There are many different types of flowers that can have pink petals. Determining which specific flower has pink petals requires looking at some of the most common pink-petaled flowers and their distinguishing characteristics.
Flowers With All-Pink Petals
Some flowers have petals that are entirely pink. These flowers get their pink color from pigments called anthocyanins. Some common all-pink flowers include:
Pink Roses
Pink roses are one of the most popular pink flowers. They come in various shades of pink from pale pink to deep fuchsia. There are many different cultivars of pink roses. Some hybrid tea roses with light pink petals include ‘Kardinal,’ ‘Tropical Lightning,’ and ‘Pink Peace.’ Darker pink hybrid teas include ‘Voodoo,’ ‘Pink Promise,’ and ‘Rapture.’
Carnations
Carnations are a common flower that can have pink petals. Some carnation varieties have solid pink blooms like ‘Candy Cane’ and ‘Pink Pixie.’ Dianthus carnations have fringed petals and come in light pink shades.
Tulips
Certain tulips have pink petals. Darwin Hybrid tulips are a type of tulip with large, vividly colored blooms. ‘China Pink’ and ‘Electra’ are two Darwin Hybrid cultivars that have bright pink petals. Other pink-flowering tulips include ‘Prominence,’ ‘Menton,’ and ‘Angels Wish.’
Chrysanthemums
Also called mums, chrysanthemums are popular fall flowers that come in a rainbow of colors, including pink. Some pink chrysanthemum varieties include ‘Cherry Cheer,’ ‘Pink Bombastic,’ and ‘Libby.’
Pink Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are flowering shrubs that produce large, clustered blossoms. Some hydrangea varieties have flowers that turn pink under certain soil conditions. ‘Pink Diamond’ and ‘Pinky Winky’ are two hydrangea cultivars known for their pink blooms.
Flowers With Pink-Speckled Petals
Some flowers have petals that feature pink spots or speckles on a contrasting background color. A few flowers with pink-flecked petals include:
Fuchsia
Fuchsia flowers have a unique two-tone look with deep pink or purple sepals and lighter pink corollas. There are over 100 species of fuchsia, and many cultivars have pink-speckled blooms.
Pink-and-White Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium reginae, also known as the pink-and-white lady’s slipper, is a rare wild orchid. Its flowers have white petals and a pink, slipper-shaped pouch speckled with darker pink dots.
Bleeding Heart
Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) is a spring-blooming perennial with arching stems of heart-shaped pink and white flowers. The blooms look like pink hearts with white tips.
Columbine
Columbine flowers have five petals that extend into backward-curling spurs. The ‘McKana Giant’ cultivar has a pink and white bicolor pattern on its petals.
Flowers With Pink and Other Color Petals
Some flowers feature pink petals mixed with other colors like red, orange, yellow, or white. Here are some examples:
Pink and Orange Daylilies
Daylily (Hemerocallis) cultivars come in many color combinations. Bicolor pink and orange daylily varieties include ‘Joan Senior,’ ‘Sebastian the Crab,’ and ‘Mary Todd.’
Pink and Yellow Dahlias
Dahlias are diverse flowering plants with spiky, multi-petaled blooms. Bicolored pink and yellow dahlia cultivars include ‘Veronne’s Obsidian,’ ‘Great Silence,’ and ‘Gallery Art Deco.’
Pink and Red Tulips
There are many tulips with blooms that combine pink and red. Examples include ‘Salmon Impression,’ ‘Cherry Cream,’ and ‘Cairo.’ These have red flames, feathering, or speckles on lighter pink petals.
Conclusion
In summary, many different flowers across diverse plant families can have pink petals. Pink color in flowers comes from anthocyanin pigments. The intensity of pink can range from pale to vivid fuchsia. Some flowers have solid pink petals. Others have two-toned, speckled, or multicolor blooms combining pink with other hues like white, red, orange, or yellow. Familiar flowers with pink petals include roses, carnations, tulips, hydrangeas, and daylilies.
Specific flower cultivars mentioned that have pink petals include:
- Pink roses: ‘Kardinal,’ ‘Tropical Lightning,’ ‘Pink Peace,’ ‘Voodoo,’ ‘Pink Promise,’ ‘Rapture’
- Pink carnations: ‘Candy Cane,’ ‘Pink Pixie,’ Dianthus
- Pink tulips: ‘China Pink,’ ‘Electra,’ ‘Prominence,’ ‘Menton,’ ‘Angels Wish’
- Pink mums: ‘Cherry Cheer,’ ‘Pink Bombastic,’ ‘Libby’
- Pink hydrangeas: ‘Pink Diamond,’ ‘Pinky Winky’
- Fuchsia
- Pink-and-white lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium reginae)
- Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)
- Columbine ‘McKana Giant’
- Pink and orange daylilies: ‘Joan Senior,’ ‘Sebastian the Crab,’ ‘Mary Todd’
- Pink and yellow dahlias: ‘Veronne’s Obsidian,’ ‘Great Silence,’ ‘Gallery Art Deco’
- Pink and red tulips: ‘Salmon Impression,’ ‘Cherry Cream,’ ‘Cairo’
In the end, many diverse flower species and varieties can have pink petals. The specific pink flower depends on the exact cultivar or species in question. But roses, carnations, tulips, and daylilies are all very commonly grown flowers that produce pink-petaled blooms.
