40 Flowers That Start With L (With Pictures, Meanings & Growing Tips)

From the elegance of lavender to the grace of lilies, flowers that start with L add their own charm to the garden. Every alphabet has a unique library of spring flower names under it, and the letter L is no different in having a versatile variety of blooms that can fit in all garden styles. 

Come along and explore the flowers that start with L with unique features and care guides. 

Quick answer

The flowers that start with L are lantana, lavender, Lenten rose, lily, lavatera, lunaria, lotus, lilac, lungwort, Lisianthus, liatris, loosestrife, lady’s slipper orchid, and many more. 

List of 40 Flowers That Start With L

The flowers that start with L are lantana, lavender, lenten rose, lily, lavatera, lotus, lunaria, lisianthus, and more that are used for planting and gifting. 

Take a look at the list of  40 flowers that start with L: 

1. Lantana
2. Lavender
3. Lenten Rose
4. Lily
5. Lavatera
6. Lotus
7. Lunaria
8. Lisianthus
9. Leonotis Leonurus
10. Lady’s Slipper Orchid
11. Lilac
12. Lungwort
13. Lycoris Albiflora
14. Liatris
15. Lucerne
16. Loosestrife
17. Lady’s Mantle
18. Leopard’s bane
19. Lobster’s Claw
20. Lily of the Valley
21. Love-in-the-mist
22. Larkspur
23. Lobelia
24. Linaria
25. Lobularia maritima
26. Layia Platyglossa
27. Limnanthes douglasii
28. Limonium sinuatum
29. Love-in-a-puff
30. Lallemantia
31. Lupine
32. Lewisia
33. Leucojum
34. Ladybells
35. Limonium
36. Lasiandra
37. Leucas
38. Lippia Multiflora
39. Lathyrus odoratus
40. Lechenaultia

20 Perennial Flowers that Start with an L: Blooms that Come Back Every Year

Perennial flowers are plants that grow for more than 1 year and come back in the spring after dying back in the frost. They are an ideal option for smart landscaping patterns that do not need consistent planting every year and are also low-maintenance. 

Lantana is a flowering genus of perennial herbaceous plants with over 150 cultivars that grow white, yellow, and pink flowers along with bright green foliage. 

Botanical name	Lantana
Native	America and Africa
Growing Requirements	6-8 hours of direct sunlight Moist soil and low fertilizer needs
Hardiness	USDA zones 9-11

Belonging to the Lamiaceae family, lavender is most popularly used as an ornamental piece in bouquets or decorations. These purple spike-like blooms with their silver-green foliage and beautiful fragrance are the perfect upgrade for your garden. 

Botanical name	Lavandula
Native	Mediterranean regions
Growing Requirements	Full sunlight and well-draining soil
Hardiness	USDA zones 5-10

Commonly known as “Hellebore,” the Lenten rose is a herbaceous plant that blooms during winter and hence is also renowned as a “Christmas Rose.” 

Lenten roses are shade-loving plants and therefore low-maintenance, but according to the ASPCA, they are toxic for pets, so they should be kept away from them. 

Botanical name	Helleborus
Native	Europe and Asia
Growing Requirements	Full to partial shade Sandy loamy, well-draining soil
Hardiness	USDA zones 4-9

Lilies are categorized as one of the most popular blooms, which are used for their ornamental value. It grows big star-shaped flowers in the colours pink, white, red, and orange and typically reaches up to a height of 6 feet. 

Popular varieties include Oriental and Asiatic lilies. 

Botanical name	Lilium
Native	Northern hemisphere
Growing Requirements	Full to partial shade  Well-draining soil with consistent moisture.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-9

Lavatera is a low-maintenance flower with hints of purple veins on the petals. This evergreen perennial shrub is a summer flower that grows up to 6 feet tall and is perfect for wall borders and landscaping beauty that can be enjoyed all year long. 

Botanical name	Lavatera
Native	Western Mediterranean
Growing Requirements	Full sun and well-draining soil.  Drought-tolerant once established
Hardiness	USDA zones 6-8

Lotus is an aquatic pink flower that is mainly grown in warm and most conditions. It likes to be submerged and planted in 12 inches of water, and hence is also grown as an indoor water plant. 

Grown in the colours of pink, white, and yellow, all of them have different meanings and significance across different cultures. 

