138 different, fresh flower names in English to make your vocab flourish
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Flowers have always been the beauty of gardens and public parks. Not only do they look beautiful, but they also show our culture and tradition with their different colors and shapes.
They are the symbol of love and thanksgiving. We give flowers when we want to say I love you or express our thanks and gratitude.
But can you truly appreciate them without knowing their names? No matter whether you’re a beginner English learner or more advanced, learning the names of flowers in English will come in handy whenever you want to buy your mom a beautiful bouquet for Mother’s Day, send roses to your girlfriend, or put fresh tulips on your kitchen table.
Flowers in English
Hold your roses because we’ve got over 130 different flower names in English in this guide - from marigolds in English to sunflowers in English, and everything in between!
We organized these flowers into different categories, such as the most common flowers, national flowers of different countries, and funny flower names (we promise these are hilarious). For some categories, we’ve also included the scientific name of the flowers.
Ok, but first things first: “flower” in English is a countable noun, which means that you can use it both in the singular form (a flower) and the plural form (flowers).
Ready for a colorful explosion of flowers in English?
Most common flower names in English
Flower names in English are usually derived from the names of their genus, species, or variety. But don’t worry! Unless you’re a botanist, you don’t have to learn the scientific names of each flower. Most flowers have common names that are a simplified version of their full name - something like a nickname.
Here’s the list of 40+ most common flower names in English.
| English | IPA Pronunciation | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Acacia | / əˈkeɪʃə / | Acacia |
| Aloe | / ˈæˌloʊ / | Aloe |
| Alpenrose | / alpenrose / | Rhododendron ferrugineum |
| Amaranth | / ˈæməˌrænθ / | Amaranthus |
| American Lotus | / əˈmerɪkən ˈloʊtəs / | Nelumbo lutea |
| Anise hyssop | / ˈænəs ˈhɪsəp / | Agastache foeniculum |
| Azalea | / əˈzeɪljə / | Rhododendron |
| Bearberry | / bearberry / | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
| Begonia | / bɪˈɡoʊnjə / | Begonias tuberhybrida |
| Bluebell | / ˈbluːbel / | Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
| Bluet | / ˈbluːɪt / | Houstonia caerulea |
| Camellia | / kəˈmiːlɪə / | Camellia sasanqua |
| Carnation | / karˈneɪʃn̩ / | Dianthus caryophyllus |
| Catmint | / ˈkætˌmɪnt / | Nepeta nervosa |
| Chrysanthemum | / krəˈsænθəməm / | Chrysanthemum indicum |
| Common poppy | / ˈkɒmən ˈpɑːpi / | Papaver rhoeas |
| Coneflower | / ˈkoʊnˌflɑːwər / | Echinacea |
| Cupcakes white | / ˈkʌpkeɪks ˈwaɪt / | Cosmos bipinnatus |
| Daffodil | / ˈdæfəˌdɪl / | Narcissi |
| Dahlia | / ˈdæljə / | Dahlia |
| Daisy | / ˈdeɪzi / | Bellis perennis |
| Feverfew | / ˈfiːvərˌfjuː / | Tanacetum parthenium |
| Flamingo flower | / fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ ˈflaʊər / | Anthurium andraeanum |
| Hibiscus | / hɪˈbɪskəs / | Hibiscus |
| Hyacinth | / ˈhaɪəˌsɪnθ / | Hyacinthus |
| Hydrangea | / haɪˈdreɪndʒə / | Hydrangea arborescens |
| Iris | / ˈaɪrəs / | Iris |
| Lavender | / ˈlævəndər / | Lavandula angustifolia |
| Lilac | / ˈlaɪˌlæk / | Syringa |
| Lily | / ˈlɪli / | Lilium |
| Marguerite | / ˌmɑːrɡəˈriːt / | Argyranthemum frutescens |
| Marigold | / ˈmærɪɡoʊld / | Tagetes |
| Moonflower | / ˈmuːnflaʊər / | Ipomoea alba |
| Nightshade | / ˈnaɪˌtʃed / | Solanaceae |
| Orchid | / ˈɔːrkəd / | Orchidaceae |
| Peony | / ˈpiːəni / | Paeonia officinalis |
| Petunia | / pəˈtuːniə / | Petunia |
| Primrose | / ˈprɪmroʊz / | Primula vulgaris |
| Rose | / roʊz / | Rosa |
| Sunflower | / ˈsʌnˌflɑːwər / | Helianthus |
| Thistle | / ˈθɪsl̩ / | Cirsium |
| Tickseed | / tickseed / | Coreopsis |
| Treasure flower | / ˈtreʒər ˈflaʊər / | Gazania |
| Tulip | / ˈtuːləp / | Tulipa |
| Violet | / ˈvaɪələt / | Viola |
| Water lily | / wɔ:tər lɪli / | Nymphaea |
| Wisteria | / wɪˈstɪərɪə / | Wisteria frutescens |
Funny names of flowers in English
Who’s Black-Eyed Susan, Busy Lizzie, and Flaming Katy? Although these sound like high-school nicknames for teenage girls, they’re actually… names of flowers in English!
