16 Radiant Flowers That Start With S

“A sunflower field is like a sky with a thousand suns.”

​For whatever reasons, flowers can brighten someone’s day. Some people are accustomed to handing out floral bouquets to show their love and car. Others have more interest in growing flowers. Nevertheless, there’s no denying that flowers have the ability to cheer up our sometimes gloomy and dull life.

​Like sunflowers, there are several flowers that start with S. Let’s take a look of them and their unique beauty.​

Radiant Flowers That Start With S

1. Sage

• Botanical name: Salvia Officinalis
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: Late Spring to Early Summer, Fall

Sage is a perennial evergreen subshrub with beautiful violet flowers. This is included in the Lamiaceae family, and native to the Mediterranean regions.

It is now naturalized and cultivated as ornamental plants in many parts of the world. This flower producing woody stemmed plant is also known for other names, including Garden Sage, Culinary Sage, Dalmatian Sage, Broadleaf Sage, Kitchen Sage, and Golden Sage.

In addition to purplish colors, some species bloom flowers in red, pink and white shades. Some modern botanists have cultivated yellow and rose cream flowers. Regardless of the color, it is absolutely a lovely ornamental plant to have in any garden.

Salvia is taken from th Latin word “salveo”, which means to save or heal. Sage is a symbol of domestic virtue.

2. Soapwort

• Botanical name: Saponaria
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: Spring, Summer, Fall

Native to Asia and Europe, Soapwort is a herbaceous woody plant that belongs to the family Caryophyllaceae. Species are either perennials or annuals. This plant is also called as Latherwort, Old Maid’s-Pink, London Pride, Lady’s-Wash Bowl and Fuller’s Herb.

Although often considered as a weed, this is an ornamental plant. It produces a cluster of tiny 5-petalled flowers in pink (sometimes purplish) or white.

Its genus name is derived from the Latin word “sapo” or soap and suffix “-aria”, which means “pertaining to”. This was formed by the fact that this flowering plant has been used in making soaps.

3. Scaevola (Fan Flower)

• Botanical name: Scaevola Aemula
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: August to March

Scaevola, which is most commonly known as Fan Flower, is a small perennial shrub belonging to the family Goodeniaceae and is native to the southern parts of Australia (Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. 

Fairy or Common Fan Flower is named for its distinctive petals having a fan-like appearance. While most popular species are in blue petalled flower heads, this plant also produces white ones.

It blooms typically from August to March and extends up to September. When it reaches maturity, this grows up to 2 feet.

Scaevola is a Latin word that means “left handed”, which refers to the one sided petals of the flower. .

4. Scented Geranium (Pelargonium)

• Botanical name: Pelargonium Graveolens
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: June and July

Scented Geranium is a lovely flowering plant. It is an erect perennial shrub with multiple branches and soft velvety leaves. But its flowers are the main attraction as they are not only beautiful and vibrant to look at but also good smelling.

Species vary in colors, which include light and dark pink, purple, red, orange and white. Most of them have stain-like petals. They bloom well for a long period of time starting in August to January.

This scented ornamental plant is native to South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Its scientific name is derived from the Greek word “pelargos”, which means stork referring to the seed head that looks like the beak of a stork.

Scented Geranium symbolizes happiness or positive emotions.

5. Scilla (Siberian Squill)

• Botanical name: Scilla Siberica
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: March to April

SIberian Squill or Scilla is a bulb-forming perennial flowering herb that belongs to the Asparagaceae family. There are about 50 to 80 species worldwide. Also known as Blue Star, Russian Blue Star and Wood Squill, this plant is native to Africa, the Middle-East and Europe (not having to do with Siberia).

This plant’s flowers are popular with its beautiful blue shade. But some species bloom in other colors, which are purple, pink and white. All of these are spring bloomers but some are formed in autumn.

It’s called Blue Star because the flower heads are shaped like stars, having 6 petals and 6 stamens and arranged as singular or in 2 to 3 racemes.

6. Sedum (Stonecrops)

• Botanical name: Crassulaceae
• Plant Type: Perennial, Biennial, Annual
• Bloom time: June to August

A member of the Crassulaceae, Stonecrop or Sedum is a large genus of perennial plant with around 500 species. This is usually found in the Northern Hemisphere but can be cultivated in Africa and South America these days.

Sedum is considered as a leaf succulent, which makes it a good choice for indoor display. The leaves have the ability to store water. It also produces a cluster of flower heads with 5 petals, sometimes 4 or 6, and more than 10 stamens.

This genus symbolizes peace and tranquility. Generally, it can also indicate enduring love, perseverance and timelessness.

7. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum)

• Botanical name: Leucanthemum x Superbum
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: July to September

Shasta Daisy is a specific flowering plant of the daisy family. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a familiar look – classic white ray florets and yellow disc floret.

This daisy flower was named after Mount Shasta, as its petals are as white as snow. This symbolizes purity and innocence.

8. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)

• Botanical name: Antirrhinum Majus
• Plant Type: Perennial/Annual
• Bloom time: July to September

Snapdragon is an interesting plant as it blooms a spectacular tower-like arranged flowers. Each flower is considered zygomorphic or bilaterally symmetrical. It has 2 “lips” that close the corolla tube lobed that’s divided into three parts. With its flowers in racemes, the leaves are also formed spirally.

