I love flowers, I think they’re absolutely wonderful. But I was planning my flower beds for spring and that got me wondering: what are the most beautiful flowers in the world?
Of course, as Margaret Wolfe Hungerford said, “Beauty is the eye of the beholder.” My favorite flower isn’t going to be your pick. For example, I’m quite partial to snap dragons – and I’d sooner a bouquet of those than a dozen roses. That doesn’t stop over 200 million of the romantic blossoms being cultivated and sold for Valentine’s Day each year.
But some flowers are objectively beautiful. Whether they become your top pick or you just think they’re lovely, these flowers are something else.
The Top 10 Most Beautiful Flowers in the World
The best part about these flowers? Most of them can be grown in your garden right at home!
Rose
I just had to start with the safe bet. Whether you’re like me a prefer colourful bouquets or you’re absolutely blown away by a dozen roses, we can both agree these flowers are absolutely beautiful. There’s nothing I love more than seeing blooming rose bushes.
Especially if they’re in unique colours.
Personally I have a large rose shrub just on the outside of my fence that I’m trying to figure out how to move into the garden so I can better enjoy it. If you haven’t enjoyed roses in nature, you’re seriously missing out.
Since there’s so much selection when it comes to roses they’re actually pretty easy to maintain and grow in most climates as long as you pick the right one.
Bird of Paradise
I love this flower so much I picked up the Lego set! Bird of paradise is a flower that’s native to South America. It gets the name because the flower looks like a the bird of the same name taking off. Now more people are familiar with the flower than the bird.
Unfortunately for most of us cold-climate folks, bird of paradise flowers only grow in warm climates – which means almost all of Canada, the US (except a few southern states and Hawaii), and northern Europe is out.
If you’d really like to grow one yourself over the hot summer months, you can try planting one in a pot that you can move inside during cooler temperatures. Bird of paradise can also be a houseplant, although getting it to flower indoors is a bit tricky.
Cherry Blossom
On their own they’re pretty, but the true beauty from cherry blossoms comes from seeing the trees in bloom. Especially en masse. It’s not surprise that Japan has so many festivals surrounding cherry blossom season that have survived into modern day.
They’re also a huge part of Japanese culture.
Cherry blossom is used to describe the Japanese cherry trees that bloom exquisitely in the spring months. Other cherry trees also flower, though, and there’s plenty of options for growing flowering cherry trees throughout the northern hemisphere.
Tulips
Spring is my absolutely favorite season. And tulips are pretty much the quintessential spring flower. They come in so many different colours for a rainbow of vibrant hues like pink, yellow, and orange.
I don’t have too much to say about tulips other than their unique shape is what makes them so pretty. So instead I’ll share with you one of my bucket list travel spots: Holland’s Keukenhof spring garden, which boats 7 million spring flowering bulbs.
Bleeding Hearts
Bleeding hearts get their name because the flowers are shaped like little hearts with a piece at the bottom. Since they’re often found in reddish hues, it looks like a heart that’s bleeding.
They’re actually good size shrubs so this is more something that you’d plant in a yard/garden rather than a flower bed. Bleeding hearts come back each year so they’re a worthwhile investment if you like the flower.
Bleeding hearts are often regarded as one of the most beautiful flowers in the world because of their uniqueness.
Lilly
I was surprised to learn I had some lilies growing when I bought my house. The previous owners (an elderly couple) had not been able to keep up the flower beds they had filled with perennial flowers. In them we found quite a few lilies popped up in the spring!
Often associated with purity and beauty, lilies are popular flowers for most growing climates. They come in a bunch of colour varieties with the Easter lily being the one you’re probably most familiar with. Orange lilies, like the ones that grow in my garden, are pictured.
Personally, I’m also a huge fan of lily of the valley, which looks nothing like your typical lily flower. Either way, lilies are beautiful!
Orchids
Orchids represent a huge variety of flowers, most of which look very different from one another. So we’re mostly talking about the typical flower you’d expect to see when you think ‘orchid’ – the moth orchid.
Moth orchids are made up of a bunch of small buds on the stem. The cluster of flat petals make these flowers look uniquely beautiful. They’re mood-lifting and go with absolutely any environment when brought indoors.
