If you’re looking for flowers that start with the letter A, you’ve come to the right place. This list covers 36 flowers, from “Acacia” to “Aztec Lily,” spanning delicate wildflowers, fragrant tropical blooms, and hardy garden perennials. Many are grown for ornamental beauty in gardens and floral arrangements, while others hold symbolic meaning in ceremonies, folklore, or everyday gift-giving.
Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants, often prized for their color, fragrance, and shape. Many carry cultural or symbolic weight, like the amaryllis, a holiday favorite whose bold trumpet blooms have decorated winter homes for generations. Some, like agave, flower only once in a lifetime, making the event a rare and celebrated sight.
Below you’ll find the table with the flower name, scientific name, growing region, color, meaning, and description.
Flower: the common name you’ll recognize and use when searching, shopping, or talking about each bloom.
Scientific Name: the Latin genus and species name, useful if you want a precise, universal identifier.
Growing Region: where the flower naturally grows or thrives, helpful for planning your own garden.
Color: the typical shades you can expect to see, which can vary by variety or growing conditions.
Meaning: the symbolism traditionally associated with the flower, handy for gifts, weddings, or garden themes.
Description: a short overview of what makes the flower distinct, from its shape to its history and uses.
Flowers
| Flower | Scientific Name | Growing Region | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia | Acacia spp. | Australia and Africa | Yellow | Friendship and chaste love |
| Adonis (Pheasant’s Eye) | Adonis annua | Europe and the Mediterranean | Red | Sorrowful remembrance |
| African Daisy | Osteospermum spp. | South Africa | Purple, white, orange, pink | Transformation and happiness |
| African Violet | Saintpaulia ionantha | East Africa (Tanzania) | Purple, blue, pink, white | Devotion and faithfulness |
| Agapanthus | Agapanthus africanus | South Africa | Blue, purple, white | Love and fertility |
| Agave Flower | Agave americana | Mexico and southwestern US | Yellow, green | Once-in-a-lifetime beauty |
| Ageratum | Ageratum houstonianum | Mexico and Central America | Blue, purple, pink | Trust and delicate feelings |
| Allamanda | Allamanda cathartica | Brazil | Yellow | Wealth and prosperity |
| Allium | Allium giganteum | Central Asia | Purple, white, pink | Unity and prosperity |
| Aloe Flower | Aloe vera | Arabian Peninsula | Orange, yellow | Healing and protection |
| Alpine Forget-Me-Not | Myosotis alpestris | European Alps and Rocky Mountains | Blue | True love and remembrance |
| Alstroemeria | Alstroemeria spp. | Peru and Chile | Pink, orange, yellow, red | Friendship and devotion |
| Amaranth | Amaranthus caudatus | Central and South America | Red, purple | Immortality and unfading love |
| Amaryllis | Hippeastrum spp. | South America | Red, pink, white, orange | Pride and determination |
| Amazon Lily | Eucharis grandiflora | Colombia and Peru | White | Purity and elegance |
| Anemone | Anemone coronaria | Mediterranean region | Red, purple, blue, white | Anticipation and fading hope |
| Angel’s Trumpet | Brugmansia spp. | South America (Andes) | White, yellow, pink | Caution |
| Angelica | Angelica archangelica | Northern Europe and Asia | White, greenish | Inspiration |
| Angelonia | Angelonia angustifolia | Mexico and the West Indies | Purple, white, pink | Resilience |
| Anthurium | Anthurium andraeanum | Colombia and Ecuador | Red, pink, white | Hospitality and happiness |
| Aquilegia (Columbine) | Aquilegia vulgaris | Northern Hemisphere temperate zones | Purple, pink, yellow, red | Foolishness and whimsy |
| Arabian Jasmine | Jasminum sambac | South and Southeast Asia | White | Purity and sensuality |
| Armeria (Sea Thrift) | Armeria maritima | Coastal Europe and North America | Pink, white | Sympathy |
| Arum Lily | Zantedeschia aethiopica | South Africa | White | Purity and magnificence |
| Asiatic Lily | Lilium (Asiatic hybrids) | Asia | Orange, pink, yellow, white | Prosperity and wealth |
| Asphodel | Asphodelus albus | Mediterranean region | White | Mourning remembrance |
| Aster | Aster spp. | North America, Europe, and Asia | Purple, pink, white, blue | Patience and daintiness |
| Astilbe | Astilbe spp. | East Asia and North America | Pink, red, white, purple | Patience |
| Astrantia | Astrantia major | Central and Eastern Europe | White, pink, red | Strength and courage |
| Aubrieta | Aubrieta deltoidea | Mediterranean and southern Europe | Purple, pink, blue | Enduring charm |
| Auricula | Primula auricula | European Alps | Yellow, purple, red, multicolor | Charm and admiration |
| Aurinia (Basket-of-Gold) | Aurinia saxatilis | Southeastern Europe | Yellow | Cheerfulness |
| Autumn Crocus | Colchicum autumnale | Europe | Purple, pink, white | My best days are past |
| Avens | Geum spp. | Northern Hemisphere temperate zones | Red, orange, yellow | Warm affection |
| Azalea | Rhododendron spp. | East Asia | Pink, red, white, purple | Temperance and fragility |
| Aztec Lily | Sprekelia formosissima | Mexico | Red | Passion |
Descriptions
Acacia
Acacia trees burst into fluffy yellow blooms that pollinators love. Native to Australia and Africa, they’re prized for hardy growth and a light, sweet fragrance.