And that’s not all the fun there is… we’ve also got baby’s breath, bleeding heart, and even the ghost of Miss Willmotts. You’ll forget-us-not with these hilarious flower names in English.
| English | IPA Pronunciation | Scientific Name |
|---|---|---|
| Baby’s breath | / ˈbeɪbiz ˈbreθ / | Gypsophila paniculata |
| Bachelors button | / ˈbætʃlərz ˈbʌtn̩ / | Centaurea cyanus |
| Balloon flower | / bəˈluːn ˈflaʊər / | Platycodon grandiflorus |
| Black-eyed Susan | / blæk ˈaɪd ˈsuːzn̩ / | Rudbeckia fulgida |
| Bleeding heart | / ˈbliːdɪŋ ˈhɑːrt / | Dicentra spectabilis |
| Busy Lizzie | / ˈbɪzi ˈlɪzi / | Impatiens walleriana |
| Butterfly bush | / ˈbʌtr̩flaɪ ˈbʊʃ / | Buddleja davidii |
| Flaming Katy | / ˈfleɪmɪŋ ˈkeɪti / | Kalanchoe blossfeldiana |
| Forget-me-not | / fəˈɡet mɪ nɑːt / | Myosotis sylvatica |
| Kangaroo paw | / ˌkæŋɡəˈruː ˈpɒ / | Anigozanthos flavidus |
| King’s mantle | / ˌkɪŋz ˈmæntl̩ / | Thunbergia erecta |
| Love in a mist | / ˈlʌv ɪn ə ˈmɪst / | Nigella damascena |
| Love lies bleeding | / ˈlʌv ˈlaɪz ˈbliːdɪŋ / | Amaranthus caudatus |
| Miss Willmotts Ghost | / ˈmɪs willmotts ɡoʊst / | Eryngium giganteum |
| Obedient plant | / oˈbiːdiənt ˈplænt / | Physostegia virginiana |
| Shooting star | / ʃu:tɪŋ ˈstɑːr / | Dodecatheon meadia |
| Snowy Angels Trumpet | / ˈsnoʊɪ ˈeɪndʒəlz ˈtrʌmpət / | Brugmansia suaveolens |
National flowers of other countries
Almost every country in the world has a national flower - except for just a few countries, including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Israel, and Lebanon.
Here’s the list of some countries with their national flowers.
| Country | Flower | IPA Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Red poppy | / ˈred ˈpɑːpi / |
| Brazil | Cattleya orchid | / cattleya ˈɔːrkəd / |
| China | Plum blossom | / plʌm ˈblɑːsəm / |
| Colombia | Christmas orchid | / ˈkrɪsməs ˈɔːrkəd / |
| Cuba | Butterfly jasmine | / ˈbʌtr̩flaɪ ˈdʒæzmən / |
| Egypt | Lotus flower | / ˈloʊtəs ˈflaʊər / |
| France | Iris | / ˈaɪrəs / |
| Germany | Knapweed | / ˈnæpˌwiːd / |
| Holland | Tulip | / ˈtuːləp / |
| India | Lotus flower | / ˈloʊtəs ˈflaʊər / |
| Japan | Cherry blossom & Chrysanthemum | / ˈtʃeri ˈblɑːsəm ənd krəˈsænθəməm / |
| Poland | Corn poppy | / ˈkɔ:n ˈpɑːpi / |
| Portugal | Lavender | / ˈlævəndər / |
| Russia | Camomile | / ˈkæməmaɪl / |
| Spain | Red carnation | / ˈred karˈneɪʃn̩ / |
| Ukraine | Sunflower | / ˈsʌnˌflɑːwər / |
National flowers of English-speaking countries
Maybe you already know some national flowers of English-speaking countries, such as shamrock in Ireland or the maple leaf in Canada. But did you know that Australia’s national flower is the golden wattle? Or that Wales has two of them?
