When people think of flower colors, shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, purple, white, and blue often come to mind. However, there is a lesser known flower color in nature – turquoise. Turquoise falls between green and blue on the color spectrum. It is similar to aqua or light blue-green. While truly turquoise flowers are rare, there are several flower species that come close to achieving this elusive pastel hue.
Flowers With Turquoise Coloring
Here are some of the flowers that can display turquoise tones:
Morning Glory
Certain varieties of morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) can bloom in a bluish-green color that borders on turquoise. The Heavenly Blue morning glory cultivar is especially known for its light blue flowers that fade to a greenish robin’s egg blue shade. Other morning glory varieties like Blue Star produce a vibrant sky blue color with just a hint of green.
Hydrangea
The popular hydrangea shrub can produce turquoise-tinted blooms under certain conditions. Hydrangeas come in a range of colors based on their soil pH. In more alkaline soils, hydrangea flowers shift from pink to purple to blue and turquoise tones. Popular bigleaf hydrangea cultivars like Nikko Blue and Blauer Zwerg can display turquoise flowers in the right conditions.
Iris
Some iris varieties feature pale bluish-green blooms that approach a turquoise color. Siberian iris cultivars like Caesar’s Brother and Dragon King have flowers in shades of soft blue, purple, and sea green that could be described as turquoise. Similarly, the dwarf iris cultivar Catherine Hodgson has blue and green bi-colored blooms that create a turquoise effect.
Lisianthus
The lisianthus or Eustoma grandiflorum can bloom in various pastel hues, including a greenish-blue that resembles turquoise. The lisianthus cultivars Blue Eyes, Green Goddess, and Ocean Blue have light turquoise blooms with hints of green. These cool-colored flowers look stunning in floral arrangements.
Succulents
Certain succulent plants like Echeveria can produce rosette-shaped flowers in bluish-green hues reminiscent of turquoise. Echeveria cultivars like Perle Von Nurnberg and Ghost Echeveria have pale blue-green leaves that develop turquoise tones in bright light. Their muted flowers blend together beautifully for subtle turquoise coloring.
Delphinium
While most delphinium cultivars produce blooms in bold cobalt or royal blue, some lighter varieties like Aurora Blue flaunt flowers in a very light, almost turquoise blue. The soft colors and lacy petals create a delicate, ethereal effect. Other delphinium varieties with greenish-blue hues include Morning Light and Sea Waltz.
Colombine
The columbine or Aquilegia flowers come in a huge range of colors. The bicolor columbine variety Swan Violet and White offers 2-tone blooms in violet and greenish-blue shades that combine to look distinctly turquoise. Other columbines like McKana’s Giant mix vivid blues and greens together for a similar turquoise effect.
Lobelia
A number of lobelia species bloom in light greenish-blue hues that approach turquoise. Lobelia cardinalis, also known as cardinal flower, can produce spikes of flowers in a pale, grayish blue-green shade.Meanwhile, hybrid lobelia cultivars like Techno Blue flaunt electric turquoise blooms. When clustered together, the effect is quite striking.
Morning Glory
Certain varieties of morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) can bloom in a bluish-green color that borders on turquoise. The Heavenly Blue morning glory cultivar is especially known for its light blue flowers that fade to a greenish robin’s egg blue shade. Other morning glory varieties like Blue Star produce a vibrant sky blue color with just a hint of green.
Hydrangea
The popular hydrangea shrub can produce turquoise-tinted blooms under certain conditions. Hydrangeas come in a range of colors based on their soil pH. In more alkaline soils, hydrangea flowers shift from pink to purple to blue and turquoise tones. Popular bigleaf hydrangea cultivars like Nikko Blue and Blauer Zwerg can display turquoise flowers in the right conditions.
