Flowers come in a wide variety of vibrant colors that add beauty and interest to gardens, floral arrangements, and more. While many flowers only come in one or two colors, some common garden flowers and wildflowers have flowers that display different colors on the same plant. Here is an overview of some of the most popular flowers that can have blooms of different hues.
Roses
Roses are beloved for their elegant, symmetrical blooms and sweet fragrance. While red is the most iconic rose color, roses actually come in many different colors through selective breeding and cultivation. This includes vibrant yellow, delicate pink, creamy white, pastel lavender, bright orange, and more. Some rose varieties will even display blooms that fade from one color to another as they open.
Additionally, some bi-color or ombré rose cultivars have flowers that show variegated coloring on each bloom. ‘Joseph’s Coat’ roses have flowers that can display red, yellow, orange, pink, and white all on the same bloom. ‘Double Delight’ produces blooms that are creamy white on the interior and vivid red around the outer petals. ‘Ebb Tide’ has smoky purple flowers that fade to green around the edges.
Irises
Bearded irises are a beloved old-fashioned garden perennial known for their striking, diverse colors. Most bearded iris varieties produce blooms in shades of purple, blue, pink, yellow, white, orange and more. However, there are also many varieties of variegated irises that display multiple colors on each flower stalk.
‘Batik’ iris has flowers with soft yellow standards and purple falls streaked with white. ‘Conjuration’ has ruffled purple standards with yellow falls edged in lavender. Ruffled pale yellow blooms are accented with deep red-violet falls on the ‘Drama Queen’ cultivar. ‘Ripple Effect’ iris features creamy standards with heavily ruffled violet falls edged in white.
Tulips
Vibrant tulips are a classic flower for spring gardens and flower arrangements. While most tulip varieties produce blooms in a single solid color, a number of stunning bi-color tulip cultivars display multi-hued flowers. These include ‘Apricot Parrot,’ which bears fringed apricot blooms with flamed tips, and ‘Flaming Purissima,’ known for its ivory white petals that open to reveal a deep pink interior.
The ‘Monte Carlo’ cultivar has deep red flowers edged with bright yellow rims. Ruffly ‘Pretty Princess’ tulips display blooms that fade from dark pink on the bottom to light yellow on the petal tips. ‘Salmon Impression’ bears salmon-orange petals streaked with green and edged in pink. ‘Spring Green’ produces white blooms heavily striped with forest green.
Lilies
Lilies produce elegant trumpet-shaped blooms in an array of colors. Asian lilies and Oriental lilies typically bear solid colored blooms, while many hybrid lily varieties display bi-color flowers. These include ‘Cancun,’ which produces blooms that fade from yellow to white, and ‘Landini,’ which bears dark red flowers with yellow centers.
The ‘Blackout’ lily has deep maroon flowers with a black center. ‘Mona Lisa’ lilies produce creamy blooms heavily speckled with raspberry pink spots. ‘Scheherazade’ bears large, fragrant flowers in pale peach with deep rose spots and a golden yellow throat.
Dahlias
Dahlias are treasured for their showy, diverse blooms that come in a massive range of colors, shapes, and sizes. Many dahlia varieties produce single-tone flowers. However, there are also lots of stunning bi-color and multicolor varieties that display stunning patterns and color combinations.
The ‘Bed Head’ cultivar produces irregular purple and white bicolor flowers. ‘Capella’ bears bright yellow blooms with red tips. Large ‘Cornel’ blooms feature brilliant red petals tipped with white. ‘Eveline’ has creamy white petals brushed with deep purple edges. ‘Pooh’ dahlias display soft yellow blooms heavily striped with bright red.
Columbines
Columbines produce delicate, bell-shaped or spurred flowers that dangle from arching stems. Most varieties display blooms in shades of purple, blue, pink, red, yellow, or white. However, some especially striking bi-color and variegated varieties also exist.
For example, ‘Black Barlow’ columbines have purple and white bicolor blooms, while ‘Biedermeier Group’ varieties produce white flowers accented with blue or red. ‘Magpie’ bears purple and white flowers with long contrasting spurs. The ‘William Guinness’ cultivar displays unusual black and white bicolor blooms.
Pansies and Viola
Pansies and violas produce cheerful little flowers in a diverse range of solid colors as well as striking bi-colors. Popular bi-color varieties include ‘Antique Shades,’ which bears flowers in hues like purple and yellow or burgundy and white, and ‘Matrix,’ which produces blooms with yellow centers surrounded by black.
The ‘Ultima Morpho’ pansies and violas display blooms that shift from yellow to blue. ‘Mystic Clown’ violas bear intriguing deep purple flowers with yellow faces. ‘Brilliance Mixed’ pansies produce blooms in color combos like violet and yellow, purple and white, or orange and maroon.
Other Flowers
Many other garden flowers can also produce blooms in multiple hues on the same plant. These include:
- Begonias – Many showy hybrid varieties like Rieger or wax begonias display multicolor blooms.
- Hydrangeas – Bigleaf and other varieties can change color based on soil pH.
- Delphiniums – Some display bi-colored or picotee flowers.
- Carnations – Select cultivated varieties produce striped or variegated blooms.
- Snapdragons – Certain dwarf varieties like the Rocket hybrids bear bicolor flowers.
- Orchids – Some bear intriguing variegated or spotted blooms.
What Causes Multicolor Flowers?
The wide range of flower colors and patterns found in nature primarily develops from three plant pigments: anthocyanins, carotenoids, and betalains. The specific combinations and concentrations of these pigments within a flower determine its hue.
For flowers that display multiple colors or color patterns, several factors can contribute to the variation:
- Genetic mutations – Spontaneous genetic mutations can result in changes to pigment production, causing new color patterns like stripes or spots in subsequent blooms.
- Polyploidy – When a plant has more than two chromosome sets, it can express more variants of pigment genes, resulting in greater color diversity.
- Chimeras – Some plants have two genetically distinct cell layers in their blooms, allowing bi-colors from different pigmentation in each layer.
- Acidic soil – With flowers like hydrangeas, soil pH affects pigment availability, resulting in color shifts.
- Temperature – Cooler temperatures can intensify anthocyanin production in some plants, deepening flower color.
Through selective breeding, flower growers isolate and propagate plants that naturally display appealing multicolor blooms. Over many generations, stabilized multicolor varieties are produced that will consistently show the desired flower coloring and patterning.
Conclusion
While many common garden flowers only produce blooms in one solid hue, some popular varieties display intriguing bi-color or multicolor flowers. Roses, irises, tulips, lilies, dahlias, columbines, pansies, and violas all include sought-after varieties that showcase stunning, diverse coloring within each individual bloom. These uniquely pigmented flowers provide an eye-catching addition to any garden, bouquet, or landscape.