This herbaceous perennial ornamental plant belongs to the Scrophulariaceae (formerly known as Plantaginaceae) family. It grows up to 3 feet with beautiful inflorescence.

There are different colors of flowers, such as white, red, orange, pink, purple, and yellow. Just imagine how colorful the garden is if they are well arranged in different colors.

Its name was given based on the fact that the flowers’ throats are squeezed causing the “mouth” part to snap like a dragon’s. It symbolizes strength, gracious lady, power of will and deception.

9. Sea Lavender

• Botanical name: Limonium
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: April to June

Sea Lavender has flowers that can surely turn heads. This beautiful lavender-colored flowering plant is a member of the leadwort or plumbago family, which is Plumbaginacea. Although its name and color may be mistaken as a species of Lavender, it is botanically not.

This herbaceous perennial woody shrub grows up to 2.5 feet to 7 feet in rhizomes. It produces flowers from a branched corymb or panicle. Each flower head is very tiny with a corolla and five-lobed calyx. It is usually lavender or purple in color, but can also be violet, pink, yellow, and white.

The reason behind this genus name is its natural growth along the sea. It is derived from ancient Greek “leimon”, which means meadow, also referring to its original native or habitat. This symbolizes beauty, sympathy, success, and remembrance.

10. Snowball

• Botanical name: Viburnum Opulus
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: May (Spring)

Beautiful, tiny, white florets are the main attraction of Snowball. This flowering plant is a deciduous shrub with a large, rounded inflorescence. It grows for about 15 feet tall. It is composed of tiny, lacecap-type and pom-pom-like white florets that typically bloom all throughout spring.

This is native to Asia, North Africa and Europe. It has been naturalized in some parts of the US and Canada.

11. Snowdrop (Galanthus)

• Botanical name: Galanthus Nivalis
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: January to May/Spring

Add the Snowdrop to your spring blooming garden. This plant, which can be considered as grass or tall lawn because it has erect, leafless stalks.

However, it is an herbaceous perennial type that grows from bulbs and produces beautiful snow white, upside-down faced and bell shaped flowers. The top of each petal has a V or U-shaped stain-like green shade.

The scientific name is derived from Greek words “galanthus” (milk while) and “nivalis” (snow-like); hence the common English name.

12. Speedwell

• Botanical name: Veronica
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: June to August

Speedwell, otherwise known as Veronica, is a member of the family Plantaginaceae. It is also called Gypsyweed and Bird’s Eye. This plant blooms purplish blue flowers, composed of 4 to 5 petals and 3 anthers.

The name Veronica was taken from Italian saint, Saint Veronica. It is also from the Latin words “vera” (true) and “icon” (image). This symbolizes fidelity and loyalty.

13. Star-of-Bethlehem

• Botanical name: Ornithogalum
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: May to June

Native to the southern parts of Africa and Europe, Star-of-Bethlehem has a distinctive look with its white star-shaped flowers. This genus belongs to the Asparagaceae family. It grows from a bulk and matures into a slender 1-foot stalk with linear basal leaves and clusters of flowers.

Its English name was given based on the shape of the flowers having resemblance of a star, particularly the “Star of Bethlehem” in the Bible.

The botanical name is derived from Greek words, “ornithos” which means bird and “gala” or milk. This represents innocence, honesty, trust and hope. In Christianity, it is also a symbol of the baby or the child Jesus.

14. Sunflower

• Botanical name: Helianthus
• Plant Type: Annual
• Bloom time: July to October

Among the popular and most favorite flowers worldwide, Sunflower is a dashin ray of sunshine with its large bright yellow flower. It usually blooms starting summer up to early fall. Its flower has multiple sun-colored petals and the entire disc florets make it bigger than the ray florets.

“Helios” is a Greek word for sun, while “anthos” means flower. This flower represents faithfulness, loyalty, adoration and worship.

15. Sweet Sultan

• Botanical name: Amberboa Moschata
• Plant Type: Annual
• Bloom time: June to September

Honey-scented Sweet Sultan is a popularly cultivated ornamental plant in China and North America. But this is native to the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The flowers are small and soft, almost like thistles. They are purple in color.

16. Sweet William

• Botanical name: Dianthus Barbatus
• Plant Type: Perennial
• Bloom time: May to Frost

Belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family, Sweet William is a beautiful choice of bouquet of flowers. This short-lived perennial (some are herbaceous biennial) flowering plant is native to some parts of Asia and southern Europe.

It grows as high as 3 feet with erect stems or stalks composed of a few leaves and clustered five-petalled flowers. A single stalk of this plant produces a cluster of pretty flowers, whose colors range from red to pink, purple to white, but usually bi-colored.

The flowers are edible, which can make cuisines look more fantastic. In addition, they are known to have medicinal properties or health benefits.

There are only two varieties, which are Barbatus and Asiaticus Nakai. The former is usually cultivated in Southern Europe with broad leaves broader, while the latter is most commonly grown in Northeast Asia with slender leaves.

This plant is a representation of love, affection, admiration, passion and gratitude. It is also a divine flower or the “flower of the gods”.

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Conclusion

This list of flowers that start with S is a compilation of more than beauty kind of ornamental plants. Each of these has a distinction that makes them standout and a pretty choice for gardening.