60 Flowers That Start With L: Full Guide, Types & Care

Quick Answer: Flowers starting with L include Lavender, Lilac, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Lobelia, Lotus, Larkspur, Lantana, Lisianthus, Liatris, Lunaria, Lupine, Linaria, Lewisia, and Lobster Claw. These cover fragrant spring bloomers, summer border flowers, container plants, orchids, aquatic flowers, rock-garden plants, and tropical specialties.

Flowers starting with L include some of the most familiar names in gardening, Lavender, Lily, Lilac, Lotus, Lobelia, Larkspur, Lantana, Lisianthus, Liatris, and Lupine are all garden-center staples. The letter also reaches into less common territory: Lechenaultia, Lewisia, Lycoris, Lady’s Slipper orchids, Lachenalia, and Lobster Claw give it real range beyond the obvious names.

Best L Flowers by Use

Use	Best Flower Choices
Fragrance	Lavender, Lilac, Lily of the Valley, some Lilies
Purple flowers	Lavender, Lilac, Liatris, Lobelia, Lupine, Lisianthus
Beginners	Lavender, Lantana, Lobelia, Liatris, Linaria
Containers	Lobelia, Lavender, Lisianthus, Linaria, Lobularia
Bouquets	Lily, Lisianthus, Larkspur, Limonium, Lunaria
Pollinators	Liatris, Lantana, Lupine, Lobelia, Linaria
Rare choices	Lady’s Slipper, Lewisia, Lechenaultia, Lycoris, Lachenalia
Pond flower	Lotus
Tropical pick	Lobster Claw
Shade	Lily of the Valley, Lungwort, Lenten Rose
Rock garden/succulent	Lithops, Lewisia, Lampranthus

For more strong bouquet, border, and color choices, see Flowers That Start With Z.

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60 Flower Names With L — Full Table

