From Hellebores to Hyacinths: Flowers That Start With The Letter 'H' (2024)

In this guide, explore a variety of flowers starting with ‘H’. With numerous species and hybrids worldwide, it’s a challenge to pick favorites for gardens and arrangements. Join us on a journey through flowers alphabetically. Discover 50 ‘H’ flowers with descriptions, facts, images, meanings, seasons, and tips.

50 Stunning Flowers That Start With the Letter ‘H’:

1. Haemanthus

Haemanthus is a genus containing 23 accepted flowering species, bulbous plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae plant family, the same plant family as the popular holiday amaryllis bulbs.

I’ve found that Haemanthus flowers have an unpleasant odor and are large and bushy, resembling thick powder brushes supported by a circle of bracts in the same shade as the petals and stamens. The most popular Haemanthus is the blood lily, which produces crimson-red flowers but can also be white, yellow, orange, or pink.

2. Hakone grass

Hakone grass is one of the most beloved ornamental grasses, especially in shady gardens. It produces large mounds of arching, slender foliage. The lance-shaped leaves sway in the breeze and progress through various colors throughout the season, ranging from bright green to gold and cream.

The mounds produce small, wispy, yellow-green flowers in mid to late summer. In the fall, the foliage turns vibrant burnt orange. In the language of flowers, grass symbolizes submission and utility.

3. Hardy Fuchsia

Hardy fuchsia is a sub-shrub plant with woody stems, deep-green ovate leaves, and drooping tubular flowers in combinations of red and purple, pink and lavender, and sometimes white.

In climates with no frost, these beautiful flowers that start with the letter H can grow to be 10 feet in height and diameter. In cooler regions, they’re popular ornamental plants and are commonly grown in hanging baskets to showcase their alluring flowers. Scarlet fuchsia flowers symbolize taste in the language of flowers.

4. Hare’s Ear

Hare’s ear is an annual plant primarily regarded as a weed in Western Europe and parts of the United States, as it quickly takes root in cultivated land. The plants have slender stems which seem to pierce the ear-shaped, perfoliate leaves. The flowers are small, clustered, greenish gold in color, and haloed by pointed, yellow-green bracts.

5. Hare’s Tail Grass

Hare’s tail grass is a clump-forming annual that grows to be about 20 inches tall and 12 inches across. The plants produce long, slender blades of grass. In summer, hare’s tail grass blossoms with flowers that start out as small, green flowerheads at the tips of spindly stalks. The flowers mature into fuzzy, white-and-beige cones that look like rabbit tails sticking up from the grass.

6. Harebell

Campanula rotundifolia is a perennial with very slender, delicate, brownish-red stems. The bell-shaped flowers have broadly scalloped edges and appear in terminal clusters. They blossom in shades ranging from periwinkle blue to light purple and sometimes white.

Common names include harebell, bluebell, bellflower, and witch’s thimble. In the language of flowers, pretty harebells symbolize grief, regret, and submission.

7. Harlequin Flower

Sparaxis tricolor is a bulbous perennial commonly called the harlequin flower or wandflower. The species’ specific epithet refers to the three-colored nature of its flowers which feature a round, golden-yellow throat at the center, surrounded by a brownish-black border, and finally circled with a ring of pointed petals in shades of red, orange, yellow, white, or lavender. The flowers are clustered amongst sword-shaped foliage with up to five two-inch-diameter flowers per plant.

8. Heart’s-Ease

Viola tricolor is a wildflower in Europe and western Asia and commonly cultivated in gardens and containers in other parts of the world. They can be self-sowing annuals or short-lived perennials. The flowers look like small faces and feature upper petals in shades of blue, violet, or purple, lateral petals in white, and a yellow-colored lower petal.

These flowers that start with H have several fun common names, including heart’s ease, wild pansies, heart’s delight, come-and-cuddle-me, tickle-my-fancy, love-in-idleness, pink of my john, and three faces in a hood.

In the language of flowers, pansies represent thoughts and “forget me not.”

9. Heartleaf Bergenia

Bergenia cordifolia is a perennial that forms basal clusters of large, heart-shaped leaves. The clusters of foliage grow to be about one to two feet in diameter. Thick, reddish, twenty-four-inch stems shoot up from the center of the plants and support abundant clusters of tiny flowers in shades of pink, red, and white.

Heartleaf bergenia flowers attract butterflies and are perfect for mass plantings in large flower beds or slopes.

