This is a tough one – what are the flowers that start with Q? While they may not roll off the tongue right away, there are approximately 11 flowers that begin with the letter Q, nine of which begin with the word “queen,” implying majesty and elegance.
In this article, I’ll provide you with brief overviews and interesting facts about 11 striking flowers that start with Q to spark your interest and, perhaps, add to your garden, so be sure to stick around!
1. Quaker Ladies
Quaker Ladies, also known as Houstonia caerulea and Azure Bluet, are eastern Canadian and North American wildflowers that thrive in moist, acidic, shady environments. They grow naturally in prairies, upland streams, savannas, and woodland paths.
These evergreen perennials produce tiny pale blue flowers with yellow centers. The flowers grow in clusters at the tips of the stems and bloom from spring to early summer.
Quaker Ladies are one of the most well-known flowers for attracting a ton of pollinators, including small butterflies, Little Carpenter bees, Green Metallic bees, and Meadow Fritillary butterflies.
If you ever decide to build a rock garden, Quaker Ladies are a great flowering choice. Not only will they thrive in such conditions, but their pale blue color will also add tranquility to your garden.
2. Quamash
Quamash, also known as Camas or Camassia, is a genus of perennial bulbs in the Lily family native to the western United States. Native Americans gathered and used this plant for medicinal and food purposes, earning it the names “Camas” or “Quamash,” meaning “sweet.”
Their flowers usually bloom from spring to summer and have a magical fairy-like appearance. They’re a striking star shape with six blue, purple, or white petals with long yellow stamens in the center.
Quamash isn’t fussy about soil pH, but it does prefer moist, well-drained soil. It can grow in either full or partial sun, so you can use it to make a beautiful flower bed or to add color to your indoor space.
It’s worth mentioning that Quamash plants are often confused with Death Camas, a similar plant with highly poisonous bulbs that grow in the same habitat.
3. Queen Anne’s Lace
Daucus carota is a summer biennial wildflower in the carrot family. In North America, these flowers are known as Queen Anne’s Lace after Anne, Queen of Great Britain, and her great grandmother, Anne of Denmark.
Queen Anne’s Lace has other common names, including Bishop’s Lace, Bird’s Nest, and Wild Carrot.
Regardless of its name, Queen Anne’s Lace produces a flattened lacy cluster of tiny white blooms that can add elegance to any space.
Unfortunately, Queen Anne’s Lace can be invasive from its second year of growth. That’s why many garden owners recommend against it.
4. Queen of Orchids
Queen of Orchids, more commonly known as Cattleya, is a genus of epiphyte orchids that are native to tropical America where they thrive in warm, humid environments.
Even though there are over 10,000 orchid species in the tropics, the Queen of Orchids is one of the most recognizable species. The Queen of Orchids is the largest orchid in the world and grows unique flowers that come in a variety of colors.
Queen of Orchid flowers are showy and the epitome of floral beauty. They’re probably what you think of when you hear the word “orchid.”
The petals are vivid purple, pink, white, yellow, red, and blue. They’re also fragrant and look pretty in any setting, making them ideal for indoor spaces.
5. Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba, botanically known as Thelymitra speciosa, is, like the Queen of Sheba, extremely special and rare. It only grows in the southwest of Western Australia.
It belongs to a group of orchids called the Sun Orchids in the Orchid family because their flowers only open on warm, sunny days. That said, Sheba is unlike any other species, which is why it’s often referred to as the Orchid family’s Holy Grail.
The rarity of Queen of Sheba isn’t the only reason the plant is so highly regarded. The flowers are simply otherworldly, from their appearance to their colors.
When Queen of Sheba flowers open, the petals are vibrant purple, blue, or pink with darker spots. Some cultivars have reddish edges and yellow margins. A few bright yellow sepals adorn the center.
6. Queen of the Prairie
Queen of the Prairie, also called Meadowsweet, is a tall and magnificent perennial wildflower that produces cotton candy clusters of pink or white flowers from mid to late summer. Sometimes, the variety that produces white flowers is called Queen of the Meadow.
