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22 Absolutely Vibrant Flowers That Start With P & Their Secrets

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Run the Gamut

Ultimately, color is our sensitivity to light and how our minds perceive visible light’s different wavelengths. Longer wavelengths give us oranges and reds, while shorter ones give us blues and violets.

Then, between these spectrums are all the other color combinations that we can see in our world. It is no novel idea, however, especially with these six vibrant flowers that start with P, which colors have a powerful effect on both our minds and our bodies.

​The impact of color in our lives, especially in the proper context can move us. When correctly applied, your perception of colors can make you and others feel particular emotions and think of specific thoughts.

It’s no wonder then how the deep reds in roses, the soft pastels in plumerias, or the light pinks in peonies, have a profound impact on any that look upon them.

With these six vibrant flowers that start with P, you’ll have flowers in your garden or bouquets running the gamut of the color spectrum.

22 Vibrant Flowers That Start With P

1. Protea

Protea - Flowers That Start With P
via Pixabay
  • Botanical name: Protea cynaroides
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: Summer to winter

The magnificent Protea takes its name from the Greek god, Proteus, one who could change into many forms. This deity is an apt description as the Protea plant family comes in a vast variety of flowers and foliage.

The most astounding would, arguably, be the King Protea. This species earns its royal name for having the largest flower head in its genus as well as its intense colors.

The Protea flower is a strong symbol of courage, diversity, and metamorphosis.

2. Petunia

petunia - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Petunia Sp.
  • Plant Class: Tender perennial
  • Bloom time: Spring to fall

Petunias are a favorite of gardeners and homeowners who display their blooms in hanging baskets and windowsills. The pinks, reds, whites, and purples of petunias, especially multiflora petunias, bloom in profusion leaving you with a bed of bright colors!

The intense colors of petunias symbolize deep passion, but also strong emotions such as anger and pain.

3. Poppy

Poppy - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Papaver rhoeas
  • Plant Class: Annual
  • Bloom time: Summer

The poppy flower is a strong testament to the amazing things that come from the humblest of places. The poppy itself is a common flower, even considered a weed, found in fields, ditches, and roadsides. And yet, this little flower has historical “roots” in medicine, religion, and even politics.

The Poppy flower is a symbol of remembrance, especially to fallen soldiers in war. Also, it represents peaceful sleep and resurrection.

4. Pansy

Pansy - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Viola x wittrockiana
  • Plant Class: Annual
  • Bloom time: Year-round

Another colorful flower with humble origins is the Pansy. This plant boasts one of the widest arrays of colors on large layered blooms. You could trace the pansy’s roots to the common viola, as horticulturists continue to create even more colorful hybrids of this lovely plant.

The pansy flower, like the poppy, is also a symbol of remembrance but the kind that is between two lovers who long for each other.

5. Plumeria

Plumeria - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Plumeria
  • Plant Class: Tropical Tree
  • Bloom time: Summer to fall

The fragrant Plumeria flower has a rich history and deep symbolism in many cultures. In Hawaii, for example, plumerias are a favorite for garlands and perfumes. There, the sweet blooms symbolize celebration and marital status.

On the other hand, plumerias in Mayan culture symbolize life and birth.

6. Peony

Peony - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Paeonia
  • Plant Class: Deciduous perennial
  • Bloom time: Late spring to early summer

Personally, the peony is my favorite of the flowers that start with P. It’s hard to put into words the beauty of this plant when its blossoms arrive. American writer Henry Mitchell says of the Peony: “The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty…”

It is no wonder then that the peony represents astounding beauty, love, and honor.

7. Pasque Flower

Pasque Flower Pulsatilla Vulgaris - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Pulsatilla Vulgaris
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: March to May

With around 33 species worldwide, Pasque Flower is a herbaceous perennial that is native to Asia, Europe and North America. It has other common names, which include Wind Flower, Meadow Anemone and Prairie Crocus. It is widely cultivated as ornamentals.

This plant is a flowering genus featuring finely-dissected leaves and solitary bell-shaped flower heads surrounded by multiple sepals rather than petals. It opens when the sun is out and closes at night.

The word “pasque” is derived from the Hebrew word “pasakh”, which is related to Passover and refers to the period of its bloom during Easter or spring.

This flower is a symbol to two specific places. It is the provincial flower of Manitoba in Canada, and the state flower (called as May Day Flower) of South Dakota in the US. This is also a county flower in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, England, and Oppland in Norway.

8. Periwinkle

Periwinkle Catharanthus Roseus - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Catharanthus Roseus
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: May, June

Otherwise known as Madagascar Periwinkle, Bright Eyes, Graveyard Plant, Old Maid, Periwinkle is a common flowering plant native to Madagascar but now thriving in many regions around the world. It belongs to the family Apocynaceae. This is popularly used as ornamental and medicinal plant.

Considered as an evergreen, herbaceous subshrub, this plant grows as tall as 3 feet. In addition to its oval-oblong glossy and hairless leaves, it has five-petal flowers that bloom in purple, pink or white.