Despite their tropical look, orchids grow in a lot of different climates. Lady slippers, for example, grow throughout North America in different varieties. Many are threatening endangerment or endangered, though, and should be left alone if you find one.
Star Magnolia
In my opinion, magnolias are underrated. They grow on trees or shrubs that can add some privacy to your yard, along with being very pretty when in bloom. The star magnolia is actually native to Japan (why do they get so many pretty trees?) but it grows well in North America too.
Star magnolias are very hardy, mostly only affected by spring frost. They bloom in the spring before growing leaves that stay on for the rest of the season. Even without the flowers, magnolia trees are handsome additions to your landscaping.
One thing that makes magnolias stand out is they’re pretty fast growing.
Dahlia
Dahlias come in so many colours that it’s hard not to find at least one variety pretty. The single flower ones are pretty, but if you want to see something unique definitely check out ball dahlias.
These flowers have large blooms on them so they’re pretty in the yard and clipped for a flower arrangement. They’re also very symmetrical, which helps make them so satisfying to look at.
Gerbera Daisy
I like all kinds of daisy, but these large and colourful flowers are definitely worth mentioning. A mainstay of grocery store bouquets, they almost look like someone dyed a white flower rather than accepting these vivid colours actually occurred naturally.
Some people call these gerber daisies, but they’re the same thing.
Bonus: Lotus Flower
These beautiful water flowers are commonly referenced in Buddhism and other beliefs/traditions in the region they historically grew in.
What you may not know is that several Asian countries traditionally consume parts of the Lotus flower. In fact, 1% of all vegetables eaten in Japan each year are renkon, aka lotus rhizomes (stems)! All parts of the lotus can be used – most uniquely in lotus leaf tea, which involves steeping the lotus leaf in hot water.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Beautiful Flowers in the World
What Are the Most Colorful Flowers in the World?
If you’re looking for a flower species with a lot of color variations, that would be dahlias. There are actually 15 distinct official color options for them! Other choices for colorful flowers are tulips and roses.
For multicolor flowers, petunias are the most accessible and easy to grow option. Not only are they super colorful in terms of variety, you can also find two-tone blooms.
Another great idea for colorful flowers are sweet peas; they actually have three different colors on the same plant.
Finally, if vibrancy or unique colors is what you’re going for, the best bet are tropical flowers. Orchids can bloom in remarkable varieties. Since they don’t work well in cooler North American climates, consider instead marigolds for a unique pop of vibrant color. Here’s some more bright flower ideas from HGTV.
Where are the World’s Most Beautiful Flower Gardens Found?
I love flower gardens! You can go almost anywhere in the world and find stunning flower gardens, but there are a few that are known worldwide for their unique beauty. If you want to see some of the most beautiful flowers in the world these are the places to go.
- Keukenhof flower garden in Holland – Considered to be the world’s most beautiful spring garden
- The Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC– A beautiful oasis that combines different garden styles
- Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ – The most stunning collection of flowering desert plants you’ll ever see
- International Peace Garden on the Canada/US border – Check out the sunken garden if you visit
- Monet’s Garden in France – There are a lot of lovely flower gardens in France but this one is super unique and often overlooked
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa – One of the great botanical gardens of the world filled with blooms unique to this climate
- Blenheim Palace in the UK – Flower enthusiasts should visit this world heritage site during the Blenheim Palace Flower Show
Why do we Find Flowers Beautiful?
This is actually a great question! The truth is, we probably find flowers beautiful for the same reasons pollinators do – they evolved to be attractive.
Some people think that we evolved to find flowers pretty because our hunter gatherer ancestors associated them with fruit. While there could be some truth to that, most people don’t find all flowering fruit attractive (looking at you, lychee).
Flowers and their bright colors stand out to us on the landscape. They also smell nice. But the real truth to why we like flowers is probably rooted in the same mystery as why we find anything beautiful.
Final Thoughts
This is hardly an extensive list on the most beautiful flowers in the world. There are some unique ones out there, including beautiful flowers that most people rarely see in their lifetime (if at all.) But, these are some of the prettiest flowers out there that are beloved by the mainstream.
And let’s face it: things get popular for a reason.
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