A multicolored flower is a flower that displays more than one color in its petals or other parts. This is different from a monochromatic flower, which only shows one solid color. Multicolored flowers come in many dazzling combinations and add striking visual interest to gardens, bouquets and flower arrangements.
How do flowers get multiple colors?
There are a few main ways that flowers attain multicolored blooms:
- Variegation – This refers to patterns of multiple colors on a single flower, such as stripes, spots or splashes. It is caused by a lack of uniform pigmentation in the plant cells.
- Multiple pigments – Some flowers contain several pigments that show separately in different areas of the petals. For example, anthocyanins and carotenoids.
- pH differences – The plant cells’ pH can affect what pigments are revealed. More acidic conditions make anthocyanins visible, while less acidic conditions make carotenoids visible.
- Chimeras – This is when a plant mutation causes different colored cells to grow side-by-side in patterns.
The genetics and biochemistry behind these mechanisms are complex, but essentially boil down to the production, distribution and chemical state of colorful plant pigments in the flower parts.
Examples of multicolored flowers
Many common garden flowers exhibit multicolored blooms. Here are some of the most popular and visually striking:
- Pansies – Pansies come in every color combo imaginable, from single jets to dotted and streaked patterns.
- Roses – Striped and flecked rose varieties display beautiful mixes of pink, white, red and yellow.
- Tulips – Flamed, feathered and margined tulips show colorful edges and streaks.
- Columbines – Columbines often have bi-colored or tipped blooms in blue, pink, red and white.
- Dahlias – Variegated dahlias have vivid splashes, dots, stripes and edges.
- Iris – Many irises have standards of one color and falls of a contrasting hue.
- Phlox – Some phlox cultivars have multi-splashed and starred petals.
- Fuchsia – Fuchsias typically have a two-tone look with deep pinks and purples.
- Hellebore – Spotted and edged hellebore flowers come in an array of moody tones.
- Viola – Pansy’s smaller cousin also comes in every color combination under the sun.
What causes variegated flowers?
Variegation refers to the stripes, spots and color patterns seen on some flowers. This happens due to uneven distribution of pigments in the plant cells:
- Chimeric variegation occurs when two genetically distinct cell lines grow together in the same plant part. This creates clearly defined patches of color.
- Non-chimeric variegation happens when pigments are lacking in some of the cells. This results in blurred color patterns like thin stripes or splashes.
Both types of variegation are caused by mutations that affect pigment production and localization in the flower tissues. These genetic quirks can happen spontaneously or be intentionally bred into flower lines by growers.
Do multicolored flowers hold special meaning?
Throughout history, all flowers have been assigned symbolic meanings and used to convey coded messages. Multicolored flowers often have especially rich implications thanks to their visually striking nature. Here are some of the associations connected to popular multicolored blooms:
| Flower | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pansy | Thoughtfulness, loving thoughts |
| Tulip | Perfect, variegated love |
| Rose | Grace, fascination |
| Iris | Eloquence, wisdom |
| Dahlia | Diversity, instability |
| Phlox | Harmony, agreement |
| Columbine | Folly, ingratitude (red); resolved to win (purple) |
Giving a bouquet of multicolored blooms can help convey a nuanced symbolic message. For example, pansies represent deep thoughts, while irises add eloquence – together suggesting deep, thoughtful communication.
How to grow multicolored flowers
If you’d like to add some multicolored flower power to your garden, focus on choosing varieties labeled as bicolor, variegated or patterned. Here are some tips for successfully growing eye-catching multicolored flowers:
- Give them full sun – Variegated leaves need ample sunlight to maintain their patterning. Most multicolored blooms also thrive best in full sun.
- Enrich the soil – Work compost or other organic matter into the planting area to nurture healthy plants.
- Provide steady water – Water frequently enough to keep the soil evenly moist but not saturated.
- Stake tall flowers – Give tall blooms like delphinium support so they don’t flop over and hide their pretty faces.
- Deadhead spent blooms – This encourages repeat flowering to keep the color coming.
- Watch for pests – Slugs, snails, and aphids favor tender multicolored varieties.
- Choose disease-resistant cultivars – Some multicolored flowers like roses are prone to diseases if varieties aren’t selected carefully.
With smart plant choices and care, a kaleidoscope of colorful flowers can flourish in any sunny garden spot.
Unique multicolored flower varieties
While some multicolored blooms like pansies are familiar favorites, there are also many more unusual varieties to discover. Here are some of the most uniquely hued flowers you may not have seen before:
- Parrot tulip – These have wildly striped, feathered and fringed blooms in hot colors.
