Pictures of Orange Flowers

Not as bright as yellow flowers, not as "in your face" as red flowers, orange flowers still inject plenty of cheer into the landscape, whether solo or in combinations. For instance, I've seen many wonderful plant combinations that juxtapose orange flowers with blue flowers. Consult my pictures of orange flowers for some ideas for your own yard. In addition to flowers, I offer an example of orange berries and an example of an orange seed pod.

Lantana

Going by the Latin name Lantana...MORE camara, lantana plants are viny shrubs popular for hanging baskets. Lantana is a tropical flower and can be grown as a perennial in zone 8 and higher. The flower shown in my lantana picture is the very common orange, but other colors are available.

Are you tired of the relatively washed-out color of common daylilies? Are you looking for a deeper color than Hemerocallis fulva offers? This photo provides an example of an alternative. The Asiatic lily shown here affords you a deeper orange-colored flower than Hemerocallis fulva does. This orange Asiatic lily is called Lilium 'Partner.'

Pocketbook plant (Calceolaria crenatiflora) is so named for it pouch-shaped flowers, which may come in yellow, red or orange. The picture here shows a calceolaria with orange flowers, speckled with yellow dots. Befitting its delicate flowers, Calceolaria crenatiflora plants are annuals and won't tolerate a frost.

Although pansies with "faces" have almost become the pansies in some retail outlets, some pansies do not have faces, as is the case in this orange pansy picture. In warm climates, pansy seed is often sown in August, resulting in flowers early the next spring. In the North, pansies are treated as annuals; but because they're tolerant of frost, pansies are one of the first annuals put out for sale by northern retail outlets.

Flowering maples are the plants that appear to be dwarf maple trees, except that they bear flowers that may be white, red, pale yellow or -- as in this picture of flowering maple -- pale orange. If you live in a cold climate, you'll have to keep flowering maple plant -- a sub-tropical specimen (planting zones 9-11) -- in a container, growing it outside in the summer, then moving it inside for the winter.

If you look closely, you'll see that the bloom in this orange tulip picture is actually bi-colored, bearing two different shades.

Tulips are spring-blooming bulbs that come in a number of colors, including orange. Plant tulip bulbs in the fall to claim first dibs on the color they'll bring in spring!

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) lives up to name: it's a good choice for attracting butterflies to your landscape. But butterfly weed is more than just a monarch magnet as you can see from this picture, displaying its attractive orange flowers.

The "Chinese lantern" part of this plant is a calyx (sort of a seed pod) that holds a berry inside.

But beware the unripe berries of Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi): they're toxic! But that's not surprising, considering Chinese lanterns are in the nightshade family, no stranger to toxicity. Other toxic plants in the nightshade family include bittersweet nightshade and angel's trumpet.

Chinese lanterns are perennials hardy to zone 4. Spreading via underground rhizomes,...MORE Chinese lanterns can be invasive. Many people grow Chinese lanterns for use in fall crafts.

Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale) are perennials with magnificent flowers, as this orange poppy picture shows.

Pot marigold plant (Calendula officinalis), or "calendula" is an annual that bears light orange flowers.

Grow Crocosmia flowers (formerly called "Montbretia") in full sun to part shade, in a well-drained soil. Crocosmia's foliage resembles that of iris, while its flowers remind one of freesia. Crocosmia is propagated via corms. Dig up the corms in autumn and store them away for winter if you live where it is too cold to over-winter them in the ground. Don't allow Crocosmia corms to dry out completely. 'Lucifer' Crocosmia reaches a height of about 3' and can be grown in ha...MORErdiness zones 5-9.

Canna lily (Canna), despite its common name, is not a member of the genus, Lilium and therefore not a true lily. Nor is calla lily (Zantedeschia), for that matter, a plant with which canna lily is often confused, due to similar-sounding names. Even some popular cold-hardy plants commonly called "lilies" -- such as Stella de Oro -- are more properly termed "daylilies."

True lilies include:

1. Stargazer
2. Easter lily

Some of the native lilies that I encounter in New England are true lilies,...MORE while others are merely in the lily family (not in the lily genus).

In cold climates, dig up and store canna bulbs for the winter.

The color of the orange zinnia flowers blends beautifully with the container's color, giving the ensemble the feel of an organic whole.

Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is a climber that produces orange to salmon flowers. It is a summertime bloomer. Hardiness zones 4-9. Provide trumpet vine with an arbor, trellis or fence and let it climb! While it doesn't have to be trained, trumpet vine does need to be pruned back -- for containment purposes. Indeed, in the Southeastern U.S., trumpet vine is sometimes considered a weed. Birdwatchers take note: trumpet vines are often used in hummingbird gardens!

Impatiens flowers are popular annuals for shady areas. Impatiens flowers come in many other colors, with red, white and pink being among the most used.

Nasturtium flowers bloom late, which is convenient, considering that their color makes them prime candidates for use as fall flowers. Besides orange, you'll also find golden nasturtium flowers and reddish nasturtiums.

With reddish-orange fruit encased in a peeling golden husk, it's no wonder that bittersweet berries are a favorite with fall crafts enthusiasts. However, if you wish to grow your own bittersweet berries in North America, plant the native American bittersweet, as the Oriental plants are invasive.

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) is an annual that can get quite large (4-6 feet tall). Mexican sunflower's bright orange blooms are attractive to butterflies. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, Mexican sunflowers will yield two crops of bloom in the same year for those who garden in warm climates (e.g., planting zone 8 and warmer).

Crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) is a spring-flowering bulb plant you grow when you want an attention-grabber, with red, yellow, or orange blooms.

Fritillaria imperialis is certainly no wallflower. This lily native to Asia pushes up a robust stem from its bulb, ringed with sword-shaped leaves in whorls. This vegetation is surmounted by an umbel of showy, nodding, bell-shaped flowers. And as if all that weren't enough, the umbel is "crowned" (thus the common name, "crown...MORE imperial") with spiky bracts, about 3-4 feet above ground level.

Since the flowers nod their heads down, it can be difficult to appreciate the inside of the "bell." That's too bad, because the inner markings are exquisite, including 6 round, shiny, brilliant-white dots near the base of each petal.

I grew Fritillaria imperialis 'Rubra', which, although listed as "red," I considered more of an orange. The bulb package also indicated that it would bloom in "late spring," whereas for me, even in chilly New England, it flowered in April.

Grow Fritillaria imperialis in planting zones 5-8. Tolerant of light shade in the South, crown imperial should be grown in full sun in the North. Planting time is fall; the more precise planting time depends on where you live. To determine the month for planting, based on your zone, see spring bulb plants.

As striking as Fritillaria imperialis is, this bulb plant presents its fair share of challenges to the grower who would like to have it around for more than one spring. Since I lost my own after the first year, apparently I failed to meet one or more of these challenges:

First of all, the soil needs to be well-drained (it is said to be especially critical that they not be subjected to excessive moisture while dormant in summer). Secondly, you should protect Fritillaria imperialis in winter with a layer of mulch. And thirdly, you'll have to fend off the red lily leaf beetle (Lilioceris lilii), lest it devour all the foliage.

If you can meet these challenges successfully, the only complaint you may have about crown imperial is that it stinks like skunk cabbage! Even this drawback, however, can be seen in a positive light, as some garden pests are repelled by the smell (for example, it is one of the deer-resistant bulbs).