This list covers 26 flowers, from “Verbena” to “Volkameria.” You’ll find garden favorites, woodland wildflowers, and a few tropical standouts, ranging from low trailing groundcovers to tall spiky perennials. Most are grown for their color, fragrance, or appeal to bees and butterflies, while a handful carry a long history in folk medicine, perfumes, or even food production.
Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants, and they’ve shaped human culture for thousands of years. Many species on this list, like violet and valerian, were once staples of traditional herbal remedies, while others, like the vanilla orchid, are still hand-pollinated today to produce a crop enjoyed worldwide.
Below you’ll find the table with the flower’s name, scientific name, growing region, color, meaning, and description.
Flower: the common name used for each bloom, helping you quickly identify the ones you already know or want to explore.
Scientific Name: the Latin genus and species, useful if you’re searching for accurate growing information or buying seeds.
Growing Region: where each flower naturally grows or thrives, so you can judge whether it suits your own climate.
Color: the typical bloom colors, giving you a quick sense of how each flower might look in a garden or bouquet.
Meaning: the symbolism traditionally linked to the flower, handy if you’re picking blooms for a gift or special occasion.
Description: a short overview of each flower’s appearance and character, giving you context beyond just its name.
Flowers
Flower
Scientific Name
Growing Region
Color
Meaning
Verbena
Verbena officinalis
Europe, North & South America
Purple, pink, white
Enchantment
Veronica (Speedwell)
Veronica spicata
Europe, Asia
Blue, purple, pink
Fidelity
Viola
Viola spp.
Northern Hemisphere (temperate regions)
Purple, yellow, white, blue
Modesty
Violet
Viola odorata
Europe, Asia
Purple, blue, white
Faithfulness
Vinca (Periwinkle)
Vinca minor
Europe
Blue, purple, white
Early friendship
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Eastern North America
Blue (pink in bud)
Gratitude
Vanda Orchid
Vanda spp.
Southeast Asia
Purple, blue, pink
Elegance
Valerian
Valeriana officinalis
Europe, Asia
White, pale pink
Readiness
Viburnum
Viburnum spp.
Northern Hemisphere
White
Thoughts of heaven
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
North America
Purple, blue
Cooperation
Vetch
Vicia sativa
Europe, Asia, North Africa
Purple, pink
Not commonly assigned
Violet Wood Sorrel
Oxalis violacea
North America
Pink, purple
Not commonly assigned
Voodoo Lily
Amorphophallus konjac
Africa, Asia
Deep purple, maroon
Mystery
Virginia Spiderwort
Tradescantia virginiana
Eastern North America
Blue, purple
Not commonly assigned
Viper’s Bugloss
Echium vulgare
Europe
Blue, purple, pink
Not commonly assigned
Venidium (Cape Daisy)
Venidium fastuosum
South Africa
Orange
Not commonly assigned
Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Europe, Asia
Yellow
Not commonly assigned
Vanilla Orchid
Vanilla planifolia
Mexico, Central America
Pale yellow-green
Not commonly assigned
Ironweed
Vernonia spp.
North America
Purple
Not commonly assigned
Vriesea
Vriesea splendens
South America
Red-orange bracts, yellow flowers
Not commonly assigned
Scarborough Lily
Cyrtanthus elatus
South Africa
Red
Not commonly assigned
Red Valerian
Centranthus ruber
Mediterranean
Red, pink
Not commonly assigned
Virginia Rose
Rosa virginiana
Eastern North America
Pink
Love
Virginia Stock
Malcolmia maritima
Southeastern Europe
Pink, purple, white
Not commonly assigned
Venus Flytrap
Dionaea muscipula
Southeastern United States
White
Not commonly assigned
Volkameria
Volkameria inermis
Tropical Asia
White
Not commonly assigned
Descriptions
Verbena
A clustered, fragrant bloomer once used in folk medicine and rituals; today it’s a garden favorite for its long summer flowering and butterfly appeal.
Veronica (Speedwell)
This tall, spiky perennial produces dense flower spikes that attract bees and butterflies, making it a staple in cottage gardens and borders.
Viola
A cheerful, cold-hardy little bloom closely related to pansies, often planted in early spring for its charming five-petaled flowers.
Violet
Sweetly scented and low-growing, this shade-loving woodland flower has long symbolized humility and has been used in perfumes for centuries.
Vinca (Periwinkle)
A trailing evergreen groundcover with simple five-petaled flowers, prized for thriving in shade where little else will grow.
Virginia Bluebells
Woodland wildflowers whose nodding, trumpet-shaped blooms open pink and turn sky blue, carpeting forest floors in early spring.
Vanda Orchid
A striking tropical orchid known for its large, flat, richly patterned blooms and roots that often grow exposed to the air.
Valerian
Clusters of small, sweetly scented flowers top this tall perennial, whose root has been used historically as a calming herbal remedy.
Viburnum
A shrub covered in rounded clusters of small white flowers in spring, often followed by colorful berries prized by birds.
Blue Vervain
A native wildflower with slender spikes of tiny purple blooms, valued by pollinators and once used in traditional herbal remedies.
Vetch
A sprawling, vining legume with small pea-like flowers, often grown as a cover crop to enrich soil and attract bees.
Violet Wood Sorrel
A delicate woodland flower with clover-like leaves and five-petaled pink-violet blooms that close up at night and on cloudy days.
Voodoo Lily
A dramatic, foul-smelling bloom that emerges from a large tuber, drawing pollinating flies with its meat-like odor and exotic look.
Virginia Spiderwort
This clump-forming perennial opens three-petaled blooms each morning that typically wilt by afternoon, lasting only a single day.
Viper’s Bugloss
A bristly biennial wildflower with vivid blue-purple flower spikes that are a magnet for bees throughout summer.
Venidium (Cape Daisy)
A striking daisy-like flower with bold orange petals and a dark central ring, closing its blooms at night and in cloudy weather.
Mullein
A tall, felty-leaved biennial topped with a spike of small yellow flowers, historically used in folk medicine for respiratory ailments.
Vanilla Orchid
The only orchid grown commercially for food, its fleeting blooms must be hand-pollinated to produce the pods that yield natural vanilla.
Ironweed
A tall native perennial topped with clusters of vivid purple flowers, blooming in late summer and beloved by butterflies.
Vriesea
A tropical bromeliad grown for its sword-shaped, colorful flower spike, which rises dramatically above a rosette of striped leaves.
Scarborough Lily
Formerly classified as Vallota, this bulb produces trumpet-shaped red blooms atop tall stems in late summer.
Red Valerian
A drought-tolerant perennial with dense clusters of small star-shaped flowers, often seen growing wild on old walls and rocky slopes.
Virginia Rose
A hardy wild rose with fragrant single pink blooms, valued for its glossy foliage and vivid fall color.
Virginia Stock
A fast-growing, fragrant annual that produces a cheerful mix of small four-petaled flowers, popular in cottage-style borders.
Venus Flytrap
Best known for its snapping traps, this carnivorous plant also sends up tall stalks of small white flowers each spring.
Volkameria
A coastal shrub with clusters of slender white flowers that give way to small blue-black berries, often used as a hedge plant.
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