Pink Flower Fun Facts
Here are some interesting facts about pink flowers:
| Fun Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Pink isn’t a flower color that appears in nature very often | Naturally occurring pink flowers are relatively rare compared to red, yellow, or white flowers. Many pink flowers are the result of selective breeding by horticulturists. |
| Pink rose named after Grace Kelly | The classic pink rose cultivar ‘Grace Kelly’ was named after the actress Grace Kelly when she became Princess of Monaco in 1956. |
| ‘Pink Knock Out’ rose stays pink all season | Most pink roses fade to lighter shades over time. But the landscape shrub rose ‘Pink Knock Out’ maintains its bright pink color even through summer heat. |
| Pink tulips were once considered exotic | In the 1600s, pink ‘broken’ tulips with feathering or flames were highly prized by Dutch tulip collectors and traders. |
Meanings Associated With Pink Flowers
Like other flower colors, pink blooms are associated with certain symbolic meanings and convey special messages or sentiments. Here are some common meanings tied to pink flowers:
- Love, romance, admiration
- Femininity, grace, gentleness
- Joy, happiness, fun
- Appreciation, gratitude, sympathy
- New life, new beginnings
More specific meanings associated with popular pink flowers include:
| Flower | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pink rose | Grace, elegance, sweetness, poetic romance |
| Pink carnation | Motherly love, fondness |
| Pink tulip | Caring, good wishes |
| Pink orchid | Femininity, joyfulness |
Pink flowers are strongly associated with femininity, gentle emotions, and feelings of affection. Their soft color evokes qualities like grace, sweetness, innocence, and romance. Popular as Valentine’s Day bouquets and Mother’s Day gifts, pink blooms are the perfect way to express heartfelt sentiments like love, gratitude, joy, and sympathy.
Caring for Pink Flowers
Follow these tips for keeping cut pink flowers or pink flowering plants looking their best:
- Cut stems on an angle and remove foliage that would fall below the waterline before placing in a clean vase
- Recut stems every few days to refresh blooms
- Use floral preservatives or food to prolong the vase life of cut flowers
- Display cut flowers out of direct sunlight to prevent fading
- Water indoor pink flowering plants when the top inch of soil is dry
- Fertilize container-grown plants monthly during the growing season
- Plant pink flowering plants in well-draining soil enriched with organic matter
- Deadhead spent blooms to encourage reblooming
With proper care, you can enjoy the beauty, elegance, and joy of pink flowers for their full blooming duration indoors or in the garden.
How to Grow Pink Flowers
You can grow pink flowers by:
- Planting pink flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and alliums in fall for spring blooms
- Sowing seeds of annuals like pink zinnias, petunias, and snapdragons directly in the garden after frost danger passes
- Starting seeds of biennials like pink hollyhocks, foxgloves, and english daisies indoors early in the season
- Purchasing young plants or cutting grown perennials like pink roses, peonies, astilbe, and daylilies from garden centers
- Adding shrubs with pink blooms like hydrangeas, flowering quince, spirea, and weigela to beds and borders
Select disease-resistant, hardy cultivars adapted to your planting zone. Give plants full sun exposure and well-drained soil amended with organic matter. Water during dry spells and fertilize according to label directions. With proper variety selection and care, you can enjoy waves of pink blooms in your garden from spring through fall.
Pink Flower Bouquets and Arrangements
Pink flowers have a soft, romantic look that makes them perfect for crafting floral bouquets and arrangements. Here are some tips for working with pink blooms:
- Combine different shades of pinks like blush, bashful, candied, and fuchsia for texture and depth
- Add white flowers like roses, lilies, baby’s breath, and carnations to accent pink tones
- Use flowers with dark centers like pink peonies, ranunculus, anemones, and tulips for dramatic contrast
- Incorporate greenery like ferns, eucalyptus, and ivy for fullness and structure
- Arrange in clear glass vases to showcase the pink colors
- Display against backdrops of white, cream, or light gray for maximum impact
With their sweet, romantic vibe, pink flower arrangements make lovely gifts for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and graduations. Play with different flower types, pink shades, textures, and accents to create stunning pink floral bouquets and displays.
Pink Flowers for Specific Occasions
Here are some suggested pink flowers to give for common gifting occasions:
| Occasion | Suggested Pink Flowers |
|---|---|
| Valentine’s Day | Pink roses, tulips, carnations, alstroemeria |
| Birthdays | Pink daisies, lilies, hyacinths, snapdragons |
| Anniversaries | Pink peonies, orchids, ranunculus, stock |
| Mother’s Day | Pink carnations, roses, tulips, chrysanthemums |
| Graduations | Pink roses, carnations, gerbera daisies, larkspur |
| Baby showers | Pink roses, carnations, peonies, sweet peas |
| Weddings | Pink roses, peonies, ranunculus, cherry blossom branches |
Pairing pink flowers with the occasion’s symbolism, emotions, or tradition of gift-giving is key. For example, pink carnations for Mother’s Day, sweet peas for baby showers, and pink roses for Valentine’s Day, weddings, and graduations. Choose flowers that communicate the right sentiment!
Conclusion
Pink is a beautiful, feminine color in the floral world. Many flowers across diverse plant families feature blooms in shades of pink, from airy pastels to vivid hot pink. Classic pink flowers include roses, carnations, tulips, peonies, orchids, and hydrangeas. The exact flower species or cultivar determines the precise pink tone and patterning. Meanings associated with pink blossoms convey romance, affection, joy, femininity, and sympathy. With proper care, pink flowers can brighten gardens and floral arrangements with their uplifting color and graceful elegance.
