Anyone who is an avid gardener or just interested in plants has no doubt wondered about all the beautiful flowers that the world has to offer! From annuals, biennials, and perennials, to herbs, vines, shrubs, and trees, the list seems to be endless.
If you’ve ever wondered about plants that begin with the letter X, then keep reading, because even though the list is short and sweet, you will find some lovely flowers that are definitely worth learning about!
#1 Xanthisma spinulosum
Xanthisma spinulosum, commonly known as the cutleaf iron plant, lacy tansyaster, and spiny goldenaster, is a perennial wildflower found in parts of western and central US. Its natural habitat is in dry prairie lands under full sun conditions. These plants have almost daisy-like flowers and belong to the daisy family, Asteraceae!
They bloom from early summer through to early fall, growing between 4 and 20 inches high. Their golden yellow flowers typically have between 14 – 60 bright outer rays surrounding a sunshine yellow central disk. Each plant can produce as many as 10 flowers that are 1 inch across and grow from the tips of branching, green stems.
#2 Xanthoceras sorbifolium
The shiny leaf yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), known simply as yellow horn, is a delightful upright, deciduous shrub that originally comes from Northern China. These shrubs have a bushy habit and can grow as tall as 8-10 feet, although wild plants have been known to reach 25 feet. They are winter hardy in USDA zones 4-7, blooming in May with beautiful and showy flowers.
Xanthoceras sorbifolium flowers grow on terminal racemes and are star-shaped reaching up to 1-inch across. These pretty blooms are white with yellow or red centres. They make excellent specimen pieces in the garden and look wonderful in cottage-style or Japanese and Chinese gardens. These shrubs are highly adaptable to a range of growing conditions but they prefer to be planted in full sun conditions in well-draining soils.
#3 Xeranthemum annuum
Xeranthemum annuum or the common or annual everlasting, is an upright annual flower with gray-green foliage and lovely daisy-like flowers. They belong to the daisy family and are highly popular as cut flowers due to their papery petal-like bracts that keep their colour when cut and dried! Their flowers are around 1.5 inches wide and come in shades of white, pink, and red.
Annual everlasting flowers emerge over summer and fall and prefer a sunny location and moderately fertile, well-drained soils. These plants will reach a maximum height of 20 inches making them a great choice for adding a splash of colour to cottage-style and informal garden beds and borders, however, they also look lovely in city, courtyard, and gravel gardens!
#4 Xerochrysum bracteatum
Xerochrysum bracteatum or the everlasting flower goes by many other common names including the golden everlasting, the paper daisy, immortelle, and strawflower! It is a short-lived tender perennial grown as an annual in cooler weather. They are members of the daisy family, with large papery flower heads that are popular for dried flower arrangements. These plants prefer moist, well-draining soils that are neutral to alkaline. Plant them along sunny borders in cottage-style or gravel gardens!
These plants bloom from late spring to the first frosts with vibrant daisy-like flower heads that grow between 1 and 3 inches wide. Their flowers come in bold shades of white, pink, red, yellow, and orange, with golden yellow central disks.
#5 Xerophyllum asphodeloides
Eastern turkeybeard or Xerophyllum asphodeloides is a clump-forming perennial native to the US. They are now considered rare in some parts of the US but are commonly found in New Jersey and Virginia. They grow as tall as 60 inches with 20 inch long grass-like leaves. Their long leafless flower stalks rise above the foliage and are topped with densely clustered flower spikes.
Xerophyllum asphodeloides flowers are small, reaching 0.5 inches in diameter, white, and have 6 tepals. They flower over late spring to early summer, but are still recognizable through the rest of the year by their narrow, saw-toothed, and wiry foliage!
#6 Xerophyllum tenax
Xerophyllum tenax goes by many names, including western turkeybeard, common bear grass, elk grass, pine lily, and bear lily! They are evergreen perennials found in open forests and meadows in the western US. Native Americans used their sturdy leaves to weave baskets and garments, and their common name “bear grass” comes from them being a food source for bears!
These showy plants grow up to 3 feet tall and bloom from May to August. They are highly recognizable by their plume of creamy-white flowers that rise around 1 foot above its foliage on tall, leafless stalks. These flowers are densely clustered in the hundreds on top of broad racemes.
#7 Xylobium
Xylobium is a genus of flowers in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are around 30 accepted species all of which are found in the tropical Americas. These exotic plants are known in the horticultural world simply as “Xyl” and may be hard to find for personal use. Xylobium plants have eye-catching flowers typical of the orchid family!
#8 Xylosma Congesta
The shiny xylosma, also called Xylosma congesta, is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a spreading habit. It gets its common name from shiny, oval-shaped leaves that emerge a coppery-bronze colour before maturing to bright green! These shrubs are native to China and winter hardy in zones 9-11 so are more suitable for warmer climates.
They grow up to 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide, making them a great choice for a hedge or privacy screen! Plant them in areas with full sun to light shade in well-draining, alkaline soils. Their modest flowers are tiny and yellow and may be followed by dark red fruits that turn black upon ripening.
#9 Xyris montana
Northern yellow-eyed grass, also referred to as Xyris montana, is a North American perennial wildflower that belongs to the yellow-eyed grass family, Xyridaceae. They can be found in moist areas such as bog and peatland, and like sunny conditions. These delicate plants grow between 2 and 12 inches with grasslike foliage that can form loose clumps or large mats in the right conditions.
They flower from mid to late summer, producing a few solitary buttery yellow flowers that are a quarter of an inch across. Their dainty flowers have 3 petals and 3 upward-facing, protruding yellow stamens.
#10 Xyris torta
Xyris torta, also called twisted or slender yellow-eyed grass, is a short-lived perennial North American wildflower. They belong to the yellow-eyed grass family and are considered to be rare. Their natural habitat is in sunny conditions, growing in wet sandy or peaty soils. These plants grow between 6 and 30 inches tall with basal, grass-like leaves that can be as long as 20 inches!
Slender yellow-eyed grass flowers in mid to late summer, with typically only 1 or 2 flowers open at a time. Their 3 petaled-flowers are sunshine yellow with raggedy tips and have 3 central, upright, protruding golden-yellow stamens.
See many different types of flowers with names on our blog.