#	Common Name	Botanical Name	Main Color	Plant Type	Best Use
1	Laburnum	Laburnum	Yellow	Flowering tree	Spring flower chains
2	Lace Flower	Orlaya grandiflora	White	Annual	Cottage gardens, soft filler
3	Laceleaf	Anthurium andraeanum	Red, pink, white	Tropical flowering plant	Indoor display
4	Lachenalia	Lachenalia	Yellow, red, orange	Bulb	Pots, mild-climate displays
5	Lady Banks’ Rose	Rosa banksiae	Yellow, white	Climbing rose	Walls, arches
6	Ladybells	Adenophora	Blue, violet	Perennial	Woodland borders
7	Lady’s Bedstraw	Galium verum	Yellow	Perennial wildflower	Meadow planting
8	Lady’s Eardrop	Fuchsia	Pink, purple, red	Tender perennial	Hanging baskets
9	Lady’s Mantle	Alchemilla mollis	Yellow-green	Perennial	Edging, soft texture
10	Lady’s Slipper	Cypripedium	Pink, yellow, white	Orchid	Woodland gardens, specialty
11	Lady Tulip	Tulipa clusiana	Pink, white, yellow	Bulb	Spring beds, rock gardens
12	Lamb’s Ear	Stachys byzantina	Purple, pink	Perennial	Edging, dry gardens
13	Lanceleaf Coreopsis	Coreopsis lanceolata	Yellow	Perennial	Pollinator beds
14	Lantana	Lantana camara	Yellow, orange, pink, red	Tender perennial/shrub	Heat-tolerant color
15	Larkspur	Delphinium ajacis	Blue, pink, purple, white	Annual	Cottage gardens, cut flowers
16	Lavatera	Lavatera trimestris	Pink, white	Annual	Summer borders
17	Lavender	Lavandula	Purple, blue, white	Perennial herb	Fragrance, borders
18	Leadwort	Plumbago auriculata	Blue, white	Shrub/perennial	Warm-climate borders
19	Leather Flower	Clematis viorna	Pink, purple	Perennial vine	Trellises, native gardens
20	Lechenaultia	Lechenaultia	Blue, red, yellow	Shrub/groundcover	Rock gardens
21	Lenten Rose	Helleborus	White, pink, purple	Perennial	Shade, winter interest
22	Leontopodium	Leontopodium nivale	White	Alpine perennial	Rock/alpine gardens
23	Leopard Lily	Iris domestica/Lilium pardalinum	Orange, spotted	Perennial	Specialty borders
24	Leopard’s Bane	Doronicum orientale	Yellow	Perennial	Early spring color
25	Lesser Celandine	Ficaria verna	Yellow	Perennial	Damp woodland
26	Leucadendron	Leucadendron	Yellow, red, cream	Shrub	Cut stems, dry gardens
27	Leucanthemum	Leucanthemum vulgare	White, yellow	Perennial	Daisy-style borders
28	Leucojum	Leucojum aestivum	White	Bulb	Spring gardens
29	Lewisia	Lewisia cotyledon	Pink, orange, white	Perennial	Rock gardens, containers
30	Liatris	Liatris spicata	Purple, pink, white	Perennial	Pollinator gardens
31	Lilac	Syringa vulgaris	Purple, pink, white	Flowering shrub	Fragrance, hedges
32	Lily	Lilium	White, pink, orange, yellow	Bulb perennial	Cut flowers, summer beds
33	Lily of the Nile	Agapanthus	Blue, white	Perennial	Patio containers
34	Lily of the Valley	Convallaria majalis	White	Perennial	Shade, fragrant spring
35	Limonium	Limonium	Purple, blue, white	Perennial/annual	Cut flowers, dried
36	Lindheimer’s Beeblossom	Gaura lindheimeri	White, pink	Perennial	Airy borders
37	Linaria	Linaria maroccana	Mixed	Annual	Borders, filler
38	Linnaea	Linnaea borealis	Pink	Creeping perennial	Woodland groundcover
39	Liriope	Liriope muscari	Purple, lavender	Perennial	Edging, groundcover
40	Lisianthus	Eustoma grandiflorum	Purple, pink, white, blue	Annual/tender perennial	Bouquets, beds
41	Lithodora	Lithodora diffusa	Blue	Perennial groundcover	Rock gardens
42	Livingstone Daisy	Dorotheanthus bellidiformis	Pink, yellow, orange	Annual	Sunny beds
43	Lobelia	Lobelia erinus	Blue, purple, white	Annual/tender perennial	Containers, edging
44	Lobster Claw	Heliconia rostrata	Red, yellow, green	Tropical perennial	Tropical gardens
45	Lobularia	Lobularia maritima	White, pink, purple	Annual/short-lived perennial	Edging, fragrance
46	Lonicera	Lonicera	White, yellow, pink	Flowering vine/shrub	Climbers, fragrance
47	Loosestrife	Lythrum/Lysimachia	Purple, yellow	Perennial	Moist beds
48	Lotus	Nelumbo nucifera	Pink, white	Aquatic perennial	Ponds, water gardens
49	Love in a Mist	Nigella damascena	Blue, white, pink	Annual	Cottage gardens, seed pods
50	Love Lies Bleeding	Amaranthus caudatus	Red, burgundy	Annual	Dramatic borders
51	Lungwort	Pulmonaria officinalis	Pink, blue, purple	Perennial	Shade, early pollinators
52	Lunaria	Lunaria annua	Purple, white	Biennial	Cottage gardens, seed pods
53	Lupine	Lupinus	Blue, purple, pink, white	Perennial/annual	Vertical color
54	Lychnis	Lychnis coronaria	Pink, red, white	Perennial/biennial	Cottage gardens
55	Lycoris	Lycoris radiata	Red, pink, white	Bulb perennial	Late-season color
56	Lampranthus	Lampranthus spp.	Pink, orange, purple, yellow	Succulent groundcover	Dry rock gardens, edging
57	Leucospermum	Leucospermum spp.	Orange, red, yellow	Flowering shrub	Cut flowers, dry warm gardens
58	Ledebouria	Ledebouria socialis	Pale green-white	Bulb (foliage-forward)	Pots, novelty indoor bulb
59	Lophospermum	Lophospermum erubescens	Pink, purple	Tender vine	Hanging baskets, trellises
60	Lithops	Lithops spp.	White, yellow	Succulent (“living stone”)	Windowsill/collector succulent

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Common Flowers That Start With L

The most common L-flowers people recognize from gardens, bouquets, containers, and seasonal displays are Lavender, Lily, Lilac, Lily of the Valley, Lobelia, Lotus, Larkspur, Lantana, Lisianthus, Liatris, Lupine, and Lunaria.

• Lavender combines purple flower spikes, gray-green foliage, and strong scent. It needs full sun and sharply drained soil, and works in herb gardens, borders, containers, and pollinator beds.
• Lily is really a major flower group rather than one shape, some are trumpet-style, others open wide and dramatic. Strong in summer beds and cut arrangements, but caution is needed around pets, since several lily species are seriously toxic to cats.
• Lilac is a spring-flowering shrub known for large, scented flower clusters, most often purple but also white and pink. Useful for hedges, spring focal points, and fragrance planting.
• Lobelia is compact and especially useful in containers, baskets, and edging — blue and purple forms are the most popular.
• Lotus is the main aquatic flower in this group, growing in ponds with large leaves and flowers rising above the water. It also carries strong symbolic weight around purity and renewal.
• Liatris adds vertical flower spikes to summer borders and pollinator gardens without feeling heavy, and is one of the stronger choices for bees and butterflies.
• Lantana is valued for heat tolerance and long seasonal color, especially useful in warm climates and containers; treated as an annual in colder regions.
• Lisianthus is best known as a florist flower for its soft, layered petals and strong vase appeal, though it can be grown outdoors in suitable conditions.
• Lupine brings height and cottage-garden character with upright flower spikes in a wide color range.
• Lobster Claw is a tropical outlier,hanging red-and-yellow bracts, best suited to warm climates, conservatories, or greenhouse displays.