Interestingly, the lotus is the National flower of India and Vietnam. 

Botanical name	Nelumbo nucifera
Native	Africa, Asia, and Australia
Growing Requirements	Full sun and 12 inches of water above the soil to imitate the native growth habitat.
Hardiness	USDA zones 6-11

Belonging to the Brassicaceae family, Lunaria is also known as the “Honesty” or “Money plant” because of the seed pods the plant produces after growing small 4-petal flowers in the form of a cluster. 

If you know how to dry flowers, you must be familiar with the lunaria flowers, as they are popularly used for dried flower bouquets. 

Botanical name	Lunaria spp.
Native	Europe and Western Asia
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade  Soil pH- 6.0 -7.0
Hardiness	USDA zones 4-8

Part of the Gentianaceae family, lisianthus is a herbaceous perennial shrub that I once confused with a white rose due to its close resemblance. 

The bell-shaped flowers of the lisianthus bloom in the colours pink, white and purple, up to 3 feet tall, which are the most commonly used in flower arrangements for special occasions. 

Botanical name	Lisianthus
Native	North America
Growing Requirements	Full sun exposure for 8 hours with well-draining, moist soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 8-10

As the name suggests, Leonotis leonurus bears orange flowers that resemble a lion’s tail. This tropical flower of the mint family, like English lavender, blooms in summer and looks beautiful when planted or paired with the salvia plant.  

Botanical name	Leonotis Leonurus
Native	South Africa
Growing Requirements	6 hours of  direct sunlight, well-draining sandy loam soil
Hardiness	USDA zones 8-11

Lady’s slipper is a member of the orchid family and has inflated petals that resemble a lady’s slipper. Reaching up to the height of 3 feet, these herbaceous perennial plants are a pollinator magnet. 

Historically, Native Americans used the plant extracts for medicinal purposes to treat fever and insomnia.  

Botanical name	Cypripedioideae
Native	North America, Europe and Asia
Growing Requirements	Indirect sunlight  Neutral soil pH – 6.0 – 7.0
Hardiness	USDA zones 2-9

Lilac is one of my favorite purple flowers that start with L, which are fragrant blooms that grow in small clusters of flowers. 

Belonging to the olive family, along with forsythia and types of Jasmine, lilac makes for an excellent cut flower and landscaping staple that comes back every year. 

Botanical name	Syringa vulgaris
Native	Europe
Growing Requirements	Full sun exposure, well-draining loamy soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-7

Growing not more than 1 foot tall, this member of the Boraginaceae family is commonly used as a ground cover due to its low-growing habit. 

Multiple small mixed-colour flowers with big green leaves that have small white dots on them give this plant a unique look altogether. 

Botanical name	Pulmonaria spp.
Native	Europe and Western Asia
Growing Requirements	Partial shade, alkaline soil pH 7.0 8.0.  Drought-tolerant once established
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-8

Another name for this flower that starts with L is “spider lily” due to the spider-leg-like flower structure. Apart from the flower, the foliage of the plant resembles that of the March birth flower, the daffodil. 

Lycoris flowers bloom from late summer to fall in the vibrant colors of pink, red, yellow, and orange. 

Botanical name	Lycoris
Native	Southern Asia
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade.  Loamy or sandy well-draining soil
Hardiness	USDA zones 5-9

Much like the October birth flowers, marigold, the Liatris flower belongs to the daisy plant family and grows spiky, upright flowers that are similar to lavender blooms. 

I have been growing these perennial flowers for the tall blooms that reach up to 5 feet for garden borders and that pop of colour to the usual green landscape. 

Botanical name	Liatris spicata
Native	Central and Eastern America
Growing Requirements	6 hours of direct sunlight
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-9

Lucerne belongs to the Fabaceae family and features small 4-petal pea-shaped flowers. 

Although a great pollinator magnet, lucerne planting can be a little troublesome, as it releases a chemical that hinders the growth of neighboring plants. 

Botanical name	Medicago sativa
Native	South-west Asia
Growing Requirements	Full sun, sandy and loamy soil.  pH: 6.5-7.5
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-9

Lythrum is a flowering genus that includes over 200 species under its wide umbrella, which are further divided into “true lythrum” and the  “Lysimachia” genus. 

