Flowers offer a range of benefits to every living and non-living being. Be it the birds & animals who find their food source in the plants to insects who use them for pollination, there are endless uses of this simple subject – a flower.
Not to forget how useful flowers are for humans from the medicinal and decoration point of view.
There are over 400,000 species of flowers globally, and over 151 types among them are in the United States alone.
If you are looking to start planting, here are the best 12 flowering plants starting with the letter “S.”
Flowers That Start With S
To help with your flower search starting with the letter “S,” here are my top 12 recommendations.
1. Sunflower
If you are searching for the best flowers starting from the letter “S,” you can not miss the iconic sunflower. The scientific name of sunflowers is Helianthus sp.
It is a plant-primarily known for its large and bright yellow blooms, which often resemble a daisy plant. On average, a sunflower plant can go up to a height of 12 feet upon maturity.
However, you should note that there are different varieties of the sunflower plant with different hues, for example, from pale yellow to flaming red.
There are two categories of sunflower – annual or Helianthus annuss and perennial or Helianthus multiflorus).
While the former is fast-growing, the latter is not.
Similarly, some sunflower plants remain dwarf with a maximum height of 2-3 feet while others grow up to 12-feet high.
2. Snapdragon
Snapdragon is another beautiful red flower that is ideal for small pots and hanging baskets. Its scientific name is Antirrhinum majus.
Like sunflowers, snapdragon is also both – annual and perennial.
The most characteristic feature of snapdragons is their large blooming period.
That is, the plant will enhance the beauty of your surroundings from spring till fall.
When closely observed, the flowers of snapdragon have a loose trumpet shape.
Plus, they have a natural scent with a variety of colors. For example, snapdragons are available in red, pink, orange, and yellow.
Furthermore, they are easy to grow with minimum requirements. They require full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, and adequate water. However, remember not to do any overhead watering.
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3. Spider flower
Spider flower or cleome hassleriana is native to South America. Its characteristic feature is its unusual and loose cluster of flowers that appears as floating colorful beads.
Are you wondering why it is called spider flower? Each flower of this plant has a horizontally protruding stamen. This stamen resembles the legs of a spider. Hence, it is called a spider flower.
The blooming period of these spider flowers is not very long, extending from spring to early frost.
Additionally, the flowers of this plant don’t lose their color and importance after fading. You can still use them in decorations. The seeds of this plant serve two purposes.
First, they act as a food source for birds and pollinators. Second, the seeds possess the capability to regrow after falling off the plant. Lastly, the spider flower has a decent growth rate to a maximum height of 3-6 feet.
4. Snowdrop
The scientific name of the snowdrop is Galanthus nivalis. This plant has a unique growing method. That is, a snowdrop plant grows from the bulbs planted after the spring, in the fall.
Appearance-wise, the snowdrop plant features pure white and slightly scented flowers with a pair of grey-green leaves.
Snowdrops thrive in varying degrees of sunlight and grow in moist soil (not soggy).
The different varieties of snowdrops are Galanthus plicatus, Galanthus reginae-olgae, Galanthus’ Primrose, etc. Some species of snowdrops also grow in woodlands, meadows, cottages, etc.
There are also smaller varieties of the snowdrop plant that you can grow indoors in pots or baskets.
5. Sweet pea
Another huge outdoor plant for your garden is this sweet pea. Its scientific name is Lathyrus odoratus. It is an annual plant and is native to the Mediterranean region.
However, it is now readily available and popular in Italy and Cyprus.
It is an ideal fit for a cottage garden as it can rapidly shoot from the seeds to a height up to six to eight feet in just a single season.
Unlike other flowering plants mentioned in this list, the sweet pea is a climber. That is, it can climb up to any height using a support like a tree, etc.
In the wild, the one-inch wide flowers of this plant are usually purple with other shades such as pink, red, yellow, and orange.
Another interesting aspect of the sweet pea plant is that the more you pick its flowers, the more beautiful flowers will grow.
Note that sweet peas thrive under part shade in well-drained and cool soil.
6. Sword lily
Gladiolus or sword lily grows from bulbs. These bulbs grow into elegant spike-covered flowers.
Each of these spikes features at least 12 flowers with different colored petals. There are different varieties of sword lily plants, such as Gladiolus White Prosperity and Gladiolus Rhapsody in Blue.