Find out the national flower of each English-speaking country on the list below.
| Country | Flower | IPA Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Golden wattle | / ˈɡoʊldən ˈwɑːtl̩ / |
| Bahamas | Yellow elder | / ˈjeloʊ ˈeldər / |
| Canada | Maple leaf | / ˈmeɪpl li:f / |
| Cayman Islands | Wild banana orchid | / ˈwaɪld ˈsplɪt ˈɔːrkəd / |
| Ireland | Shamrock | / ˈʃæmˌrɑːk / |
| Jamaica | Wood of life | / ˈwʊd əv life / |
| New Zealand | Kowhai | / kowhai / |
| Scotland | Thistle | / ˈθɪsl̩ / |
| South Africa | Protea | / ˈproʊtiə / |
| United Kingdom | Tudor rose | / ˈtuːdər roʊz / |
| United States | Rose | / roʊz / |
| Wales | Leek or daffodil | / ˈliːk ɔːr ˈdæfəˌdɪl / |
National flowers of the USA
The national flower of the United States is the rose, chosen as such in 1986. Apart from that, each of the 50 states has its own state flower. Some flowers can represent more than one state.
Other countries that have the rose as their national flower are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, and Luxembourg.
Here’s the list of the national flowers of the USA, with the states that they represent.
| Flower | IPA Pronunciation | US State |
|---|---|---|
| American dogwood | / əˈmerɪkən ˈdɒˌɡwʊd / | Virginia |
| Apple blossom | / æpl ˌblɒsəm / | Arkansas & Michigan |
| Azalea | / əˈzeɪljə / | Georgia |
| Bitterroot | / ˈbɪtərˌruːt / | Montana |
| Black-eyed Susan | / blæk ˈaɪd ˈsuːzn̩ / | Maryland |
| Bluebonnet | / ˈbluːˌbɑːnət / | Texas |
| California poppy | / ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə ˈpɑːpi / | California |
| Camellia | / kəˈmiːlɪə / | Alabama |
| Cherokee rose | / ˈtʃerəˌki roʊz / | Georgia |
| Coast rhododendron | / koʊst ˌroʊdəˈdendrən / | Washington |
| Flowering dogwood | / ˈflaʊərɪŋ ˈdɒˌɡwʊd / | North Carolina |
| Forget-me-not | / fəˈɡet mɪ nɑːt / | Alaska |
| Goldenrod | / ˈɡoldənˌrɑːd / | Kentucky & Nebraska |
| Hawaiian hibiscus | / həˈwaɪən hɪˈbɪskəs / | Hawaii |
| Hawthorn | / ˈhɒˌθɔːrn / | Missouri |
| Indian paintbrush | / ˈɪndiən ˈpeɪntˌbrəʃ / | Wyoming |
| Iris | / ˈaɪrəs / | Tennessee |
| Magnolia | / mægˈnoʊlɪə / | Louisiana & Mississippi |
| Mayflower | / ˈmeɪˌflɑːwər / | Massachusetts |
| Mock orange | / ˈmɒk ˈɔːrəndʒ / | Idaho |
| Mountain laurel | / ˌmaʊntɪn ˈlɔːrəl / | Connecticut & Pennsylvania |
| Oklahoma rose | / ˌoʊkləˌhoʊmə roʊz / | Oklahoma |
| Orange blossom | / ˈɔːrəndʒ ˈblɑːsəm / | Florida |
| Oregon grape | / ˈɔːrəɡən ˈɡreɪp / | Oregon |
| Pasque flower | / ˈpæsk ˈflaʊər / | South Dakota |
| Peach blossom | / ˈpiːtʃ ˈblɑːsəm / | Delaware |
| Peony | / ˈpiːəni / | Indiana |
| Pink-and-white lady’s slipper | / ˈpɪŋk ənd ˌwaɪt ˈleɪdɪz sˈlɪpər / | Minnesota |
| Purple lilac | / ˈpɝːpl̩ ˈlaɪˌlæk / | New Hampshire |
| Red clover | / ˈred ˈkloʊvər / | Vermont |
| Rhododendron | / ˌroʊdəˈdendrən / | West Virginia |
| Rocky mountain columbine | / ˈrɑːki ˌmaʊntɪn ˈkɑːləmˌbaɪn / | Colorado |
| Rose | / roʊz / | New York |
| Sagebrush | / ˈseɪdʒˌbrəʃ / | Nevada |
| Saguaro cactus blossom | / səˈɡwɔːroʊ ˈkæktəs ˈblɑːsəm / | Arizona |
