Ever stood in a nursery, staring at rows of unlabeled pots, wondering what half of them even are? You’re not alone. Most gardeners can name a rose or a tulip in their sleep, but ask them for flowers that start with B, and things go quiet fast. That’s the gap this guide fills.

Quick Answer: What Are Flowers That Start With B?

Flowers that start with B are blooms whose common or botanical names begin with the letter B, ranging from the everyday Begonia to the rare Black Bat Flower. This isn’t a random trivia list either. It’s a working reference for anyone planning a garden, building a bouquet, or just chasing a fun flower guide for a school project or blog.

You’ll find annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, and even a few aquatic oddballs on this list. Some like full sun, some sulk without shade, and a couple are downright toxic if you’re not careful. We’ll cover all of it.

Best B Flowers

Picking the “best” B flowers depends entirely on what you need them for. A cut-flower lover wants something different than a beginner gardener who just wants their plant to survive July.

That said, a few names keep popping up across gardening forums and nursery bestseller lists: Begonia, Black Eyed Susan, Bee Balm, Bleeding Heart, and Bougainvillea. They’re forgiving, widely available, and gorgeous without demanding a horticulture degree.

How This 100 Flower List Was Curated

We didn’t just scrape a dictionary for B words. Every entry here was cross checked against plant taxonomy records, nursery catalogs, and real growing guides to confirm it’s an actual flowering plant, not a lookalike weed or a made-up nickname.

Duplicate names and regional nicknames got merged where possible, and each flower includes its scientific name so you’re not left guessing at the garden center. This is meant to be a genuinely useful flower list, not filler.

100 B Flower Names With Scientific Names

Here’s the full roundup of B flower names, organized for quick scanning. Bookmark this section, you’ll probably come back to it.

• Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii)
• Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila paniculata)
• Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)
• Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
• Balsam (Impatiens balsamina)
• Baneberry (Actaea)
• Banksia (Banksia spp.)
• Basket Flower (Centaurea americana)
• Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
• Bear’s Breeches (Acanthus mollis)
• Bearded Iris (Iris germanica)
• Beardtongue (Penstemon)
• Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
• Begonia (Begonia spp.)
• Bell Heather (Erica cinerea)
• Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis belladonna)
• Bellflower (Campanula)
• Bellis Daisy (Bellis perennis)
• Bellwort (Uvularia)
• Bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia)
• Betony (Stachys officinalis)
• Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
• Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
• Bishop’s Flower (Ammi majus)
• Bittercress (Cardamine)
• Bitter Melon Flower (Momordica charantia)
• Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva)
• Black Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri)
• Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
• Black Hollyhock (Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’)
• Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia)
• Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
• Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
• Bletilla Orchid (Bletilla striata)
• Blood Lily (Scadoxus multiflorus)
• Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
• Blue Anemone (Anemone blanda)
• Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia siphilitica)
• Blue Clematis (Clematis ‘Blue’)
• Blue Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)
• Blue Daisy (Felicia amelloides)
• Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)
• Blue Ginger (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora)
• Blue Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii)
• Blue Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)
• Blue Lace Flower (Trachymene coerulea)
• Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
• Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea)
• Blue Poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia)
• Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
• Blue Puya (Puya berteroniana)
• Blue Sage (Salvia azurea)
• Blue Sea Holly (Eryngium planum)
• Blue Star (Amsonia)
• Blue Trumpet Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora)
• Bluebell (Hyacinthoides)
• Bluebell Creeper (Billardiera heterophylla)
• Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
• Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium)
• Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis)
• Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)
• Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)
• Borage (Borago officinalis)
• Boronia (Boronia megastigma)
• Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
• Bottlebrush (Callistemon)
• Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora)
• Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)
• Bouvardia (Bouvardia ternifolia)
• Bowman’s Root (Gillenia trifoliata)
• Bracteantha (Xerochrysum bracteatum)
• Brazilian Jasmine (Jasminum fluminense)
• Brazilian Plume Flower (Justicia carnea)
• Brazilian Red Cloak (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys)
• Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea prunifolia)
• Bristly Locust (Robinia hispida)
• Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)
• Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga)
• Browallia (Browallia speciosa)
• Brugmansia (Brugmansia spp.)
• Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
• Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata)
• Buckeye Flower (Aesculus)
• Bugbane (Actaea simplex)
• Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
• Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens)
• Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
• Bush Anemone (Carpenteria californica)
• Bush Clover (Lespedeza)
• Bush Morning Glory (Ipomoea leptophylla)
• Busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana)
• Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
• Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
• Butterbur (Petasites)
• Buttercup (Ranunculus)
• Bower Vine (Pandorea jasminoides)

That’s a full hundred, spanning genus, cultivar, and even a few plants gardeners argue about calling “true flowers” at all.