A member of the Rose family, this North American native is sturdy and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions as long as the soil is well-draining. In fact, Queen of the Prairie thrives best when it’s left undisturbed, so you don’t have to constantly tend to it.
Just plant it in a location that receives full to partial sun and then forget about it.
7. Queen’s Cup
Queen’s Cup, another member of the Lily family, is native to North America’s mountainous region. It’s also known as Clintonia uniflora, Bead Lily, or Bride’s Bonnet.
While it can take up to four years for a Queen’s Cup to flower, the plant can live for more than thirty years. So, you’ll have plenty of time to see it bloom multiple times.
Typically, one Queen’s Cup plant bears a single six-petaled, snowy-white flower above large, gleaming blade-shaped leaves. Nonetheless, they occasionally produce a two-flower inflorescence.
8. Queen’s Tears
Queen’s Tears is a uniquely-colored epiphytic tropical plant native to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay that belongs to the Bromeliad family.
It grows in clumps of upright trumpet-shaped grayish-green leaves and pink bracts. These flamboyant bracts carry lime-green petals with royal blue rims and long yellow stamens protruding from the center.
The name isn’t connected in any way to tears or royal tears. Instead, it comes from the sticky, clear nectar produced by the plant’s blooms, which forms visible droplets resembling tears. These tear-like droplets and the flowers’ royal purple color together make up Queen’s Tears.
Because Queen’s Tears is epiphytic, you should grow it in a pot alongside another plant. This allows the queen to absorb moisture and nutrients from neighboring plants while maintaining shallow roots.
9. Queen’s Wreath
Queen’s Wreath is a semi-evergreen tropical vine native to Mexico and Central America. It’s also known as Purple Wreath, Sandpaper Vine, Nilmani, or, scientifically, Petrea Volubilis.
Known for its showy blossoms, Queen’s Wreath produces foot-long racemes of about 15–30 lavender purple star-shaped flowers and purple calyxes from late winter through early summer.
In their natural habitat, Queen’s Wreaths are fast-growing plants that can reach heights of 25–40 inches. While they’ll grow just as quickly in cultivation, this vine is frequently pruned to a more manageable size.
Queen Wreaths thrive in environments similar to their natural habitat. They’re not too high-maintenance, but they require full sun, regular watering, and moist, fertile, well-draining soils.
In return, these purple vines are extremely drought and wind-resistant. They’re also moderately salt-tolerant, making them an excellent addition to coastal landscapes.
10. Quesnelia
Quesnelia is a flowering plant genus with about 20 species that belong to the Bromeliaceae family and is widely grown in eastern and southeastern Brazil.
This plant produces unusual cone-shaped flowers that are nestled among stiff, blade-shaped leaf rosettes. The flowers are red, blue, pink, or yellow—sometimes multicolored—and bloom mostly in the winter.
Once established, Quesnelias are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. They thrive in moist but well-draining soil and anywhere from full sun to full shade. They’re also drought- and cold-tolerant in zones 9–12.
11.Quince
The Quince, scientifically known as Chaenomeles speciosa, is a genus of three flowering plant species in the Rosaceae (Rose) family native to eastern Asia.
It’s a multi-stemmed thorny deciduous shrub that blooms in late winter and early spring with two-inch five-petal red, orange, pink, or white flowers.
Quince flowers can last up to 14 days and are followed by apple-like fruit, which is commonly used in jams and jellies.
Like a Quesnelia, the best part about growing a flowering Quince is how incredibly low-maintenance it is.
Quinces aren’t just hardy in zones 4–9 and drought-tolerant. They can also grow in full sun, partial sun, or light shade. Still, it’s best to expose Quince to sunlight to ensure the best flowering quality.
All you need to do is plant your Quince in a location that receives sunlight and has well-draining soil.
Final Thoughts On Flowers That Start With Q
Given the fact that very few flowers start with the letter Q, it’s totally normal if you’ve never come across any in your lifetime.
If this article is your first introduction to flowers that start with Q, I hope you’ve found it informative and useful.
Better yet, I hope you’ve been able to find one or two of the 11 queenly flowers interesting enough to consider planting in your garden!
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