10. Heather

Heather plants are shrubs with reddish-brown, woody stems and produce small, heart-shaped leaves in narrow segments. The flowers can be pink, purple, or cream-colored. They’re bell-shaped and produced in clusters on terminal racemes. In Scottland, white heather flowers are considered lucky and are often sold as charms or incorporated into bridal bouquets.

11. Heavenly Bamboo

A small evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub, Nandina domestica (commonly called heavenly bamboo) is a beloved garden ornamental that has visual interest throughout the year. In spring, the plant blossoms with a profusion of panicles of small, white flowers. The flowers are followed by large clusters of green berries that ripen to scarlet. The plant’s foliage ranges from purple to green to reddish-purple in fall.

In Japan, heavenly bamboo is called “nanten” which translates to “southern sky.” The word, however, is a synonym for another Japanese word that translates to “problems that change for the better.” This play on words is intentional, as the plant is commonly believed to bring good luck.

12. Helenium

The Helenium genus contains 33 accepted species of daisy-like flowers that can bloom in orange, red, yellow, or fiery bicolor combinations. Flowers of the genus are sometimes commonly called sneezeweeds because their dried leaves were historically used to make snuff that was inhaled in order to induce fits of sneezing that were believed to cleanse the body of evil spirits. Helenium symbolizes tears in the language of flowers.

13. Helianthus

Helianthus is a genus containing 55 accepted species of flowers that we commonly call sunflowers due to their habit of “following” the Sun’s path through the sky. Flowers of this genus can be short or tall. They produce thick, sturdy stalks and large flowerheads consisting of disc and ray florets.

The flowers can be yellow, orange, golden, red, mahogany, maroon, bronze, brown, or bicolor. In the language of flowers, dwarf sunflowers symbolize adoration, whereas tall sunflowers symbolize haughtiness.

14. Helichrysum

The Helichrysum genus contains 556 accepted species of flowering shrubs, annuals, and herbaceous perennials. The features of this genus’s plants are highly varied.

These flowers that start with H range from individual, daisy-shaped flowerheads with ray and disco florets to large umbel-shaped panicles of small flower clusters. The flowers can be red, orange, yellow, white, or pink. Common names include everlasting daisy, strawflower, and imortelle.

15. Heliotrope

Heliotrope is an evergreen shrub that grows to be about four feet tall and wide at maturity. This leafy shrub produces large, showy, round clusters of tiny flowers in shades of blue, violet, purple, or white. These shrubs are beloved for their pleasant, vanilla-like fragrance. In the language of flowers, heliotrope symbolizes devotion and faithfulness.

16. Hellebore

Helleborus is a genus containing 15 accepted species of low-growing, flowering perennials in the buttercup plant family. They produce basal rosettes of foliage and starry, cup-shaped flowers in dusty shades of pink, maroon, mauve, apricot, yellow, blue, green, almost black, cream, and white.

The flower centers feature cushions of prominent yellow stamens. Although toxic, the ancient Romans and Greeks used black hellebore to treat various ailments, including insanity. In the language of flowers, hellebore symbolizes delirium, scandal, and calumny.

For more, see our in-depth guide to popular flowers that are toxic to cats, dogs, and other pets.

17. Helleborine

A member of the orchid plant family, Epipactis is a genus containing 53 accepted species of flowering plants commonly called helleborine. Like most orchids, the flowers of this genus are highly symmetrical and complex. These beautiful flowers that start with the letter H can be creamy white, pink, yellow-green, or reddish-purple with dark purple veins.

18. Hemerocallis

The Hemerocallis plant genus contains 16 accepted species of rhizomatic flowering plants commonly called daylilies. Despite the common name and the resemblance of these species’ flowers to those of lilies, daylilies are not actually lilies because they belong to the Asphodelaceae plant family. The flowers can be yellow, orange, red, maroon, purple, pink, or white. In the language of flowers, daylilies symbolize coquetry.

19. Henbane

Henbane flowers are pale yellow and trumpet-shaped with purplish-black throats. Members of the nightshade plant family, henbane plants have toxic properties that have a historical use as an analgesic and sedative.

Additionally, the plant has been used for its psychoactive properties that can induce a sensation of flying and cause hallucinations. When prepared for ingestion, the dosage must be exact. Due to the plant’s toxicity, ingesting too much can be lethal. In the language of flowers, henbane symbolizes imperfection.