Most Popular B Flowers

If you had to grow just five, go with Begonia, Black Eyed Susan, Bee Balm, Bougainvillea, and Bluebell. These show up in garden flowers searches constantly, and nurseries stock them because they sell.

Begonias thrive indoors and out, Black Eyed Susans handle neglect like champs, and Bougainvillea turns any fence into a photo backdrop. There’s a reason these names keep coming up in casual garden chat over the fence.

Plants Vs Flowers That Begin With B

Here’s something a lot of guides skip. Not every “B plant” is grown for its bloom. Black Locust, for instance, is often planted as a shade tree, with its flowers being a bonus rather than the point.

Compare that to something like Bee Balm, which exists almost entirely for its blossom and the bees it attracts. Knowing this difference between flowering plants and true flower varieties helps when you’re planning a landscape instead of just a flower bed.

B Flowers By Color

Color is often the first filter gardeners use, and honestly, it should be. Matching bloom color to your existing beds saves a lot of trial and error.

Blue Blooms

Blue flowers are rarer in nature, which makes them extra prized. Try Blue Columbine, Bluebell, Blue Flax, or the striking Blue Jade Vine for that elusive turquoise blue or metallic blue shimmer.

Purple Blooms

Purple flowers bring depth to any bed. Blue Passion Flower, Borage, and Bergenia all lean into shades of violet and lavender that pair beautifully with silver foliage.

White Blooms

White flowers like Baby’s Breath and Bletilla Orchid add lightness to bouquets and moonlit gardens alike. They’re also the easiest to mix with literally any other color scheme.

Yellow Blooms

Basket of Gold and Black Eyed Susan dominate the yellow flowers category. Both handle heat well and keep blooming through most of summer without much fuss.

Pink Blooms

Bleeding Heart and Bouvardia bring soft pink flowers into shady corners and cutting gardens. If you want something with a cream or peach undertone, Begonia cultivars offer plenty of options too.

Red And Orange Blooms

Bottlebrush and Blood Lily bring bold red flowers and orange flowers into the mix, often in burgundy or maroon tones that read almost tropical.

Black Or Dark Blooms

Black Hollyhock and the genuinely strange Black Bat Flower cover the black flowers and dark flowers category. These are conversation starters, not background plants.

Types Of B Flowers

Beyond color, it helps to sort by plant species type. Are you filling a border for one season, or planting something that’ll come back for a decade?

Annual Flowers That Start With B

Balsam, Browallia, and Busy Lizzie are classic annual choices, blooming hard for one season before fading. They’re perfect if you like redesigning your beds every year.

Perennials That Start With B

Bee Balm, Blazing Star, and Brunnera all qualify as perennial performers that return year after year. Once established, they need far less babying than annuals.

Bulbs, Orchids, And Tropical Choices

Bletilla Orchid and Blood Lily grow from rhizome or bulb structures, while Bird of Paradise brings a full tropical perennial vibe. These often need warmer climates or a greenhouse in cooler regions.

Flowering Shrubs, Vines, And Trees

Butterfly Bush and Bridal Wreath Spirea are shrub staples, while Blue Jade Vine and Bougainvillea climb trellises and arbors with ease. Black Locust rounds things out as one of the few true tree entries on this list.

Rare Flowers That Begin With B

Black Bat Flower and Blue Puya are the showstoppers here, genuinely rare flowers most gardeners have never grown. They’re great picks for collector plants enthusiasts chasing something nobody else on the block has.

Best B Flowers By Garden Use

Matching a flower to its job matters more than most people realize. A gorgeous bloom in the wrong spot just won’t thrive.

Best For Container, Small Space Picks, And Hanging Displays

Begonia and Bacopa (a close cousin worth mentioning) dominate containers and hanging baskets. Busy Lizzie also handles patio containers without complaint, even in partial light.

Best For Borders And Cottage Gardens

Bachelor’s Button and Blanket Flower fit right into cottage garden and border planting schemes. They self-seed generously, giving that slightly wild, romantic look everyone loves.

Best For Shade Gardens

Bleeding Heart and Brunnera are your go-to picks for a shade garden. Both actually prefer being tucked under trees rather than baking in direct sun.

Pollinator Friendly And Meadow Picks

Bee Balm, Butterfly Weed, and Butterfly Bush are magnets for bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. Plant a cluster of these and watch your pollinator garden come alive within weeks.

