The list of flowering plants is endless! There is such a large selection it can give even the most skilled researcher a headache. However, if we narrow it down to letters of the alphabet, the choices become much easier.
Surprisingly, the list of different kinds of flowers that start with the letter V is long, and there is a wonderful selection to choose from ranging from annuals, perennials, shrubs, and vines. Luckily, no matter what your garden type, conditions, or climate, there is a beautiful plant just waiting to be added to your outdoor space!
#1 Vancouver Jade
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Vancouver Jade’ is a low-growing evergreen perennial that only reaches a maximum of 6 inches. This cultivar has a creeping habit making it wonderful as ground cover. Its trailing red stems are adorned with small, leathery green leaves, with a maximum spread of 3 feet! Vancouver Jade is a popular choice for erosion control on banks and slopes but also looks lovely cascading over walls in cottage-style or meadow gardens.
These delightful flowers are extremely cold-hardy, doing well in USDA zones 2-6. They love full sun to partial shade and will grow easily in acidic, well-draining soils. In mid to late spring this plant produces clusters of pretty white to pink, lantern-shaped flowers that transform into bright red berries in fall! In winter, its green foliage changes color to reddish-purple before becoming green again in spring.
#2 Veronica
Veronicas also known as speedwells are a large group of around 450 species that are part of the genus Veronica. These flowers are generally native to the Northern Hemisphere, with many of the group being popular and highly cultivated garden ornamentals. These plants generally have small flowers that come in pretty shades of white, blue, purple, and pink!
The garden varieties are low-maintenance, easy-to-grow perennials that bloom from spring to fall. These superb plants come in a variety of sizes ranging from 10 inches to as tall as 3 feet! Garden veronica flowers do extremely well in full sun and moist, well-draining soils. They are great for attracting butterflies and look fantastic in pollinator gardens.
#3 Vetch
Vetch, which is also sometimes called tare, are around 140 species of annuals, perennials, and climbing plants that belong to the Vicia genus and the pea family, Fabaceae. Some are important food crops such as V. faba (the fava bean) or are used as fodder or cover crops. Some species such as V. sativa or common vetch are popular for wildflower gardens.
Common vetch is an annual that grows as tall as 30 inches and has a scrambling, downy habit. From mid-spring to early fall, it produces small, pea-like cerise flowers. Their flowers have tremendous wildlife value, being attractive to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and moths!
#4 Valeriana
The genus Valeriana belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae and contains around 200 species. The genus contains annuals, perennials, and evergreen shrubs. These plants are herbaceous perennials with an upright, bushy growing habit and are native to Eurasia. The most well-known within the group is V. officinalis or common valerian.
Common valerian grows as tall as 5 feet with a summer blooming period. They are easy to grow in any type of soil as long as it’s moist and they have plenty of sunlight. Their small flowers grow in pretty round clusters and are either pink or white. These delightful plants are great for beds and borders, looking at home in coastal, wildflower, meadow, and cottage-style gardens!
#5 Varbascum
Varbascum plants, commonly known as mullein, are any of the 360 species within the genus Verbascum. They are typically large herbaceous perennials or biennials that are found in northern temperate regions. These plants are beautiful summer bloomers that have upright flower spikes and are fantastic for adding some architectural height to garden beds and borders!
Their flowers are particular favorites for cottage-style gardens and are noted for their wildlife value to bees, moths, and hoverflies! Verbascums like to be planted in sunny areas with well-draining soils, and many types will readily self-seed in the garden. These plants have been highly cultivated, so you will find their flowers in several lovely shades.
#6 Verbena
The common name “verbena” is given to any of the flowering plants in the genera Glandularia and Verbena! Verbenas are mostly perennials, though some are annuals, and are generally found in the tropical and subtropical Americas. The garden verbena Verbena x hybrida, also classified as Glandularia x verbena, are hybrid plants with flowers that come in white, pink, yellow, blue, and multicolors.
Garden verbanas are popular for their showy, long-lasting flowers that appear over spring, summer, and fall. Their small, star-shaped flowers grow in 3-inch wide clusters. Some varieties have a trailing habit lending them to hanging baskets and window boxes, whereas the upright types look wonderful planted along borders!
#7 Viburnum
Viburnums are small trees and shrubs belonging to the genus Viburnum that comprises around 175 species. Many have been cultivated as garden ornamentals due to their pretty foliage, wonderfully scented white or pink flower clusters, and attractive red, blue, or black fruit.
These plants are easy to grow, with a range of sizes to choose from and different blooming times over winter, spring, or summer. The group is extremely versatile, and no matter the garden style (coastal, cottage-style, or informal) there is a viburnum flower to match! Choose larger growing varieties for hedges and privacy screens and smaller types for flower beds and borders.
#8 Vinca major
Also called the big leaf periwinkle, blue buttons, and the blue periwinkle, Vinca major originates from Asia and is a mat-forming evergreen that is superb for ground cover! Winter hardy down to zone 7, these tender perennials can be grown in containers below their range for easy overwintering.
