There are endless possibilities when it comes to plants for your garden, whether you’re looking for an annual, biennial, perennial, bulb, shrub, vine, or tree, the list seems to go on and on, and on! Even for the most experienced gardeners, this can seem a little intimidating, luckily, with a little research, you can rule out many options.
This list of flowers that start with the letter T, contains a range of wonderful flowering plants, some more well-known than others, and should act as a quick and handy guide to help you in choosing a beautiful selection!
#1 Three-colored Amaranth
Amaranthus tricolor goes by many names, including three-colored amaranth, Joseph’s coat, and tampala. An exotic annual found in tropical Asia, these colorful plants are desired more for their bold foliage rather than their modest flowers. They are easily grown in full sun to partial shade and are low-maintenance, growing well in average, well-draining soils.
Three-colored amaranth can be grown successfully in containers and also makes for an interesting border plant! There are several varieties, most of which have eye-catching foliage. Many come with leaves that are blotched with bright shades of yellow, pink, purple, red, green, and copper!
#2 Tidy Tips
Tidy tips, also called coastal tidy tips, common tidy tips, and Layia platyglossa are lovely annual wildflowers that are native to grasslands in California, Utah, and Arizona. They have a long blooming season from early spring to early summer, producing masses of cheery flowers! These plants are drought-tolerant, and thrive in full sun conditions and well-draining soils.
Their flowers are upward-facing and daisy-like, with sunshine yellow centers and buttery yellow outer rays that are tipped with white. Plant tidy tips flowers in beds and borders or along slopes in cottage-style, rock, prairie, and meadow gardens. These plants readily self-seed in the right conditions and will quickly form beautiful colonies!
#3 Tiger Flower
Tiger flowers from the genus Tigridia, go by many names including jockey’s cap lily, Mexican shell flowers, and peacock flowers. These tropical bulbs come from Mexico and South America, and boast eye-catching flowers that come in many vibrant shades! Tiger flowers are winter hardy in USDA zones 8-10 but can be grown as annuals below this range. Either grow them in containers and bring them inside over winter or lift and store their bulbs in a cool, dry place.
These bold flowers will emerge over summer growing between 3 and 6 inches wide, with 3 large flare outer petals guarding 3 smaller inner petals. They come in vivid shades of white, pink, red, yellow, and orange, with contrasting central spots. Tiger flowers are a fantastic choice for cutting or tropical gardens, and grow well in containers making them perfect for brightening up patios and city gardens!
#4 Toad Lily
Members of the genus Tricyrtis are known commonly as toad lilies and are highly recognizable by their striking and exotic flowers! They are late-season perennials that are shade-loving, lending them to woodland and shade gardens. Their flowers are small so look better planted en-masse where their beauty can be amplified.
Toad lilies are native to East Asia and prefer moist, well-drained soils. Their star or bell-shaped flowers grow in small clusters or are solitary and have been heavily cultivated with many magnificent varieties! These plants are late summer to fall bloomers and their showy, orchid-like flowers are usually pale adorned with darker spotting.
#5 Tower Of Jewels
The tower of jewels (Echium wildpretii) is a highly unusual yet magnificent plant. It is an unbranched biennial or short-lived perennial that grows to heights of 6 feet. It is native to the volcanic slopes of Tenerife and is winter hardy in USDA zones 9-11. This plant performs best in full sun and loves dry and airy conditions.
In their preferred climate, they flower from late spring to early summer, setting seed shortly after blooming before dying. Tower of jewels begins as a 2-3 feet basal rosette of leaves, before a single 5-6 feet tall flower stalk emerges in its second or third year, topped by a 3 feet tall panicle of densely packed funnel-shaped red to purple flowers. Grow tower of jewels as a specimen plant either outdoors in dry areas within its range, or under glass in unsuitable climates.
#6 Trailing Arbutus
Epigaea repens, also called trailing arbutus, mayflower, or Plymouth mayflower, is a trailing woodland sub-shrub native to eastern North America. They make fantastic choices for woodland, native, or shady areas of pollinator gardens since their flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies! Plant them in areas with partial or dappled shade, in acidic sandy to rocky soils.
Trailing arbutus plants are spring bloomers and their common name “Plymouth mayflower” is said to stem from the fact that their flowers were the first to be seen by early US settlers after their first harsh winter! From February until May, these plants produce fragrant clusters of white to pink 5-petaled flowers that are up to 0.5 inches wide.
#7 Trillium
Trilliums (Trillium spp.) also called wake-robins are North American perennial wildflowers that belong to the lily family, Liliaceae. There are around 38 species in the group, most of which prefer to be planted in dappled to full shade, in rich, well-draining soils. Trilliums are suited for growing in USDA zones 3-9, and are the perfect candidate for shade gardens! Plant them along walkways in naturalized or wooded areas for a wonderful pop of color.
These lovely plants are spring bloomers, producing showy flowers that depending on species, can vary in size. They have solitary flowers consisting of 3 petals and 3 bracts. Their petals come in pretty shades of white, yellow, pink, or purple, and their bracts are green or mottled. Trilliums are slow growers and slow to spread, but once established are long-lived!