Popular for its spiky purple flowers that bloom from late summer to early fall, it is considered extremely invasive; use caution. 

Botanical name	Lythrum salicaria
Native	Europe, Asia and North Africa
Growing Requirements	6-8 hours of direct sunlight, wet clay soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 4-9

The name of the flower is a beautiful association of the shape of the leaves and the Virgin Mary’s mantle. 

There is no dull moment after planting the lady’s mantle as a garden border or a ground cover because of the bright green foliage with lime -yellow flowers for every void of the garden, especially where the sunlight does not reach. 

Botanical name	Alchemilla mollis
Native	Southern Europe and Asia
Growing Requirements	Full to partial shade, sandy, loamy and clay soil.  Consistent moisture but also drought- tolerant once established.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-8

Leopard’s bane is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows daisy-like yellow flowers with green, heart-shaped leaves. 

The name is most likely due to a popular belief that the roots of the flower can kill a leopard, fascinating, right? I love growing the leopards’ bane to add that pop of yellow to my garden borders. 

Botanical name	Doronicum orientale
Native	Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia and Siberia
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade, loamy or clay soil.  Regular watering as they are not drought-tolerant.
Hardiness	USDA zones 4-8

No doubts about why it is named the lobster’s claws, as the bright red flowers in themselves are the answer. These uniquely shaped flowers that start with the letter L are hanging plants that bloom from late spring to early autumn. 

One of the most loved ornamental flowers, the lobster’s claw is considered a deer-resistant flower.  

Botanical name	Heliconia
Native	Tropical America
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade, consistent moisture.  Soil pH- 6.5 – 7.0
Hardiness	USDA zones 10-12

Similar to the Snake plant varieties, the Lily of the Valley also belongs to the Asparagus family. The delicate bell-shaped flowers with a fragrant scent are the perfect way to welcome spring to your garden. 

With a height of almost 12 inches, the lily of the valley makes for an excellent ground cover. 

Botanical name	Convallaria majalis
Native	Europe and Asia
Growing Requirements	Full to partial shade, consistent watering.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-8

10 Annual Flowers that Start with L: Add Personality to the Garden

Annual flowers are the plants that grow, mature, and die in the same year and need to be replanted again every time. The benefit of the growing annuals is that they provide consistent colour to the garden until frost. 

Commonly known as Nigella, the love-in-the-mist flower looks like a treat to watch. With their white, purple and blue flowers, these herbaceous perennial flowers have fern-like foliage that surrounds the flowers, resembling mist. 

I absolutely adore them for their airy look and use them as filler flowers in the gardens for that colourful aesthetic. 

Botanical name	Nigella damascena
Native	Europe, Southwest Asia and North Africa
Growing Requirements	Full to partial shade, sandy and loamy soil. Water consistently, drought-tolerant once established.
Hardiness	USDA zones 9-11

Larkspur and Delphinium both belong to the Ranunculaceae family, but are different flowers, as the latter is more densely packed than the Larkspur. 

Another point is that I feel larkspur has a lower-effort planting and is beginner-friendly. 

It is also interesting to note how many “L” flowers have a spike-shaped appearance.  

Botanical name	Delphinium
Native	Northern Hemisphere, Europe, Asia and North America
Growing Requirements	Full shade, soil pH- 6.5-7.5 Constant watering
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-9

Lobelias are 5-petaled, small pink and blue flowers that have a trailing and an upright variety. They have a shallow-root system and, therefore, are perfect as hanging plants, which is how they are planted at my house. 

This plant genus includes over 400 species of plants, which are excellent pollinating magnets. 

Botanical name	Lobelia erinus
Native	South Africa and North America( varies per species)
Growing Requirements	Full sun to shade( in a hot climate) Soil needs to be moist.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-9

Popularly known as the ‘Purple toadflax,’ Linaria is a unique perennial that also grows spike-like flowers, similar to those of lavender, and is also popular for being a pollinator-friendly plant. 

Botanical name	Linaria
Native	Mediterranean regions
Growing Requirements	Moist soil and partial shade plant
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-4

Commonly known as sweet alyssum, these annual flowers bloom in the colours white, purple and pink with a honey-scent fragrance. These clusters of flowers look luscious in a garden border. 

