There are so many flowering plants in the world it should come as no surprise that you can even find a good selection that starts with the letter Q! Whether you’re looking for an annual, perennial, flowering tree, or vine, there will be the perfect plant to match.
This short list contains some well-known and some more intriguing plants all beginning with the letter Q. They have a range of growth habits, colors, and sizes, so finding the perfect flower to fit in your garden should be easy, no matter the style!
If you have your eye on a tender perennial but live in a cooler climate, don’t forget that many of these flowers can be grown successfully in colder regions with some extra winter care or as annuals!
#1 Quaker Ladies
Houstonia caerulea or quaker ladies is a dainty perennial wildflower that is native to eastern Canada and the US. They have a 3-week blooming season from mid-spring to mid-summer, producing lovely little white to pale blue flowers with contrasting yellow centers. Their flowers have 4 petals and are attractive to bees and other pollinators!
Quaker ladies are low-growing, reaching an average height of 4 inches, making them perfect for filling in gaps in beds and borders or between rocks in rock gardens. They do well in full sun to partial shade, are drought and salt tolerant, and grow best in thin, sandy, or rocky soils.
#2 Queen Anne’s Lace
Daucus carota, which is commonly known as Queen Anne’s lace in North America, is a biennial wildflower that is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae. They are originally from Europe, eastern Asia, and northern Africa, but can also be found in several parts of North America and are considered invasive in some states!
They have 3-4 inch wide flat umbels of delicate small white flowers that have a lacy appearance, hence their common name. Their flowers are white with a dark purple central floret. Although considered a weed, this whimsical plant actually has value for wildlife providing nectar for pollinators and acting as a host plant for eastern black swallowtail caterpillars! They are great in pollinator gardens or meadow-style displays. Deadhead the spent flowers to prevent self-seeding.
#3 Queen Lily Ginger
Queen lily ginger is a striking and exotic ginger originally from Malaysia. Also known as Curcuma petiolata, or hidden lily, it is a tropical perennial winter hardy in zones 8-10. However, in colder climates, it can successfully be grown as a container plant and overwintered indoors.
These striking plants are prized not for their flowers, but for their bold cone-shaped bracts which are almost hidden beneath their lush green foliage, hence their common name, hidden lily. Their showy bracts come in shades of pink and house their modest yellow flowers. Plant queen lily ginger in tropical beds or borders, or use them to bring some life to patio gardens!
#4 Queen Of Sheba
Podranea ricasoliana, otherwise known as the queen of Sheba or the pink trumpet vine, is a tender evergreen climber that is native to South Africa and winter hardy in zones 9-10. In frost-free areas, they can be grown outdoors and trained to grow along trellises or walls. In colder climates, grow queen of Sheba flowers in containers inside greenhouses, conservatories, or indoors.
These wonderful vines have showy, trumpet-shaped flowers that are pale pink with darker pink veining. They flower from winter to summer in warmer climates with dark green foliage throughout the year.
#5 Queen-Of-The-Meadow
Queen-of-the-meadow (Filipendula ulmaria) is a herbaceous perennial native to Eurasia and winter hardy down to zone 5. They have become naturalized in parts of North America, but are considered a noxious weed in some Midwestern states so should not be planted in those areas. This large, clump-forming plant may reach heights of 6 feet but is typically 3-4 feet tall.
From June to August, the queen-of-the-meadow produces delicate panicles of small, creamy-white, fragrant flowers. This plant prefers medium to wet soils making it a top choice for wet meadow gardens or landscaping around ponds!
#6 Queen Of The Prairie
Filipendula rubra, also called the queen of the prairie, is a pretty herbaceous perennial native to the eastern US. It prefers medium to wet soils, so is perfect for rain gardens or pond landscaping. This flower should be grown in partial sun to full shade, although some shade is crucial in hotter climates!
Queen of the prairie blooms from June to August, with wonderful 6-9-inch panicles of fragrant pink flowers. This plant will readily self-seed and form large colonies under optimum conditions, so is ideal for a large garden! Their delicate flowers suit cottage-style or meadow garden schemes.
#7 Queen’s Crape-myrtle
Queen’s crape-myrtle or Lagerstroemia speciosa is a tender flowering tree native to China. In its natural habitat, this tree can grow between 40 and 60 feet tall but can be pruned to keep it at a more manageable size for the garden. It is suited for growing in zones 10-11, making it a wonderful addition to tropical garden schemes!
This flowering tree is a summer bloomer, producing bold, 3-inch, hot pink to light purple flowers in early to mid-summer growing on panicles. It is semi-deciduous so will lose its leaves before new spring growth appears. These plants are a great choice for introducing some shade into the garden.
#8 Queen’s Cup
The Queen’s cup plant also goes by the names of the bride’s bonnet and Clintonia uniflora. These perennials are found in mountainous regions from Alaska to California and belong to the lily family, Liliaceae. They have showy, white, lily-form flowers that emerge over spring and summer, rising above its rich green, thick, blade-like foliage.
These plants grow best in full to partial shade and prefer rich moist soils. They are perfect for shade and will thrive in even the darkest corner of the garden! Following their blooming season, their flowers give way to blue berries which are a favorite food of the ruffed grouse. Queen’s cup is low-growing, only reaching between 6 and 10 inches tall, lending itself as an attractive ground cover when planted in large groups or allowed to multiply!
#9 Queen’s Tears
Billbergia nutans is a tropical perennial that is also referred to as queen’s tears, friendship plant, or air pines. It is native to Brazil and northern Argentina, thriving in zones 10-11. In frost-free climates, queen’s tears can be grown outdoors as an epiphyte or in humus-rich, well-draining soils. They grow well in containers so can be grown under glass in colder areas or as houseplants.
This exotic-looking plant grows as tall as 2 feet and has eye-catching flowers and slender, arching, gray-green foliage. Their flowers hang down from arching pink-bracted stems and grow in hanging racemes. Flowers are pink and tubular, with curved-back, green sepals with purple edges. They make a wonderful specimen piece for the garden!
#10 Quince
Quince, known as flowering quince or Chaenomeles, are shrubs that, depending on species, grow between 3 and 10 feet tall. They are easy to grow and care for, performing best under full sun conditions. Quince shrubs are easily trained as hedges, and their spreading habit makes them a great choice for privacy screening!
These plants have apple blossom-like flowers that are 1.5 inches wide, and come in delightful shades of pink, red, and white! After their blooming period, their flowers transform into small apple-like edible fruits that are used for jams and preserves! Quince plants look particularly lovely in informal or cottage-style garden schemes.
#11 Quinine
Quinine, a group of 23 or so species in the Cinchona genus, are mostly trees and are originally from South America and the Andes. They are most well-known because several species were used historically as a malaria treatment due to the presence of quinine in their bark.
These trees are evergreen and have small tubular flowers that are cream or rose-colored. Their flowers grow in terminal clusters and are highly recognizable due to their hairy petal margins!
Check this types of flowers list you can grow.