Their showy star-shaped flowers appear over spring and may continue to bloom intermittently through to fall. Vinca major flowers are popular as ground cover in rock gardens but are also great growing in containers in patio or city gardens! Place them in an area that receives full sun to partial shade!
#9 Vinca minor
Vinca minor, or the common periwinkle, bowles periwinkle, or running myrtle, is a herbaceous perennial that is fantastic for providing ground cover! They are native to Europe and are winter hardy in zones 4-9. These plants are low-growing, only reaching 6 inches, but have a spread of 18 inches.
Their delicate flowers are lilac-blue to purple and appear over spring and summer amongst their dark-green glossy leaves. These flowers are resistant to many challenges including heavy shade, drought, and salt! Although they are often used for ground cover, they are aggressive growers and risk becoming weedy.
#10 Violet
Violets are extremely popular spring flowers easily recognized by their delicate 5-petaled flowers! The common name “violet” is used to describe any of the hardy perennials belonging to the genus Viola. Their tiny flowers can be white, pink, or purple, although they are typically blue. They grow on short stems that rise just above their rounded green or purple-tinged leaves.
These plants are low-growing or have a spreading habit and do best in full sun to partial shade. Make sure the soil is fertile and well-draining, and if the soil is dry keep them well-watered until they are fully established. Grow them along woodland margins, under shrubs, or in rock gardens!
#11 Violet Wood Sorrel
Violet wood sorrel, Oxalis violacea, is a North American bulbous perennial. It blooms from mid-spring to early summer with clusters of between 4-19 flowers rising above the green foliage on slender stems. Often violet wood sorrels have a second bloom in fall after their leaves have died down. Their flowers come in pretty shades of purple-pink to lavender and have greenish-yellow throats.
These flowers are low-growing reaching heights of 6-10 inches and will spread quickly to form colonies. Plant them in well-draining soils in full sun to partial shade, along the front of borders, or in rock gardens.
#12 Viper’s Bugloss
Viper’s bugloss, Echium vulgare, is an interesting biennial that goes by the common names blue devil, blue thistle, North American blueweed, and many more! They come from Southern Europe and have a long blooming season from late spring to early fall. In the past, viper’s bugloss was used to treat viper bites, hence their common name.
These plants are beautiful when grown in beds and borders of cottage-style, coastal, or naturalized gardens. They do best in well-draining average soils and full sun conditions, producing clusters of bell-shaped purple-blue flowers with slender, protruding, pinkish-red stamens. Try to avoid planting them in overly rich soils as this can decrease flowering!
#13 Virgin’s Bower
Virgin’s bower or Clematis virginiana is originally found in eastern North America and is a deciduous climber. They are fast growers and spread aggressively reaching lengths of between 10 and 20 feet! These woody vines are brilliant for training along fences, walls, or trellises, otherwise, they will sprawl across the ground providing excellent ground cover.
Their blooming season is from late summer to fall, where they produce masses of wonderfully fragrant 1-inch, white to cream flowers. These vines are highly tolerant of deep shade although they prefer to be grown under full sun or partial shade. Plant them in informal or cottage-style gardens and expect them to attract butterflies into the area!
#14 Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica or Virginia bluebells are herbaceous perennials with showy flowers that look stunning planted en masse in moist, shady woodland, native, or wildflower gardens! They are native to North America and are winter hardy in zones 3-8. These plants prefer partial to full shade and will perform best in moist, rich, well-drained soils.
Virginia bluebells bloom from March to April with loose clusters of pretty blue trumpet-shaped flowers that grow up to 1-inch long. The flowers emerge from pink buds and will open with a pinkish tinge before maturing to blue. They go dormant over the summer so should be planted with late expanding perennials like ferns or hostas to cover the space left behind in the garden!
#15 Virginia spiderwort
The Virginia spiderwort or Tradescantia virginiana is a beautiful clump-forming perennial found in the eastern and central US. They grow 2-3 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide, preferring moist or occasionally wet soils with good drainage in either sunny conditions or shade. These lovely flowers are a fantastic choice for rain gardens or pond landscaping!
Their dainty 3-petaled flowers appear in spring in shades of lavender to vibrant blue-purple with contrasting golden-yellow stamens. Its foliage will often die back in the heat of summer but may return again once temperatures cool down in late summer to fall. After the first bloom and the flowers begin to die down, cut the stems back to encourage a rebloom later on.
#16 Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica or the Virginia sweetspire is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub native to the eastern US. They prefer rich, moist, slightly acidic soils, and will flower most abundantly with 4 hours of sunlight a day. Virginia sweetspire plants can form dense colonies making them ideal for erosion control on sloping streambanks or along ponds borders.
Their fragrant flowers are tiny, white, and grow on arching racemes that can be between 3 and 6 inches long! The most commonly available cultivar is ‘Henry’s Garnet’ which has white flowers and green foliage that turns purple-red in the fall! It grows as tall as 8 feet and is a good candidate for growing along low walls for added privacy.