- Oriental lily ‘Scheherazade’ – This lily has a striking deep purple center fading to white edges.
- Colombine ‘Magpie’ – The two-toned blooms resemble a magpie’s black and white plumage.
- Anemone ‘The Bride’ – Large white flowers are accentuated with purple backs and dark centers.
- Bleeding heart – These feature rows of two-tone pink and white heart shaped blooms.
- Hellebore ‘Pink Frost’ – Ghostly grayish pink flowers are picotee-edged in plum purple.
- Cyclamen – Orchid-like blooms come in wild mixes of magenta, pink and white.
- Viola ‘Sorbet XP Primrose Picotee’ – Frilly cream petals are precisely outlined in purple.
Let these more unique varieties inspire you to experiment with new and unusual multicolored blooms in your garden for exotic flower arrangements.
The role of multicolored flowers in pollination
In nature, a flower’s colors play an important role in attracting and guiding pollinators like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other species. Multicolored blooms offer pollinators visual landing strips, lines of contrast, and patterns directing them to a flower’s nectar. Some key examples:
| Flower | Pollinator | Color Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Columbine | Hummingbirds | Red tubes contrast with yellow stamens and petals, guiding beaks to nectar. |
| Lily | Butterflies | Dark spots and lines point the way to nectaries. |
| Iris | Bees | Stripes help bees navigate inside the flower. |
Additionally, multicolored flowers increase the visual diversity of a habitat, helping attract more varied pollinators from a distance. Their beauty both literally and figuratively brings more pollinators to the yard!
The prevalence of multicolored flowers across species
Variegated and multicolored blooms appear across the plant kingdom in many unrelated species. Here is an overview of some of the major plant families featuring these colorful flowers:
- Rosaceae – This family includes roses, cherries, plums, photinias and spirea species with multicolored varieties.
- Iridaceae – Diverse irises and their relatives, like gladiolas, crocuses, and freesias, display some of the most vividly variegated flowers.
- Ranunculaceae – Columbines, anemones, hellebores and other members of the buttercup family produce uniquely patterned blooms.
- Polemoniaceae – Phlox and Jacob’s ladder varieties feature contrasting two-toned petal markings.
- Violaceae – This family includes all the multicolored pansies, violets and violas.
- Lamiaceae – Sages, mints and salvias include some popular edge-variegated varieties.
The widespread presence of these eye-catching blooms across so many plant groups shows how color variation appeals on a genetic level across floral lineages.
Notable multicolored flower breeds and hybrids
Flower breeders have purposefully created many spectacular multicolored hybrids over the years. Here are some of the most famous and impactful:
| Hybrid Flower | Breeding History & Significance |
|---|---|
| ‘Esther Read’ dahlia | The first dahlia to show color variegation in the early 1800s, paving the way for more bicolored hybrids. |
| ‘Franz Kafka’ tulip | One of the most popular flamed tulips, this striking red-and-yellow breed has set the standard since the 1960s. |
| Knock Out rose | Introduced in 2000, its carefree growth and continuous cherry-red and pink striped blooms have made it the top selling landscape shrub rose. |
| ‘Bluebird’ clematis | At its release in 2000, this was the first clematis to produce fully double, rich purple flowers with bright white centers. |
These breeding breakthroughs produced flowers with new levels of multicolored vibrancy, paving the way for future flower color innovations.
The future of multicolored flower cultivation
Advances in commercial flower breeding and genetic engineering are opening up exciting possibilities for multicolored blooms. Some potential directions include:
- More controlled and precise color patterning through gene editing tools like CRISPR.
- Unique new color combinations by transferring genes between plant species.
- Brighter, more saturated colors through bioengineering of pathways like anthocyanin production.
- Custom coloring and patterning to a customer’s visual specifications.
- Fragrance, flower shape, size, and growth improvements tailored to accentuate color patterns.
- Replication of rare or endangered multicolored varieties for conservation.
The future looks bright for these colorful flowers as both art and science allow for ever more control and refinement of their gorgeous contrasts and traces in petal palettes.
Conclusion
Multicolored flowers add joyful diversity to gardens and occasions when a single color is not enough. Their splashed, striped, flecked and flaming blooms arise from intriguing interplays of plant chemistry and genetics. These flowers have inspired artists and breeders alike to revel in the inherent artistry of their patterns. With care and cultivation, multicolored flowers promise to continue lighting up the landscape with the wonder of their many-hued petals.