Cut Flower And Bouquet Favorites

Baby’s Breath and Bachelor’s Button are cut flowers staples, filling out bouquet flowers arrangements beautifully. Both also dry well if you’re into dried flowers crafts.

Indoor Or Protected Space Picks

Begonia and Bulbine adapt nicely to indoor plants life on a sunny windowsill. Brugmansia, on the other hand, often needs a protected growing space during colder months.

Water And Pond Flower Picks

Broadleaf Arrowhead and Buckbean thrive at pond edges and in bog garden settings. Brooklime is another underrated pick for boggy, wet soil spots.

Flower Meanings And Symbolism

Flowers have carried meaning for centuries, and B flowers are no exception. Bachelor’s Button traditionally represents hope and single blessedness, while Bee Balm often symbolizes compassion and healing.

Bleeding Heart, unsurprisingly, is tied to devotion and heartfelt love, often given during emotional moments. Even Buttercup carries a lighter meaning, standing for joy and childlike innocence in old folklore.

Safety Notes Before Growing B Flowers

Not every pretty bloom is harmless, and this matters if you’ve got pets or kids around. Black Locust seeds and bark are considered toxic plants material, and Baneberry produces genuinely dangerous toxic berries.

Belladonna Lily, despite the name confusion with deadly nightshade, still warrants caution around pet safety and child safety. When in doubt, wear gloves while handling unfamiliar plants and look up plant toxicity before adding anything new to a home with curious toddlers or dogs.

How To Choose The Right B Flower

Start with your actual conditions, not your Pinterest board. Check your light requirements, whether that’s full sun or partial shade, and be honest about your water requirements situation too.

Then think about purpose. Do you want cut flowers for the kitchen table, or something that fills a pollinator garden all summer? Matching the flower to your climate suitability and available space saves you from replacing dead plants every spring.

Conclusion

That’s a full tour through flowers beginning with B, from common Begonias to the wonderfully odd Black Bat Flower. Whatever you’re planting for, chances are there’s a B flower that fits the job.

Got a favorite from this list, or one we missed? Drop it in the comments, share this with a fellow gardener, and come back next season when we refresh this guide with new finds.

FAQ’s

What Are Flowers That Start With B?

They’re blooms whose common name begins with B, like Begonia, Bluebell, and Butterfly Bush, covering everything from garden annuals to rare tropical species.

How Many Flowers Start With The Letter B?

There are well over a hundred documented B flower names, and this guide covers a full 100 of them with scientific names included.

What Is The Most Popular Flower That Starts With B?

Begonia and Black Eyed Susan are generally considered the most widely grown and searched B flowers worldwide.

Which Flower Starting With B Smells The Best?

Boronia, often called the “chocolate flower,” and Brazilian Jasmine both rank among the most fragrant flowers on this list.

Which Flowers That Start With B Are Perennials?

Bee Balm, Blazing Star, Brunnera, and Bearded Iris are all reliable perennial options that return each year.

Are There Indoor Flowers That Start With B?

Yes, Begonia and Bulbine both work well as indoor plants, especially near a bright window.

Which B Flowers Are Good For Beginners?

Black Eyed Susan, Bachelor’s Button, and Buttercup are forgiving, easy-to-grow flowers that tolerate a bit of neglect.

What Are Rare Flowers That Start With B?

Black Bat Flower and Blue Puya are two of the rarest, sought after by collector plants enthusiasts.

What Flower Starts With B And Is Purple?

Borage and Blue Passion Flower both bloom in shades of purple flowers, sometimes closer to true violet.

What Is The Difference Between B Flowers And Flowering Plants?

Some B plants, like Black Locust, are grown mainly for shade or wood, with flowers as a secondary feature, while true B flowers exist primarily for their blooms.

What Yellow Flowers Start With B?

Basket of Gold and Black Eyed Susan are the top picks among yellow flowers starting with B.

What Pink Flowers With B?

Bleeding Heart and Bouvardia both offer soft, romantic pink flowers for shaded beds and bouquets.

Which B Flowers Grow In Shade?

Bleeding Heart and Brunnera both prefer a shade garden setting over direct, harsh sun.

Which B Flowers Are Best For Pollinators?

Bee Balm, Butterfly Bush, and Butterfly Weed are the strongest picks for a pollinator garden.

Which B Flowers Work In Pots?

Begonia and Busy Lizzie both handle container plants life exceptionally well, even on a small balcony.

Are Any Flowers That Start With B Toxic?

Yes, Black Locust and Baneberry are both considered poisonous plants, so keep them away from pets and small children.