15 Flowers That Start With I : [ #11 Is Our Favorite ]

Flowers are an integral part of nature, and they have continued to remain so since the birth of the universe. Humans have always been enticed to flowers due to their elegance, beauty, pureness, and joy. When it is the season for flowers to bloom, we see happiness all around us.

Besides the above qualities, several flowers have medicinal purposes and serve as a sign of the fertility of the land, but the primary motivation for growing flowers seems primarily aesthetic. Out of a wide variety of flowers grown on Earth, below I have come up with the top 15 flowering plants, which start with the letter I.

15 flowers that start with I

Here is a rundown of the top 15 flowers that start with the letter I.

1. Iberis

The local name of Iberis is candytuft. Its scientific or botanical name is Iberis. It is a low-lying perennial flower from the Brassicaceae family. The plant is frequently looked up to as a path border and is a late bloomer that brightens up gardens in April or May. You can plant Iberis in the early fall. Though it grows a bit slower than other plants, it will brighten up your surroundings for sure if nicely taken care of.

It is popular for its vibrant white and pink flowers. Although the flower is showy. The color of the flowers stands out well against the background of the dark green foliage and makes these plants ideal for moon gardens.

The petals of Iberis structure themselves in a unique pattern to keep you hooked. They potentially attract bees and butterflies to your landscaping, improving the pollination of other perennials. Talking about maintenance, it requires minimal maintenance and is hardy to zones 3 to 9.

2. Iceland Poppy

The Iceland poppy is also a trendy perennial plant whose species may grow as an annual plant. However, this is not true for all Iceland Poppy species. Its scientific name is Papaver nudicaule.

The plant blooms from spring to summer and attracts beautiful birds, vibrant butterflies, and bees to your garden. The two major requirements are well-drained soil and full sun.

Appearance-wise, Iceland Poppy features long stems, translucent flowers, and more blooms than you can ever keep track of. The Iceland poppy can reach 24 inches and is an excellent option for an ornamental flower. If you are bringing home Iceland Poppy for the first time and are unable to decide on an ideal location, do not hesitate to plant it in rock gardens, cottage gardens, flower borders, and even in containers. The Iceland poppy flowering plant has a slight fragrance to attract insects. Further, their rich summer colors will surely leave you and others have awe-struck.

Note that the flower can not tolerate heat as well as other perennials.

3. Ice Plant

Ideal for hot, dry gardens, the lce Plant, also known as Aizoaceae, is a vigorous, mat-forming plant with deep purplish–pink and daisy-like flowers. It belongs to the fig-marigold family, has over 1800 species, and contains 135 genera.

It is a native to South Africa, where its local name is vygies. Blooming continuously from summer to fall, you get its blossoms in such quantities that they literally can cover the foliage of fleshy, light green leaves. The flower beautifully blends with the surroundings, courtesy of its evergreen foliage that further improves the plants’ ornamental dominance. It is a perfect choice for ground cover or rock gardens in zones 5-9.

4. IIex

Ilex or hollies are one of the most dependable, versatile, and famous flowering plants you can never go wrong with.  Over 560 species and countless hybrids exist; Ilex belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family of plants and is native to temperate zones worldwide.

Another characteristic of Ilex is its attractive year-round foliage that produces showy fruits on maturity. In size, Ilex ranges from foot-tall mounds to trees 4050 feet tall. Hence, they form an ideal outdoor garden plant. However, indoor species of Holly are also widespread.

Available in multiple sizes, I recommend small hollies for foundation plantings and low fences. On the other hand, you can go for the taller species for large screens and informal hedges. Moreover, they are also good for spacious lawns.

Note that almost all naturally grown holly species are either male or female. As a general rule, for any female plant to produce fruit, both sexes must be present.

5. Impatiens

The famous touch-me-not plant or Impatiens is native to the Northern Hemisphere and some tropics. The other names across the globe include jewelweed, snapweed, and patience.

If there are three reasons why I stress Impatiens, they are – medicinal properties, vibrant blooms, and the capacity to grow in shady areas. The various color options available with the touch-me-not flower include pink, red, white, purple, violet, coral, and yellow (a newcomer). If you want a short plant to deck up a small space, it is another reason why Impatiens are the best. They are short plants and can only shoot up to a height of 1 foot or even less.

Memorial Day (30th May) is the perfect and traditional time to plant an Impatient plant in the northern United States of America and regions with biting cold winters. Why?

This is because the month of May signifies the passing of frost, thus allowing the plant to produce quick shoots.

6. Indian Blanket

The scientific name of the Indian blanket is Gaillardia pulchella. It is native to North America and belongs to the sunflower family that generates daisy-like flowers throughout the summers.

The Indian blanket flower is also famous for other names like Firewheel and Gaillardia. The plant got its name from the native Indian blankets, whose vibrant yellow, orange, and red color petals and patterns resemble them. It is a short-lived perennial plant. The Indian Blanket is vigorous and hardy enough to resist dry and hot sandy conditions. Since it is native to tropical regions. Due to this, the perennial wildflower entertains butterflies and honey bees with nectar and light fragrance.

7. Indian Pink

Another perennial wildflower, the Indian Pink, is one of the loveliest and the most popular wildflowers native to the Southern Eastern United States. It hails from the Loganiaceae family. The scientific name of the plant is Spigelia marilandica.

A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, it reaches up to a height of about a foot to a foot and a half once fully grown. However, most healthy specimens can also get a height of two feet under constant maintenance and adequate climatic conditions. Appearance-wise, the Indian Pink is long and tubular. However, please do not go by their name.