20. Herb Robert

Herb Robert is an annual or biennial species of cranesbill with hairy, reddish stems and deeply dissected green foliage that turns reddish in fall. The plants produce small, five-petaled, ultra-pink flowers with ray-like stripes of white reaching from their centers toward the petals’ margins.

The plant has an herbal medicine history with a wide range of applications. The scent of its crushed leaves resembles burning rubber and is said to help repel mosquitos.

21. Herbaceous Peony

Paeonia lactiflora is a perennial shrub that produces showy, ornamental flowers. The peony flowers are cup or bowl-shaped with large, ruffled petals in shades of white, pink, or crimson and puffs of golden-yellow stamens at their centers.

Herbaceous peonies were a popular subject in the still-life paintings of several prominent impressionist artists. Peonies are often associated with long-lasting love and marital bliss. In the language of flowers, however, they symbolize shame and bashfulness.

22. Hesperantha

A member of the Iridaceae plant family, the Hesperantha genus contains 89 accepted flowering plant species commonly referred to as red flag or crimson lily.

These flowers that start with the letter H mostly grow from corms and produce sturdy, vibrant-green stalks with terminal flowers. The flowers have six oblong petals and sparse, wispy stamens. They blossom in shades of red, pink, and snow-white.

23. Hesperis

A member of the Brassicaceae (crucifer) plant family, Hesperis matronalis is typically a flowering biennial (sometimes perennial) commonly called dame’s rocket or hesperis.

The petite, four-petaled flowers are produced in large, rounded, terminal clusters in shades of pinkish-violet. The flowers become increasingly prominent toward the end of the day, and that’s where the name “hesperis” comes from, as it comes from the Greek word for “evening.”

24. Hibiscus

A member of the Malvaceae (mallow) plant family, the Hibiscus genus contains 434 accepted species of herbaceous perennial and annual flowering plants.

These beautiful flowers that start with H are exotic looking with fluttery petals and prominent, brightly-colored stamens. They commonly bloom in shades of red, purple, orange, yellow, and pink. More rarely, their flowers are white, purple, or multicolored.

In the language of flowers, hibiscus symbolizes delicate beauty.

25. Himalayan Blue Poppy

The Himalayan blue poppy is a popular ornamental commonly grown in cottage gardens. Although the perennial blossoms are relatively short-lived, they are beloved for their striking, silky flowers in a rare shade of blue.

With golden-yellow central stamens, this poppy blossoms in a blue that shares its color with the sky on a sunny afternoon. It can also blossom in shades of purple, red, and white.

In flowers, the color blue is associated with mysteries, striving for the impossible, and tranquility and serenity.

26. Hoary Stock

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30 Beautiful Flowers That Start With H (With Pictures) - Flower Keen

Matthiola incana, commonly called hoary stock, is a favorite of gardeners and florists alike. The perennial or biennial plants grow in clumps and produce large cone-shaped racemes of clove-scented flowers in a wide array of colors. Hoary stock blossoms in shades of red, pink, purple, lavender, white, peach, and yellow. Stock blossoms symbolize lasting beauty in the language of flowers.

27. Hoary Vervain

Verbena stricta (commonly called hoary vervain), is an herbaceous perennial that forms clumps of basal foliage and hairy stems. Tightly woven, finger-shaped terminal racemes blossom with tiny flowers.

These lovely flowers that start with H are most commonly lavender colored but can sometimes bloom in white or a rosy shade of pink. They attract butterflies. In the language of flowers, vervain symbolizes enchantment.

28. Hollyhock

Hollyhocks are a favorite worldwide for their tall stalks (up to eight feet!) of large, showy, silky flowers. The flowers are typically cup-shaped and come in various varieties and colors ranging from white to almost black, red, pink, purple, orange, and yellow.

With their tall structure, they are most commonly grown along fences or against buildings to provide height and depth to a garden bed. In the language of flowers, hollyhocks symbolize ambition and fecundity.

29. Holy Basil

A mint or sage (Lamiaceae) plant family member, Ocimum tenuiflorum is an aromatic perennial commonly called holy basil or tulsi. The plant produces racemes of petite flowers in light shades of pink, purple, or white.

It is commonly used in cooking and brewing an herbal tea believed to have medicinal properties and spiritual significance in several religious practices.