This symbolizes strength and purity and strength as well as achieving great things in life. Its flowers may be small in size and gentle and fragile looking but it is strong that lasts for some time.

9. Persian Candytuft

Persian Candytuft Aethionema Grandiflorum - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Aethionema Grandiflorum
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: Late Spring or Early Summer (April to May)

Persian Candytuft or Persian Stonecress is a plant in the Brassicaceae family and native to the southern parts of Europe. It is flower producing foliage that tolerates both full and partial sun shade as well as dry conditions.

It can grow with an average height of 0.5 feet or 6 inches to 8 inches. A single foliage can spread up to almost 3 feet wide.

This perennial plant is an early spring bloomer starting in the month of April. Trimming about 2 to 3 leaves once the flowers are about to die can encourage a re-bloom. It brings a very beautiful white (sometimes a little greenish) convex or flat-topped shaped floral heads on a corymb-like inflorescence.

The arrangement of the flowers and widespread foliage makes Iberis an attractive and charming plant to any home landscape and garden. It has a welcoming look that certainly creates additional beauty to the surrounding.

Based on Oriental language of flowers, this flowering symbolizes indifference.

10. Pheasant’s Eye (Blooddrops)

Pheasants Eye Blooddrops Adonis Annua - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Adonis Annua
  • Plant Class: Perennial, Annual
  • Bloom time: June to July

The name itself is intriguing! Pheasant’s Eye, also known by the names Blooddrops, Bird’s Eye, Rose-a-Ruby, Red Morocco, Red Chamomile, and Soldiers-in-Green, is an ornamental perennial or annual herbaceous plant belonging to the family Ranunculaceae.

This is native to the Mediterranean, Europe, North Africa, and western Asia.

From the months of June and July, this plant produces scarlet or red colored flowers with distinctive darker areas at the base. Each flower head consists of 2 to 5 sepals with free to 5 petals.

It is named as Pheasant’s Eye because it resembles the red eye of a pheasant. It signifies sorrowful memories.

11. Pimpernel

Pimpernel Anagallis Arvensis Lysimachia Arvensis - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Anagallis Arvensis or Lysimachia Arvensis
  • Plant Class: Annual
  • Bloom time: June to September

Pimpernel is a plant with small cute blooms. It is also known by other names, such as Red Chickweed, Shepherd’s Weather Glass or Shepherd’s Clock, Scarlet or Blue-Scarlet Pimpernel. This annual plant is native to western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. It belongs to the family Primulaceae.

This plant is popular by its vibrant flowers that are typically bright blue, pink, red or orange. The central part has a different shade with lollipop haired stamens. It usually blooms when the sun is out for a few hours only.

The flower’s name is derived from the word “pympernele”. It is aslo known as the emblem of a fictional hero named Sir Percy of the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is also an iconic or symbolic flower of England, described as modest and humble and an English metaphor for humility and restraint.

12. Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder)

Jacobs Ladder Polemonium - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Polemonium
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: Spring, Summer

Popular by its pretty bluish purple flowers, Polemonium, which is commonly called Jacob’s Ladder, is a good choice for table centerpieces and bouquet gifts.

It grows in a fascicle producing cup or trumpet shaped heads, which are in lavender or white color. Once it reaches maturity, this plant grows from 1 foot to 2 feet, and rare species up to 3 feet.

This flowering plant is a type of hardy perennial plant that is native to temperate areas of Europe and Asia. It can also tolerate woodlands, meadows, damp grasslands, and rocky areas. It needs rich and moist soil with little sunlight.

Jacob’s Ladder is called as is due to the fact that its leaves have a ladder-like structure. Nevertheless, this symbolizes “coming down”.

13. Primrose

Primrose Primula Vulgaris - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Primula Vulgaris
  • Plant Class: Annual or Perennia
  • Bloom time: Early to Mid-Spring

Native to southwest Asia, northwest Africa, and western to southern Europe, Primrose is a perennial plant belonging to the Primulaceae family. It grows from 4 inches to 1 foot tall. 

This is easy to identify as its leaves are a hairy, heavily wrinkled basal rosette and flowers are too pretty not to be noticed. From February to April, this plant blooms beautiful flowers in various colors, including yellow, orange, pink, blue, white and some are bi-colored.

Its name Primula is derived from the Latin “primus” or prime. T also comes from the Latin word “prima rosa” or first. Both meanings refer to its blooming in spring.

Primrose symbolizes young love or youth. It also signifies confidence, new life or birth and unappreciated merit. For women, it may represent beauty and the natural ability to reproduce.

14. Peace Lily

Peace Lily Spathiphyllum - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Spathiphyllum
  • Plant Class: Perennia
  • Bloom time: Spring

Belonging to the Araceae family and native to southeastern Asia and Americas, Peace Lily is stunning and elegant. This evergreen herbaceous perennial plant is popular by its single white spathe. It’s a beautiful ornamental flower cut for any occasion.

Also known as Closet Plant, Peace Lily is easy to survive indoors. It does not need enough water or light either.

In a traditional sense, this flower symbolizes purity and innocence. It can also signify the rebirth of the soul.