Contrary to their name, the plants are dark red on the outside and bright yellow on the inside. The inside of the petals is only visible at the end of the flower, where it flares out like a small star. The leaves of this plant are also a beautiful dark green color and grow directly from the main stem. The plants tend to be grouped in leafy clusters, with the flowers rising upwards at the tip.

8. Ipheion Uniflorum

The Ipheion uniflorum belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. It is also famous by the common names such as spring starflower or spring star. It is native to Argentina and Uruguay. In early spring, it features grass-like foliage and solitary star-shaped flowers on 6-inch-tall stems. Each bulb produces several flowering stems. The color of the flowers varies from almost white to violet-blue, and it entirely depends upon the growing conditions.

The flowers have a light spicy fragrance, and the foliage, when bruised, gives off an onion aroma. Plants can shoot to a decent height in full sun or partial shade. Further, they grow sluggishly after flowering. You can develop a spring star through self-seeding and stagger bulb propagation. This makes the plant perfect for naturalizing lawns and under trees. To sum up, Ipheion uniflorum prefers a sheltered, sunny position with slightly moist soil. These are excellent for use in rock gardens, lawns, and woodland gardens.

9. Ipomoea Alba

Tropical white morning-glory and moonflower are the two other names of ipomoea alba. It is an evergreen creeping perennial with three-lobed rounded leaves.

Talking about the appearance, the plant features large, fragrant, and trumpet-shaped pure white flowers borne in summer. However, it would help if you did not confuse this species with the cursed weed, Ipomoea indica, due to the similarity in their names. It is not nearly as vigorous and makes a beautiful ornamental climber. They are open quicker in the evening and last through the night, remaining open until touched by the morning sun.

10. Ipomoea

Ipomoea belongs to the Convolvulaceae family and has over 600 species. This family is famous for its large and diverse group of perennial plants. Some of the common names of Ipomoea are morning glory, water bindweed, kangkung, sweet potato, bindweed, and moonflower. This large genus is a group of 500 species and constitutes attractive annuals, perennials, evergreen shrubs, and trees.

Many annuals and perennials are climbing or twining. Although primarily grown for funnel-shaped or tubular flowers, some planters grow Ipomoea for their foliage. For example, the popular Blackie sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas). You can grow Ipomoea in a greenhouse. However, I would recommend growing it outdoors as annuals.

11. Iris

Iris takes its name from a Greek word that translates to a rainbow due to its vibrancy. There is an Iris for almost every garden with many types and colors available. Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, the plant Iris brings color to your garden in spring and summer. The vast majority are hybrids, the most popular being bearded irises. Other popular varieties include irises from Siberia and Japan, Louisiana irises native to North America, and Dutch hybrids.

Iris flowers symbolize knowledge, vitality, ambition, and belief. However, the color of the flower brings a new and distinctive meaning to the flower. For instance, purple represents admiration, while a bouquet of irises exhibits hope and faith. White Iris is a good choice for a bride’s bouquet, and yellow is the color of passion. Moreover, flowers are the universal messenger of friendship, eternal promises, and love.

12. Italian Aster

Is your favorite color purple? If yes, the Italian Aster is for you. Like most asters, the Italian Aster produces purple flowers late summer or fall to deck up your indoors or garden. It is the European species of Aster and is also famous as European Michaelmas daisy.

This species grows naturally in central and eastern Europe as far west as Russia and Turkey. It is a hairy and erect perennial plant with medium green leaves measuring 3 cm to 5 cm in length. The flowers grow fastest during autumn in terminal clusters 5 cm wide. The plant usually grows in rose-violet canopies. Named after the Greek word for a star due to its star-like flowers, the Italian Aster is a symbol of affection, awareness, belief, and color. Its flowers mostly bloom in pink, red, white, lilac, and mauve.

13. Ivy Leaf Geranium

The ivy-leaved geraniums sport attractive foliage decked up with cheerful blooms. The scientific name of Ivy-leaved geraniums is Pelargonium peltatum. It is not as common in the United States as the popular Zonal Geranium, almost resembling the former.

Some species of Pelargonium peltatum feature a shrubby appearance with a short height. On the other hand, others feature a good growth capability and often spread out to form an excellent ground cover. Planters recommend the Pelargonium peltatum plant for regions with the dappled sun.

14. Ixia

Unlike other plants, the Ixia belongs to the Iridaceae family and is ideal for hot and dry climatic conditions due to their minimal moisture requirements. It is native to South Africa. That is how it got the name – African corn lilies.

Growing Ixia is very straightforward. The plant grows best from bulbs, and you should ideally plant it in winters. You can also plant it in early fall and water it to get them started. In temperate regions, Ixia attains substantial growth outdoors in sunny locations. However, they need protection from frost during biting colds. After reaching the end of their growing season in late spring, dry out the plant for the summer months.

15. Ixora

Ixora belongs to the Rubiaceae family. Its attractive foliage is enough to catch your attention. These cute and beautiful shrubs lend a unique touch to any living space or outdoor setting. If you are concerned about colors, you get a lot of options with Ixora. This adorable flowering plant produces a vast hue of colors, with pink and peach being the hot picks among flower lovers. Other names for the plant are Jungle Geranium, Flame of the Woods, Jungle Flame, and West Indian Jasmine.

It grows well in USDA zones nine or above. The plant is tropical or semi-tropical and requires minimal maintenance to develop. All you need is full sun, well-drained alkaline to acidic soil. Appearance-wise, the leaves of Ixora are stiff and oval-shaped with a leathery surface.

Conclusion

To sum up, flowers are a part of everyday life. Mother nature is never complete without flowers. They evoke feelings of joy, happiness, and serenity among humans and animals, with the latter more dependent on flowers than others.

With the Earth being polluted and global warming at its worst nowadays, you should invest more in flowering plants to make this planet greener and more beautiful.