30. Honesty

Honesty is an annual or perennial flowering plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It grows about three feet tall and produces rounded racemes of four-petaled flowers in shades ranging from deep purple or violet to white.

The genus name, Lunaria, is Latin for moon-shaped and refers to the moon-like appearance of the plant’s circular white seedpods. In the language of flowers, honesty flowers symbolize fascination, admiration, and, of course, honesty.

31. Honeywort

A member of the Borginaceae (borage) plant family, Cerinthe major is an annual flowering plant that produces attractive bluish-green foliage and clusters of downturned, pendulous, tubular flowers in shades of lavender, purple, yellow, and cream.

Coin-shaped, leaf-like bracts surround the flowers in shades that range from silvery blue to dusty pink. The plants attract bees and hummingbirds and are commonly referred to as honeywort.

32. Hooker’s Lips

A member of the Rubiaceae (madder/coffee) plant family, Psychotria elata is a flowering shrub that is widely recognized for its cherry-red, lip-shaped flower bracts.

Due to the lip-like shape of its flowers, these plants are commonly called hooker’s lips, girlfriend kiss, or hot lips. When in bloom, the red bracts open up to reveal clusters of petite, snowy-white flowers.

33. Hoop Petticoat Daffodil

Hoop petticoat daffodils grow three to five flowers per bulb and readily self-spread, making them perfect for a sunny, early-spring flowerbed. The flowers have short, inconspicuous petals that surround large, rounded funnels that are shaped like petticoats with hoops caught in the wind.

The flowers can be lemon-yellow or white. In the language of flowers, daffodils symbolize regard and self-conceit.

34. Horned Poppy

The horned poppy is a short-lived, herbaceous perennial. It produces waxy, silvery-blue foliage with deeply scalloped and wavy leaves. The flowers are silky, like most poppies, with slightly pointed or “horned” petals.

These flowers that start with H bloom in a warm shade of golden yellow and attract bees. Despite their beauty, horned poppies are regarded as noxious weeds in some regions of North America. They are also highly toxic, and ingestion of any part of the plant can lead to respiratory failure and death.

35. Horned Violet

Horned violets are herbaceous, evergreen perennials that grow to be about six to eight inches tall with a 12-inch spread. They produce strap-like foliage, and their flowers usually feature two prominent tones: blue, lavender, or violet with white or yellow. Hybrids and cultivars are also available in shades of yellow, apricot, and pink.

36. Horse Chestnut

A member of the Sapindaceae (maple) plant family, Aesculus hippocastanum is a deciduous, flowering tree commonly called horse chestnut. It produces 12-inch tall panicles of white flowers with yellow, pink, and red markings at their bases.

After the flowers are spent, each panicle produces one to five fruits called horse chestnuts. In the language of flowers, horse chestnut flowers represent luxury and mean, “You are perfect.” The tree is an official symbol of Kyiv, Ukraine.

37. Horsetail

The Equisetum genus contains 18 accepted species of vascular plants with singular, upright stems and narrow, spiky foliage that resemble horse tails. These plants reproduce with spores, instead of seeds.

The genus belongs to the Equistaceae plant family and is the only genus of this prehistoric group with plants that are still alive and growing today. As a result, plants of this genus are considered to be living fossils because their ancestors populated the understory of many Paleozoic forests.

38. Hosta

Hosta is a genus containing 22 accepted species of herbaceous perennial plants. Hostas are most commonly grown for their showy clumps of ornamental foliage. The green, blue, yellow, gold, red, or white leaves can be solid or variegated with striking patterns and color combinations. They produce terminal racemes of tubular flowers on tall, skinny stalks in shades ranging from lavender to white.

39. Hottentot Fig

The hottentot fig plant is a creeping succulent that can cover large areas. Individual shoots can grow more than three feet yearly, and entire plants can spread up to 165 feet in diameter at maturity.

They produce daisy-shaped flowers with straw-like calyxes and petals that can be two to six inches in diameter. They bloom in a pale yellow shade that sometimes fades to pink as the flowers mature. Flowers open up in the morning and close at night.

40. Hound’s-Tongue

Hound’s-tongue is a species of annual or biennial flowering plant. It produces bluish foliage with soft hairs. The leaves can be lanceolate or ovate and are shaped similarly to a dog’s tongue, hence the plant’s common name. Given this shape, the plants were sometimes used as a remedy for dog bites in historic herbal medicine.