15. Pelargonium

Pelargonium Cucullatum - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Pelargonium Cucullatum
  • Plant Class: Perennia
  • Bloom time: Spring, Summer

Pelargonium is a genus of a wide array of flowering plants. It is composed of about 200 species from perennial shrubs to succulents. It is included in the Geraniaceae family. It is native to southern Africa, and thrives well in temperate and tropical regions.

This plant blooms for a long time starting in spring. It produces pretty flowers in red, pink, purple, orange and white colors. A single stem holds umbel-like cluster flower heads with 5 petals each.

Its name comes from the Greek word “pelargos”, which means stork, as its seed head looks like the beak of a stork.

This flower represents friendship, good health wishes as well as happiness or positive emotions.

16. Penstemon

Penstemon Palmeri - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Penstemon Palmeri
  • Plant Class: Perennia
  • Bloom time: April to June

Penstemon, also known as the Beardtongues, is a flowering plant that has about 250 species, and is native to the Nearctic and the North American portion of the Neotropics. In fact, it is the largest genus of flowering plants in North America.

This deciduous or semi-evergreen perennial plant features 2-lipped trumpet-shaped flowers. Colors vary from red to pink, white to blue, purple to bi-colored.

This flower symbolizes courage. It also represents spiritual knowledge.

17. Persian Buttercup

Persian Buttercup Ranunculus Asiaticus - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Ranunculus Asiaticus
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: Early-Mid Summer

Native to northeastern Africa, southeastern Europe, and the eastern Mediterranean region in southwestern Asia, Persian Buttercup is a herbaceous perennial plant that produces stunning flowers.

Flowers have multiple layers of paper-like petals. They range in different colors, which include pink, pale pink, purple, orange, yellow, red and white.

This flowering plant is protected in some places, such as Israel. It is known as a “resurrection” type of plant in the Holy Land as it lives without water and can be resurrected when poured by water.

The representation of this flower is cheerfulness or joy. It can also signify goodwill.

18. Peruvian Lily

Peruvian Lily Alstroemeria - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Alstroemeria
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: Summer

Peruvian Lily blooms are otherwise known as Lily of the Incas. Its scientific name was given from a Swedish baron and discovered of the genus named Baron Claus von Alstromer.

It belongs to the Alstroemeriaceae family, and is native to South America. To date, it grows abundantly in many countries, which include Asia, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the Canary Islands. 

Flowers are solitary, sometimes formed in umbels. Each flower head is composed of 6 sepals and petals with flecks, stripes or streaks of darker shades. They vary in colors from pink to red, orange to yellow, white to purple. There are also species that have two to three colors.

This flower symbolizes friendship.

19. Phlox

Phlox Paniculata - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Phlox Paniculata
  • Plant Class: Perennial and Annual
  • Bloom time: April through June, July to Mid-September

Perennial or annual, Phlox is a cute flowering plant that belongs to the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to the United States, particularly New York, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa and Mississippi.

Its flowers come in several colors, which include pink, red, violet, blue, mauve, and white. They are fragrant, which makes them a good use for ornamental purposes.

Its name comes from the Greek word “phlox” or flame, which refers to the intense colors of the flowers.

This symbolizes sweet dreams, harmony and partnership.

20. Pincushion Flower (Pink Mist)

Phlox Paniculata - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Scabiosa Columbaria
  • Plant Class: Perennial/Annual
  • Bloom time: Mid-Spring to Mid-Fall

Pincushion Flower is most commonly known as Pink Mist. It belongs to the honeysuckle family called Caprifoliaceae. This flowering plant, which can be classified as perennial or annual, is herbaceous.

Its inflorescence is well known by its single head that has several small florets and each floret is cupped in a membranous, saucer-like bract. Flowers come in different colors, which include lilac, lavender, blue and creamy white.

This flower represents enthusiasm and strength.

21. Plume Celosia

Plume Celosia Celosia Spicata - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Celosia Spicata
  • Plant Class: Annual
  • Bloom time: Autumn, Summer

Celosia or Plume Celosia is an ornamental and surprisingly edible plant that belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek word “kḗleos”, which means burning since its flowers look like flames.

Flowers come in different colors, and among the popular species have purple, orange, yellow, and red shades.

This flower symbolizes affection, warmth, friendship, humor and immortality.

22. Poinsettia

Poinsettia Euphorbia Pulcherrima - Flowers That Start With P
  • Botanical name: Euphorbia Pulcherrima
  • Plant Class: Perennial
  • Bloom time: November to March

Poinsettia is a popular Christmas flowering plant. It is a shrub that grows from 2 feet up to 13 feet high. Its flowers are one of the easiest to identify because of its distinctive red colored, leaf-like petals.

This plant received its name in 1836 from Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist and a US Minister.

Known as the Christmas flower and star, it is associated with Christmas referring to its star shape that led the wise men to baby Jesus.

Besides being the December birth flower, this represents purity, good cheer, success, and the blood of Christ.


Conclusion

Are you surprised that there are several flowers that start with P? Many flowers from this list, whether the letter P comes from their English or botanical names, are a good addition to any garden and for ornamental uses.

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