Tiny Flowers, Big Interest – Stunning Plants That Have Little Flowers

Potted Tiny Bright Blue Flowers
small flowers
(Image credit: alexbruce)

Huge hydrangeas, cheery sunflowers, and dinnerplate dahlias are good at making their presence known, but what if you want some filler type blooms? Small flowers that make a big impact are not a thing of fiction, they’re an actual fact. Plants with small flowers are abundant, leaving one with lots of varieties and colors to choose from. Continue reading to get some ideas on different options for tiny flowers, big interest.

Tiny Flowers, Big Interest

Plants that have little flowers are great in mixed bloom containers, rockeries, and color beds. They have the ability to fill in and spread out in most cases, creating a living carpet of color. Plants with small flowers usually have an abundance of blooms and will provide that "wow" factor in a large manner.

Baby's breath is a classic floral arrangement filler but there are many more small blooms with bright colors, heavenly scents, and perennial convenience. Such plants often have interesting foliage, too, which can peak interests even when the plant is not in bloom. Creeping varieties are useful in alpine gardens. Those that cascade fill hanging baskets with eye-catching color.

Creative color bowls benefit from smaller flowers. They can peep around foliage plants and are excellent additions to decorate around an existing potted specimen. In the landscape, using plants with petite blooms offers the opportunity to sneak them in here and there, thus, brightening up otherwise dull or colorless spaces.

Suggestions for Plants That Have Little Flowers

Annual blooms bring an early pick-me-up after winter. This starts the garden season off with a bang. Impatiens are wonderful tiny bloomers and offer an option for shaded areas. Marigolds, with their classic lion-like heads, provide unmatched golden color and come in many variations. Pansies will survive a freeze and often reseed, so you will get them year after year. Primroses thrive in the cooler season and come in a wide variety of bright hues.

If you are a penny pincher, annuals are probably not right for you. There are still numerous small flowering perennials that make a big impact. For example:

  • Heather – Early blooms in deep tones and feathery foliage are highlights of planting heather.
  • Lily of the Valley – Delicate bell-like flowers and bold foliage make lily-of-the-valley a plus.
  • Bugleweed – The pretty leaves and creeping nature of bugleweed are packed with tiny spikes of springtime blooms.
  • Fairy foxglove – The fairy foxglove produces sweet little lavender flowers set high above the leaves.
  • Forget-me-not – A classic, forget-me-not is a no-fuss plant with tiny periwinkle blue blooms.
  • Lobelia – You can’t go wrong with lobelia with its fine foliage topped with deep blue flowers.
  • ThymeThyme is drought tolerant with edible foliage and bright purple to red flowers.
  • Rock Cress – There are dozens of varieties and colors of rock cress, and their spreading habit is useful in rockeries.

There are also plenty of well-known flower varieties that have dwarf forms. Even sunflowers have a miniaturized version that would be perfect for containers or added into garden beds.

Bonnie L. Grant
Writer

Bonnie Grant is a professional landscaper with a Certification in Urban Gardening. She has been gardening and writing for 15 years. A former professional chef, she has a passion for edible landscaping.