The flowers of sword lily feature petals of different colors such as red, pink, purple, white, yellow, and orange. Out of these, the purple-colored petals are rare.
These plants also differ in their average height. While some sword lily plants grow up to five to six feet tall, others hardly cross the mark of one feet height.
To grow the best variety of sword lily, you would require consistent watering, well-drained soil, and full sun to partial shade.
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7. Sweet William
The scientific name of sweet william is Dianthus barbatus. The sweet william plant can be grown as an annual, perennial, or biennial depending on the climate.
Being native to Southern Europe, the plant survives in only organic-rich well-draining soil with full sunlight in the winters.
The half-inch wide flowers of sweet william form a cluster of varied colors such as white, pink, purple, and red.
There are two categories of sweet william plants. While one variety can grow up to a height of five to six inches, the tall variety can grow up to two to three feet in height.
Similarly, some varieties of sweet william have natural fragrances while others don’t.
It’s recommended never to expose the plant to direct sunlight in summers as intense heat is harmful to the flowers.
8. Sneeze Weeds
Have you seen the plant daisy? If yes, the sneeze weeds look the same as daisies. Sneeze weeds or helenium, unlike daisy, is found in colors such as red, orange, and yellow. Are you wondering how the plant got its name? Let me tell you.
In ancient times, the power of this plant (in dried form) was a common remedy for inducing sneezing in an individual to get him rid of evil spirits.
That’s why it is famous for sneezing weeds. It is native to North America.
The special feature of this plant is that it is a late bloomer.
Sometimes, it blooms from early summer to fall. The sneeze weeds plant is easy to grow and maintain. They can tolerate any well-draining soil. Furthermore, they attract bees and butterflies.
9. Shooting Stars
The scientific name of the shooting star’s flowering plant is Dodecatheon meadia. It is a perennial plant that is native to North America, Canada, and Texas.
The shooting star’s flowering plant got its name from how its blossoms fall down the tall stems with the petals following them like a shooting star.
It generally blooms in the late spring with flowers of different shades, such as white or pink.
The average height of a shooting star plant is two to three feet.
However, there are other varieties of shooting star plants available for indoor planting that can grow up to a height of one foot. The plant needs well-drained and moist soil during its growing season and dry soil in the dormant stage.
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10. Snowflakes
Snowflake is another decent outdoor plant for your next gardening project.
Its scientific name is Leucojum sp. There are two types of snowflakes plants.
The first is the summer snowflake or Leucojum aestivum, and the second is the spring snowflake or Leucojum vernum.
Out of these two, the summer snowflake is the tallest plant that grows 2-3 feet. On the other hand, the spring snowflake plant hardly touches the height of 8 inches.
As their name suggests, the flowers of the plant appear as tiny snowballs or snowflakes.
People often confuse snowflakes with the snowdrop plant; however, there is a major difference between the two.
In snowflakes, there are green dots on every petal of the flower. Contrarily, the green dots are only present on three out of the six petals of the snowdrop plant.
11. Salvia
Salvia or sage is native to Central and South America, Central Asia, and Mediterranean Europe. The term “salvia” comes from the Latin word “salvere.” It is the largest member of the Lamiaceae family.
The nectar-rich flowers of the salvia plant have a slender and tubular shape.
Salvia has lightly aromatic leaves that help attract bees and butterflies to your garden or backyard as an outdoor plant.
Furthermore, you can also plant Salvia indoors in hanging baskets, pots, or containers. This plant is popular for its healing properties.
12. Strelitzia
Strelitzia is also popular by names such as “Bird of Paradise” and “Crane Flower.” It is native to Southern Africa and belongs to the Strelitziaceae family.
Its flowers resemble the shape of an exotic bird.
That’s how it got its name, “bird of paradise.” When observed closely, you are more likely to consider it as a live brightly colored bird.
It is due to its long leaves with unique and colorful flowers.
You will generally find the strelitzia plant in bouquets and functions as such plants are best from the decoration perspective.
So, these are the top 12 indoor and outdoor plants starting with the letter “S.”
Conclusion
Flowers add another life to your surroundings. Be it your home, office, or personal garden, adding your favorite flower to such places fills the space with freshness and positivity. Today, I’ve tried to compile all the beautiful flowers starting from the letter “S.”