For similar recognizable-name browsing, see Flowers That Start With E.

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Rare Flowers That Start With L

• Lady’s Slipper is a rare orchid with pouch-shaped blooms, more associated with woodland habitat and conservation-minded growing than ordinary bedding.
• Lechenaultia is an Australian-associated specialty group needing sharp drainage, more familiar to collectors than casual gardeners.
• Lewisia is a compact rock-garden and container plant performing best in sharply drained soil.
• Lycoris, sometimes called surprise lily or spider lily, produces flowers on bare stems before the foliage follows an unusual and memorable bloom habit.
• Lachenalia is a colorful tubular bulb flower more common in mild climates and specialty bulb collections.
• Leopard Lily is valued for spotted orange flowers and a bold summer look, better as a specialty perennial than a basic bedding plant.
• Lithodora is a low-growing plant with clear blue flowers, often used in sunny edges and rock gardens.
• Lobster Claw also belongs here for most home gardeners, since it needs tropical or protected conditions.
• Lithops, the “living stone” succulent, is genuinely unusual — its small, daisy-like flowers emerge from what looks like a pair of pebbles, and it’s grown almost exclusively by succulent collectors on bright windowsills.

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How This 60-Flower List Was Curated

This guide includes 60 flowers and flowering plants starting with L, avoiding weak entries added only to inflate the count. It covers true flowers, flowering shrubs, flowering vines, aquatic flowers, bulb flowers, and well-known ornamental plants where the bloom (or, for Lithops and Ledebouria, the overall ornamental display) is central to why the plant is grown.

Inclusion rules: a name was included when the common name starts with L, the plant is widely recognized for its flowers or overall ornamental display, it’s useful in gardens/bouquets/containers/specialty planting, and it adds real value rather than just padding the count.

What wasn’t counted as a main flower: foliage-first plants, ferns, lichens, and general tree names weren’t added unless clearly justified, which is why even the expanded version here stops at 60 rather than reaching arbitrarily further.

For the letter before or after this one, see Flowers That Start With K or continue to Flowers That Start With B.

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Symbolism and Cultural Recognition

Lotus is one of the strongest symbolic flowers in this group, widely linked with purity, rebirth, and spiritual elevation because it rises cleanly above muddy water. Lily has long been associated with purity, especially through the Madonna lily in Christian art and historical symbolism. Lilac is tied to spring, renewal, and older floral-language themes of first love. Lavender is commonly linked with calm, devotion, and serenity, a meaning that fits both its fragrance and its long use in floral traditions.

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Plants vs. Flowers That Start With L

Lavender, Lilac, Lily, Lotus, Lobelia, Lantana, Lupine, Lisianthus, and Lily of the Valley fit naturally as true flowers since the bloom is the main reason they’re known or grown. Flowering shrubs like Lilac and Lady Banks’ Rose also fit because their blooms match search intent directly.

Some names need more care: Lamb’s Ear and Liriope are often grown for foliage or groundcover effect, but both do flower and can be included when clearly labeled. Laceleaf is grown as a tropical display plant with a colorful spathe commonly treated as part of its ornamental flower display. Lithops and Ledebouria are grown more for their unusual overall form than a showy bloom, but both genuinely flower and are worth including with that distinction made clear.

Common and botanical name pairs: Lavender → Lavandula; Lily → Lilium; Lilac → Syringa vulgaris; Liatris → Liatris spicata; Lobelia → Lobelia erinus; Lotus → Nelumbo nucifera; Lily of the Valley → Convallaria majalis; Lisianthus → Eustoma grandiflorum; Love in a Mist → Nigella damascena; Love Lies Bleeding → Amaranthus caudatus.

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Types of Flowers That Start With L

Perennials

Lavender, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Liatris, Lewisia, Lithodora, Lungwort, Liriope, and many Lupines. Lilac also returns yearly as a flowering shrub rather than a herbaceous perennial. Lenten Rose is another strong shade/early-season perennial.

Annuals

Larkspur, Linaria, Love in a Mist, Love Lies Bleeding, Lavatera, and Livingstone Daisy. Lobelia, Lantana, and Lisianthus shift between annual and perennial use depending on climate.

Purple Flowers

Lavender, Lilac, Liatris, Lobelia, Lupine, Lisianthus, Liriope, Lungwort, and Love in a Mist — these build a cool-toned border alongside white flowers like Lily, Leucojum, and Lace Flower.