#8 Triteleia
Triteleia plants or triplet lilies are a group of cormous perennials from the genus Triteleia and the asparagus family, Asparagaceae. They have pretty umbels of funnel-shaped flowers that will begin opening as their leaves die down. A popular flower within the group is T. laxa, sometimes called grass nut, Ithuriel’s spear, or wild hyacinth. It is a Northern California wildflower found growing in grasslands and open forests.
These plants are drought-tolerant and can be grown in either full sun or partial shade. In early summer, they produce delicate sprays of funnel-shaped, purple-blue flowers atop tall leafless stems. T. laxa is winter hardy down to USDA zone 6, but when planted in a southward facing spot and given a good mulching over winter, they can be grown year-round down to zone 5! Plant them in informal or prairie gardens.
#9 Tuberose
The tuberose or Agave amica is a Mexican perennial succulent with beautiful flowers. They are considered tender, being cold hardy in zones 7-10, but can be grown as annuals in cooler climates. Plant tuberoses in an area that receives full sun to partial shade, in well-draining soils.
Over summer and fall, these lovely plants produce small, fragrant, waxy flowers that grow from elongated spikes, attracting hummingbirds and moths into the garden. Their flower spikes bloom from the bottom to the top, making interesting cut flowers for the home. Tuberoses are a wonderful choice for container gardens and look incredible planted in small groups in rock gardens too.
#10 Tulips
Tulips are an extremely well-known bulbous perennial, easily recognized by their vibrant flowers. There are roughly 100 species in the genus Tulipa which is a part of the lily family, Liliaceae. Tulips are originally found in Central Asia and Turkey, but due to their popularity, numerous attractive varieties have been developed, dating as far back as the 10th century!
Tulips have blue-green leaves that sit at the base of the plant, and normally have solitary, upright, bell-shaped flowers that are made of 3 petals and 3 sepals. Just under 4000 tulip varieties exist, coming in every color except true blue, and a myriad of shades.
Flowers can be single or double, with bloom time varying between varieties. Grow tulips in containers, patios, cottage-style gardens, or cutting gardens. Their flowers are a lovely addition to any indoor bouquet, and are long-lasting once cut!
#11 Turk’s Cap Lily
Lilium superbum or the Turk’s cap lily is a perennial wildflower native to Eastern USA. It is a bulbous perennial and a member of the lily family, Liliaceae, producing umbels of showy flowers over summer. Their natural habitat is in wet, boggy areas such as swamps or ravines, making them highly tolerable of consistently moist soils. These plants are the perfect choice for planting around ponds, bogs, and for rain gardens, looking particularly stunning when planted en-masse!
The Turk’s cap lily has eye-catching flowers that are up to 4 inches wide and a vibrant red-orange heavily spotted with purple. Their six petals curve backward dramatically, so often they are touching each other. They grow in loose clusters in groups of 4-12, hanging down from branching, upright stalks.
#12 Turtlehead
Turtleheads are a small group of 6 flowering perennials in the genus Chelone. They are native to North America, and get their common name from their pretty blossoms, which are said to resemble the shape of a turtle’s head! Their genus name comes from Greek mythology where chelone, a nymph, was turned into a turtle by the God’s as a punishment. They also go by the name shellflowers and are found in damp areas such as along streams, in bogs, or moist forests.
A few within the group are popular garden ornamentals and are used for providing a splash of fall color along perennial borers, attracting pollinators, or for pond and stream landscaping. Garden turtleheads usually grow between 2 and 3 feet and have dark green foliage that contrasts with their brightly colored two-lipped flowers. Their flowers can come in shades of white, pink, or red, and emerge in late summer to early fall!
#13 Twinflower
Linnaea borealis or the twinflower is an evergreen mat-forming shrub with a creeping habit. They are named after their bell-shaped flowers that grow in pairs and come in delicate shades of pink and white! They can be found in northern areas in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, growing in moist pinelands and bogs. Their delightful flowers are fragrant, and rise above a mat of dark green foliage, made up of small, glossy, round leaves.
These plants are low growing, reaching just over 3 inches high, but spreading to over 3 feet across! They are summer bloomers and their large spread makes them ideal for providing ground cover in partially shaded areas like woodland margins.
#14 Twinspur
Twinspurs are wonderful plants that belong to the Diascia genus. There are around 70 species in the group plus numerous hybrids. They are originally from South Africa and are made up of a mix of annuals and perennials. Twinspurs are highly popular as bedding plants as they are low-growing, only reaching as high as 6-8 inches, but can spread to 2 feet wide! They have tubular flowers that have five lobes, the lowest of which is the largest.
Their flowers come in wonderful hues of white, pink, orange, and red, and bloom in profusion in spring, then again in fall. The heat of the summer stops their flowering, but the cooler fall temperatures can trigger a second bloom. Garden twinspurs are grown as annuals and do best in full sun conditions. In addition to bedding, they are also fantastic for hanging baskets, containers, and window boxes!
Check our blog for all the flowers you can grow.