These beautiful flowers that start with the letter H are usually red or purple, cup-shaped, and feature dark purple or red veins on their petals. In North America, Cynoglossum officinale is considered an invasive species.

41. Houseleek

A member of the Crassulaceae (stonecrop) plant family, Sempervivum is a genus containing 52 species of evergreen, perennial succulents. The plants form rosettes of green leaf segments that can become tinged red or pink in the summer. They spread by producing offshoots and blossom sporadically with clusters of pinkish-purple flowers.

In the language of flowers, houseleek symbolizes domestic industriousness and vivacity. In Europe, they are commonly planted outside of houses and other buildings because the ancient Romans believed they would prevent lightning from striking buildings.

42. Hoya

There are 553 accepted species of evergreen perennials in the Hoya genus. Hoyas can be vines, creeping plants, and sometimes shrubs. They produce spherical clusters of flowers that are small and shaped like stars. The flowers typically feature combinations of white, pink, and red.

They are commonly grown as houseplants and are prevalent in hanging baskets and tall containers that show off their sweeping stems and foliage. In the language of flowers, hoyas symbolize sculpture.

43. Hummingbird Sage

Hummingbird sage is an evergreen perennial plant that is native to a small coastal region of California. It has rosettes of vibrant-green foliage and produces racemes of fruity-scented flowers are fuzzy, reddish stalks. Hummingbird sage flowers are highly attractive to pollinators and local fauna, as they draw in bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other species of birds. The plants can grow up to three feet tall and five feet across, making them a good choice to fill in open garden spaces.

44. Hyacinth

Hyacinths are bulbous perennials that produce sturdy, lance-shaped foliage and racemes of highly fragrant purple flowers in shades of purple, blue, red, pink, yellow, and white. Although they smell lovely, no part of the hyacinth plant should ever be ingested because they are highly toxic (especially the bulbs).

In the language of flowers, hyacinths symbolize rashness in addition to games, sports, and play.

45. Hyacinth Bean

A member of the Fabaceae (legume) plant family, the hyacinth bean is a species of flowering vine that produces edible pea pods and is commonly cultivated as a food source in Africa.

The vines produce racemes of flowers in gradient shades of purple, pink, and white. In the language of flowers, hyacinth bean flowers symbolize variety.

46. Hyacinth Orchid

The Dipodium genus contains 42 accepted species of orchids. The genus has quite a bit of variability, as some species have no leaves while others feature large, strap-like foliage. They can be terrestrial or epiphytic. The flowers, produced on upright, woody racemes, can be odorless or fragrant with pink, purple, green, or white petals with splotches or other markings.

47. Hyacinthoides

The Hyacinthoides genus contains 12 species of primarily bulbous perennial plants that are commonly called bluebells. These flowers that start with H are recognizable thanks to their graceful racemes of powdery blue, bell-shaped flowers. In the language of flowers, bluebells symbolize constancy.

48. Hydrangea

The Hydrangea genus contains 86 accepted species of flowering shrubs, trees, and lianas. They can be evergreen or deciduous, producing large, bulbous clusters of small flowers in pastel shades of green, white, blue, purple, or pink. The flower color is affected and determined by the acidity of the soil the plants are growing in. In the language of flowers, hydrangeas are symbols of heartlessness and boasters.

49. Hypericum

The Hypericum genus contains 513 accepted species of annual and perennial trees and shrubs that are commonly referred to as St. John’s wort or goatweed. The plants produce large clusters of flowers that look like white, yellow, or red berries in bud form and open up into small, star-shaped flowers in shades of red, burgundy, orange, peach, pink, and white. The species Hypericum perforatum is used in herbal medicine to help address symptoms of depression.

50. Hyssop

Hyssopus officinalis (commonly referred to as hyssop) is a flowering shrub in the Lamiaceae (mint) plant family. In the language of flowers, hyssop symbolizes cleanliness. These flowers that start with H produce clusters of leafy stems that are woody at their bases and racemes of fragrant flowers in shades of purple, blue, pink, or white. The plants have traditionally been used in herbal medicine as both an antiseptic and expectorant.

Flowers That Start With H FAQs

H Is for Horticulture!

Maybe your name starts with the letter H, or maybe you just want to honor ‘H’orticulture in your garden. Either way, planting a bed filled with flowers that start with H is a quirky and fun, conversation-starting way to boost your home’s curb appeal while enjoying a new approach to gardening.

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