowers vary in terms of how effectively they mimic their natural counterparts, but we’re not sure we’ve ever seen one that captured the multidimensional beauty of the orange carnation. With seemingly millions of folds in a single flower, these sunkissed ruffles will add depth and happiness to any arrangement and life to any garden. With a strong, clove-like aroma, carnations can entice the senses in a way that transforms any space, indoors or outdoors.

#6 – Maid of Orange Irises

An exquisitely flamboyant flower, the Maid of Orange bearded iris is a masterpiece of nature that will introduce sizzle and spark to any garden. With a collection of petals known as standards (the ones standing upright) and falls (the ones draping the stem), these irises also feature an idiosyncratic “beard” – a fluffy orange strip of hairs that resembles a small caterpillar. This is the kind of flower you can spend hours looking at and still find new and interesting things in the tapestry.

#5 – Ranunculus

They may have been given a name that trips up the tongue, but ranunculus are renowned all over the world for their fluffy petals and flowing stems. While they come in many colors, the orange version has become a favorite in the world of DIY wedding planning for its airy, joyful qualities. But you don’t need to get married to enjoy the elegant beauty of this featherweight flower; whether inserted into a bouquet or used as a standalone highlight, ranunculus have earned their place as one of our favorite types of orange flower.

#4 – Bulbines

Native to South Africa, the orange bulbine is seen throughout the southern United States due to its high tolerance for hot weather and sandy soil. This makes it an especially good outdoor plant for Floridians; it doesn’t need a lot of water and it provides quite a lot of ground cover as it grows; some clumps can reach up to four feet in width! The beautiful orange flowers are hard to miss seeing as how the stalks grow to a height of about two feet, where they sway and dance in the breeze, performing one of nature’s most hypnotizing shows.

#3 – Zinnias

With a tall, thin stem topped with an explosion of color, the zinnia is one of the world’s most popular flowers. These attractive annuals come in many different colors: Purple, yellow, red, pink, and, of course, orange. They are easy to grow and can survive in a multitude of climates and soils. They offer a long-lasting bloom period from late in the spring until fall delivers its first frost. Low maintenance!

#2 – Helenium

Saddled with the rather unfortunate moniker of “sneezeweed,” helenium is a gorgeous flower that can add color to your landscape even as the seasons begin to change towards fall. This sun-thirsty flower won’t actually contribute to your allergies (it was named sneezeweed because people used it to make snuff), but it will certainly attract many varieties of bees and butterflies to your garden, ensuring fantastic pollination for years of continued growth.

#1 – Dahlias

If you’re looking for a large, showy, dramatic flower that will give your landscape a punch of orange color just as the rest of your garden is beginning to hibernate, the dahlia is exactly what you need. These Central American natives come out to bloom in early fall, and they have become popular in both public gardens and floral bouquets due to their intense form and joyful colors.