Botanical name	Lobularia Martima
Native	Mediterranean regions
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade, well-drained soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 9-11

Quite similar to the Limnanthes douglasii, the coastal tidytips grow daisy-like flowers with a yellow center and white tips, which have been gracing my garden as an annual flower and sometimes a container plant for years now. 

Botanical name	Layia Platyglossa
Native Area	North America
Growing Requirements	Full sun for 6+ hours, sandy loamy well-drained soil, and drought tolerance.
Hardiness	USDA zones 3-10

Also known as the poached egg plant due to the yellow center and white edges of the petals, these pollinator-friendly plants grow cup-shaped, beautiful blooms that are popular as garden borders or container plants. 

Botanical name	Limnanthes douglasii
Native Area	California
Growing Requirements	Full sun to partial shade with well-draining soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 4-8

Bring into your garden the charm of the Limonium sinuatum and its small purple, white and yellow flowers and big green leaves. This annual herbaceous plant is also grown as a perennial depending on the climate. 

Botanical name	Limonium sinuatum
Native Area	Mediterranean regions
Growing Requirements	6+ hours of sunlight, well-draining sandy soil, and low water needs (drought-tolerant).
Hardiness	USDA zones 8-9

Love-in-a-puff is a trailing vine from the Sapindaceae family. What fascinates me the most is the green balloon-like pods similar to a paper lantern, which I had never seen before. This self-seeding variety stores its seeds inside these pods, which have a little heart on them. 

Botanical name	Cardiospermum halicacabum
Native Area	Tropical regions of Africa, Asia and South Asia.
Growing Requirements	Full sun, consistent moisture and a trellis for support.
Hardiness	USDA zones 8-11

Lallemantia is a member of the mint family, related to peppermint. This drought-tolerant annual flower grows purple flowers and green foliage and reaches up to 20 cm high. 

These plants are mostly used for their medicinal properties and as garden borders.

Botanical name	Lallemantia
Native Area	Western Asia
Growing Requirements	Full sun for 6+ hours, drought-tolerant, light loamy, simple but well-draining soil.
Hardiness	USDA zones 6-9

An Extended List of 10 Small Flowers that Start with L

Apart from the famous flowers that start with L, some blooms always remain unknown. Here is a list of some unique small “L” flowers that every anthophile must know. 

S. No.	Image	Name and Description
31.		Lupine  Botanical name: Lupinus  Native: North America  Height: 1-5 feet  Special features: Pollinator magnet and nitrogen-fixing abilities
32.		Lewisia  Botanical name: Lewisia  Native: North America  Height: Up to 1 foot  Special features: Drought-tolerant once established
33.		Leucojum (Summer Snowflake)  Botanical name: Leucojum aestivum  Native: Europe, Iran and Western Asia  Height: Up to 2 feet  Special features: Deer-resistant flower
34.		Ladybells  Botanical name: Adenophora  Native: Asia  Height: 1-3 feet  Special features: Pollinator-attracting flower
35.		Limonium  Botanical name: Limonium spp.  Native: Europe, Asia and North Africa  Height: 1-3 feet  Special features: Drought-tolerant
36.		Lasiandra  Botanical name: Lasiandra aspera  Native: India, Southeast Asia  Height: Up to 2 feet  Special features: Fragrant flowers have medicinal uses.
37.		Leucas  Botanical name: Leucas aspera  Native: Asia  Height: Up to 2 feet  Special features: Leaves are used for medicinal purposes
38.		Lippia Multiflora  Botanical name: Lippia Multiflora  Native: Sub-Saharan Africa  Height: Up to 13 feet  Special features: Edible leaves with aromatic scent, also used as a medicine.
39.		Lathyrus odoratus  Botanical name: Lathyrus odoratus   Native: Southern Italy  Height: 3 feet( shrubs), 7 feet( climbers) Special features: Fragrant flowers
40.		Lechenaultia  Botanical name: Lechenaultia spp. Native: Western Australia  Height: Up to 4 feet  Special features: Drought-tolerant

Concluding Remarks 

The words ‘love’ and ‘life’ start with L, and that is exactly what the flowers that start with L add to your garden. The charm of lavender and the simplicity of lantana—no garden style can stay void of these flowers. 

It is time to upgrade the gardening space with flowers that start with letter L and bring the charm of these versatile blooms home. 

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