Iris
Some iris varieties feature pale bluish-green blooms that approach a turquoise color. Siberian iris cultivars like Caesar’s Brother and Dragon King have flowers in shades of soft blue, purple, and sea green that could be described as turquoise. Similarly, the dwarf iris cultivar Catherine Hodgson has blue and green bi-colored blooms that create a turquoise effect.
Lisianthus
The lisianthus or Eustoma grandiflorum can bloom in various pastel hues, including a greenish-blue that resembles turquoise. The lisianthus cultivars Blue Eyes, Green Goddess, and Ocean Blue have light turquoise blooms with hints of green. These cool-colored flowers look stunning in floral arrangements.
Succulents
Certain succulent plants like Echeveria can produce rosette-shaped flowers in bluish-green hues reminiscent of turquoise. Echeveria cultivars like Perle Von Nurnberg and Ghost Echeveria have pale blue-green leaves that develop turquoise tones in bright light. Their muted flowers blend together beautifully for subtle turquoise coloring.
Delphinium
While most delphinium cultivars produce blooms in bold cobalt or royal blue, some lighter varieties like Aurora Blue flaunt flowers in a very light, almost turquoise blue. The soft colors and lacy petals create a delicate, ethereal effect. Other delphinium varieties with greenish-blue hues include Morning Light and Sea Waltz.
Colombine
The columbine or Aquilegia flowers come in a huge range of colors. The bicolor columbine variety Swan Violet and White offers 2-tone blooms in violet and greenish-blue shades that combine to look distinctly turquoise. Other columbines like McKana’s Giant mix vivid blues and greens together for a similar turquoise effect.
Lobelia
A number of lobelia species bloom in light greenish-blue hues that approach turquoise. Lobelia cardinalis, also known as cardinal flower, can produce spikes of flowers in a pale, grayish blue-green shade.Meanwhile, hybrid lobelia cultivars like Techno Blue flaunt electric turquoise blooms. When clustered together, the effect is quite striking.
Achieving True Turquoise Flowers
While the flowers listed above can display lovely blue-green tones, they don’t quite match the vivid turquoise you see in man-made items. Producing a truly turquoise flower poses challenges:
– Blue pigments in flowers come from anthocyanins, which usually mix with other pigments to create purples and reds. Achieving a pure turquoise hue is difficult.
– Green pigments come from chlorophyll, but too much green overwhelms the blue. A delicate balance is required.
– Flower genetics limit the range of possible colors. Major mutations would be needed to create a brand new turquoise variety.
– Even tessellated or bicolored flowers can’t quite hit that perfect turquoise shade. The contrasting colors blend together, becoming muddled.
– Environmental factors like soil pH and light exposure shift flower colors along the spectrum, making that one elusive turquoise shade hard to pin down.
Ways to Get Turquoise Flowers
Since truly turquoise flowers are so rare in nature, many people resort to other methods to achieve this beautiful hue:
– Dye white flowers using safe floral dyes or food coloring gels in shades of turquoise or teal. Some popular choices are roses, carnations, and lilies which uptake dye readily.
– Look for turquoise artificial flowers made from silk or other materials. Faux flowers can precisely match any favored color.
– Add turquoise gemstones like turquoise beads or crystals to flower arrangements and wreaths. The contrast between the flowers and gems creates a striking display.
– Explore flowers in complementary colors like purple paired with chartreuse greens or oranges with blues. The color combinations give a vibrant, playful turquoise effect.
– Use turquoise vases, ribbon, or other decorative elements alongside real or faux flowers. This injects that pop of color into the overall floral design.
Conclusion
While naturally occurring turquoise flowers are exceedingly rate, there are still ways to incorporate this beautiful oceanic shade into floral displays. The flowers that come closest to achieving that turquoise color depend greatly on specific cultivars and growing conditions. With careful breeding and genetic modification, truly turquoise flowers may someday come into existence. Until then, we can admire the lovely blue-green flowers nature has provided, and get creative with dyes, faux flowers, and color pairings to achieve that elusive turquoise flower.