Adonis (Pheasant’s Eye)
This delicate red wildflower has a dark center and is named after the Greek myth of Adonis, whose blood was said to have colored its petals.
African Daisy
These cheerful daisy-like blooms close at night and open with the sun. Native to South Africa, they’re loved for their long bloom season and vivid colors.
African Violet
A beloved houseplant with velvety leaves and small, clustered flowers. Native to Tanzania’s cloud forests, it blooms nearly year-round indoors with the right light.
Agapanthus
Known as the “Lily of the Nile,” this striking perennial sends up tall stalks topped with rounded clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers, popular in summer borders.
Agave Flower
Agave plants bloom only once, sending up a towering flower stalk that can reach 20 feet before the plant dies, making the bloom a rare spectacle.
Ageratum
Also called floss flower, its fluffy, powder-puff blooms add soft texture to garden beds and are a favorite of butterflies.
Allamanda
This vigorous tropical vine produces large, glossy, trumpet-shaped yellow flowers and is a common ornamental in warm climates and greenhouses.
Allium
Related to onions and garlic, ornamental allium produces striking globe-shaped flower heads atop tall stems, adding architectural drama to gardens.
Aloe Flower
Best known for its soothing gel, aloe also produces tall spikes of tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees when the plant matures.
Alpine Forget-Me-Not
This small, sky-blue wildflower thrives in cool mountain climates and is Alaska’s state flower, symbolizing enduring memory and love.
Alstroemeria
Known as the Peruvian lily, its striped, exotic-looking blooms are a favorite in cut-flower bouquets thanks to their long vase life.
Amaranth
Also called love-lies-bleeding, this dramatic plant produces long, drooping tassels of tiny flowers and was historically grown as a grain crop by the Aztecs.
Amaryllis
A popular holiday bulb, amaryllis produces enormous trumpet-shaped blooms on tall, leafless stalks, often forced indoors for winter color.
Amazon Lily
This fragrant tropical bulb produces clusters of nodding, daffodil-like white flowers and is prized as an elegant cut flower and houseplant.
Anemone
Known as windflowers, their delicate, poppy-like blooms open and close with sunlight and have long symbolized fragility in folklore.
Angel’s Trumpet
This dramatic shrub produces large, fragrant, downward-hanging trumpet flowers; despite its beauty, all parts of the plant are toxic.
Angelica
This tall herb produces rounded clusters of small white flowers and has long been used in folk medicine and as a flavoring.
Angelonia
Nicknamed “summer snapdragon,” it produces spikes of small orchid-like blooms that thrive in heat and humidity through the growing season.
Anthurium
Famous for its glossy, heart-shaped waxy bracts surrounding a central spike, anthurium is a long-lasting tropical favorite in floral arrangements.
Aquilegia (Columbine)
Also called columbine, its intricate, spurred blooms resemble little bonnets and self-seed readily in cottage gardens.
Arabian Jasmine
This intensely fragrant white flower is used to scent jasmine tea and is the national flower of the Philippines and Indonesia.
Armeria (Sea Thrift)
This low, cushion-forming perennial produces round pink pompom blooms on wiry stems and thrives in salty coastal soils.
Arum Lily
Also called calla lily, its elegant, funnel-shaped white bloom wraps around a golden central spike, a favorite in weddings.
Asiatic Lily
Bred for bold, upward-facing blooms and vivid color, Asiatic lilies are among the easiest and earliest lilies to grow in gardens.
Asphodel
This tall, wand-like perennial with star-shaped white flowers appears in Greek mythology, growing in the meadows of the underworld.
Aster
These star-shaped fall bloomers are a late-season nectar source for pollinators and a September birth flower symbolizing love.
Astilbe
Its feathery, plume-like flower spikes add soft texture to shady gardens and hold their color well when dried.
Astrantia
Known as masterwort, its pincushion-like flower heads surrounded by papery bracts have a distinctive, almost otherworldly star shape.
Aubrieta
This low, spreading groundcover erupts in a carpet of small four-petaled flowers each spring, ideal for rock gardens and walls.
Auricula
A collector’s favorite since Victorian times, auricula primroses produce clusters of velvety, often two-toned flowers prized at flower shows.
Aurinia (Basket-of-Gold)
This tough, mat-forming perennial smothers itself in bright yellow blooms each spring, making it a favorite for rock gardens and walls.
Autumn Crocus
Despite its crocus-like look, this flower is unrelated and blooms in fall without leaves, giving rise to its nickname “naked lady.”
Avens
This cheerful perennial produces small, saucer-shaped flowers on wiry stems above clumps of scalloped foliage, blooming through much of summer.
Azalea
These spring-blooming shrubs put on a dramatic show of trumpet-shaped flowers and are especially treasured in Japanese and Korean gardens.
Aztec Lily
Also called Jacobean lily, its unusual orchid-like red bloom has narrow, twisted petals and was cultivated by the Aztecs for centuries.