| Scarlet carnation | / ˈskɑːrlət karˈneɪʃn̩ / | Ohio |
| Sego lily | / ˈsiːˌɡoʊ ˈlɪli / | Utah |
| Sunflower | / ˈsʌnˌflɑːwər / | Kansas |
| Tickseed | / tickseed / | Florida & Mississippi |
| Violet | / ˈvaɪələt / | Illinois, New Jersey & Rhode Island |
| While pine | / ˈwaɪl ˈpaɪn / | Maine |
| Wild prairie rose | / ˈwaɪld ˈpreri roʊz / | North Dakota |
| Wild rose | / ˈwaɪld roʊz / | Iowa |
| Wood violet | / ˈwʊd ˈvaɪələt / | Wisconsin |
| Yellow jessamine | / ˈjeloʊ ˈdʒesəˌmɪn / | South Carolina |
| Yucca flower | / ˈjəkə ˈflaʊər / | New Mexico |
Handy floral vocabulary in English
Learning vocabulary related to flowers, fruits, and vegetables in English will always come in handy. So, here are some words that we think you’ll find useful.
| English | IPA Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Bee | / ˈbiː / |
| Blossom | / ˈblɑːsəm / |
| Botanical garden | / bəˈtænɪkl̩ ˈɡɑːrdn̩ / |
| Bouquet | / buːˈkeɪ / |
| Florist | / ˈflɑːrəst / |
| Garden | / ˈɡɑːrdn̩ / |
| Leaves | / ˈliːvz / |
| Petals | / ˈpetl̩z / |
| Plant | / ˈplænt / |
| Pollen | / ˈpɑːlən / |
| Roots | / ˈruːts / |
| Seeds | / ˈsiːdz / |
| Spring | / ˈsprɪŋ / |
| Stem | / ˈstem / |
| Wildflowers | / ˈwaɪldˌflɑːwrz / |
Best flower markets to increase your flower appreciation
Now that you know the names of flowers in English, it’s time to appreciate them! Here are some of the best flower markets in England, the USA, South Africa, and Australia.
- Flemington Flower Market, Sydney, Australia
- Berwick Street Market, London, England
- Columbia Flower Market, London, England
- Adderley Street Flower Market, Cape Town, South Africa
- New York City Flower District, New York City, USA
- Miami Flower Market, Miami, USA
- Los Angeles Flower District, Los Angeles, USA
A bouquet of fun flower idioms
English-speakers LOVE idioms! These funny expressions are often the best way to convey a message. English has idioms for almost everything, and there’s no shortage of idioms with flowers.
Here are some of our favorites with their meanings:
- A late bloomer = A person who’s often behind their peers in a particular area
- A shrinking violet = A shy person
- As fresh as a daisy = Full of energy, well-rested
- A primrose path = A pleasant and easy way of life
- To come out smelling roses = To overcome a difficult situation with a positive outcome
- No bed of roses = A difficult, unpleasant situation
- Under the rose = In secret
- Wallflower = Someone who doesn’t participate during a party. They usually stand in the corner.
Stop and smell the roses
There are plenty of different, beautiful flowers in the world, and not all of them can be included here. But if you're looking to learn the names of the most common flowers in English, this list is sure to have something for everyone.
Whether you're seeking inspiration for a new bouquet or looking to put a little something extra in your greeting cards and letters, with this list of flower names, your possibilities are now endless.
And if you love fun and fresh articles, we recommend keeping up your English vocab journey on our free learn English blog.