Fragrant Flowers

Lavender leads for combined flower-and-foliage scent. Lilac gives a fuller spring perfume; Lily of the Valley offers sweet shaded fragrance. Some Lilies are fragrant depending on type, and Lonicera (honeysuckle) adds fragrance as a flowering vine or shrub.

Beginner-Friendly Choices

Lavender, Lantana, Lobelia, Liatris, Linaria, and Lanceleaf Coreopsis. The right choice depends on site: Lavender needs sun and drainage, Lobelia prefers moisture, Lantana handles heat, Liatris suits sunny pollinator beds.

Indoor/Protected-Space Picks

Laceleaf, container-grown Lobelia and Lavender, florist-grown Lisianthus, and — genuinely strong indoor picks — Lithops and Ledebouria, both suited to bright windowsill growing as succulent specialty plants. Lobster Claw can work in a greenhouse or conservatory with enough warmth and humidity.

Container and Small-Space Picks

Lobelia is one of the best L-flowers for containers, suiting edges, baskets, and compact spaces. Lavender, Lisianthus, Linaria, Lobularia, Lewisia, Lachenalia, and Lampranthus (a genuine succulent groundcover addition) all fit containers when light and moisture needs are met. For more compact garden ideas, see Flowers That Start With A.

Pollinator-Friendly and Meadow Picks

Liatris, Lantana, Lupine, Linaria, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Lobelia, and Lindheimer’s Beeblossom — best planted in layered groups rather than isolated single plants.

Cut Flower and Bouquet Favorites

Lily, Lisianthus, Larkspur, Limonium, Liatris, Love Lies Bleeding, and Lunaria. Lily and Lisianthus bring the strongest florist value; Larkspur adds height; Limonium works as filler; Lunaria is valued for its silvery seed pods after flowering.

Water and Pond Flower Picks

Lotus is the true water flower here. Lily of the Nile, despite the name, is a border/container plant, not a pond flower — worth noting since the name commonly causes confusion.

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Quick Planning: Growing and Garden Planning

Bloom Season and Color Planning

Spring often opens with Lilac, Lily of the Valley, and Lunaria. Late spring into early summer brings Lupine and Larkspur for stronger vertical form. Summer carries Lavender, Lily, Lisianthus, Liatris, and Lotus, while warm-season plantings keep Lobelia and Lantana going later. This spread makes L-flowers genuinely useful for season-long sequence planning.

Light, Soil, and Zone Notes

Flower	Light	Soil	Moisture	General Zone Fit	Best Setting
Lavender	Full sun	Well-drained	Low–moderate	5–9	Herb beds, borders, containers
Lilac	Full sun	Fertile, well-drained	Moderate	3–7	Shrub borders, spring focal points
Lily	Full sun–part shade	Rich, well-drained	Moderate	4–9	Beds, cut flower gardens
Lily of the Valley	Part shade–shade	Humus-rich	Moderate–moist	3–8	Shade gardens
Lobelia	Sun–part shade	Moist, fertile	Moderate–high	Often grown as annual	Containers, edging
Lotus	Full sun	Aquatic soil	High	4–10	Ponds, water gardens
Liatris	Full sun	Well-drained	Low–moderate	3–9	Pollinator beds, meadow
Lupine	Full sun	Well-drained, not overly rich	Moderate	4–8	Cottage gardens, naturalistic beds
Lithops	Full sun (bright indoor)	Sharp, gritty drainage	Very low	Indoor/collector	Windowsill, succulent collections

A pond flower, a shade flower, and a dry border flower shouldn’t be treated as if they all want the same setting.

Pollinator, Pet, and Safety Points

Liatris, Lantana, Lupine, Lobelia, Linaria, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, and Lindheimer’s Beeblossom all help make a garden more pollinator-active. On safety: Lilies and Lily of the Valley should be handled with real caution around pets, true lilies (Lilium species) are among the most acutely dangerous plants for cats, capable of causing kidney failure from even small amounts of pollen or petal material. Lantana and several other ornamentals can also cause problems if eaten. Local behavior matters too — some L-flowers spread more aggressively in moist soil or mild climates, so check regional guidance before planting widely.

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Conclusion

Flower names starting with L cover far more variety than a simple alphabet list suggests, fragrant spring bloomers, upright summer flowers, compact container plants, meadow-friendly picks, bouquet favorites, and true pond flowers, plus genuine rarities like Lithops and Lycoris. .

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FAQ

References

• Royal Horticultural Society — How to Grow Lavender, Lilium, Syringa vulgaris, Convallaria majalis, Lobelia erinus, How to Grow Lupins
• Missouri Botanical Garden — Plant Finder (Nelumbo nucifera, Liatris spicata, Lantana camara, Eustoma grandiflorum)
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List (Lily of the Valley, true Lilies)

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