Gardens are made only more beautiful by the presence of organic, earthy shades like terracotta. The best terracotta colored flowers look as though they have their own patina, their own aging process, a bronze, dark, orange-fired hue that you can't help but gawk at.
Even the most reserved garden color schemes need depth to balance out the oh-so-pretty sweetness of pale pastels and saccharine baby pinks.
Here are seven stunning terracotta colored flowers for adding a golden, fall-like touch to your garden.
7 best terracotta colored plants to grow
1. Achillea 'Terracotta'
As its name suggests, this achillea variety is a beautiful shade of deep terracotta. This perennial blooms from June to September, and even longer if drenched in sunlight.
Achillea 'terracotta' is perfect for prairie planting or even meadowscaping while providing valuable nectar and pollen for pollinators.
Height: 80cm (31in)
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Where to plant: Full sun/partial shade. Best in a sunny spot.
Goes well with: Salvia, Echinops, Dahlias
2. Dahlia 'Creme de Cognac'
Almost all dahlias are stalwarts of the cutting garden, and this sumptuously rich terracotta colored dahlia is a particularly strong performer, blooming with profusion all summer long until the first frost.
Dahlia 'Creme de Cognac' is one of the best plants for pollinators and looks terrific in large (terracotta) pots, where they tower overhead and dance in the wind. You can purchase Dahlia 'Creme de Cognac' tubers from Eden Brothers.
Height: 120cm (48in)
Hardiness zones: 8-11
Where to plant: Full sun
Goes well with: Ammi, Loosestrife, Rudbeckia
3. Heuchera 'Caramel'
Heuchera 'Caramel', sometimes named Heuchera 'Marmalade', has fantastic ruffled foliage that emerges in the summer and spills over the side of containers.
It looks particularly fantastic mixed with several other heuchera varieties in pots, or at the front of a border. You can purchase Heuchera 'Caramel' as a container plant from Nature Hills.
Height: 30cm (12in)
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Where to plant: Partial shade
Goes well with: Heuchera 'Plum Pudding', Hostas, Ferns
4. Zinnia elegans 'Queeny Lime Orange'
Zinnia elegans 'Queeny Lime Orange' is a superb mix of zesty lime and rich earthy orange, that starts as a flame of orangey red and mellows to a rich rusty terracotta.
It flowers socks off from early July through to the very end of October. Deadheading is necessary to prolong blooming and encourage branching. You can purchase Zinnia 'Queeny Lime Orange' seeds from Eden Brothers.
Height: 90cm (36in)
Hardiness zones: 8-11
Where to plant: Full sun
Goes well with: Cosmos, Sunflowers, Nepeta
5. Iris 'Lovely Senorita'
I have a penchant for irises, and this is one of those addictive varieties that once you grow one, you can't stop until you are somewhat overwhelmed by them.
Iris 'Lovely Senorita' is aptly named, with large, highly ruffled tangerine orange standards and short, bushy burnt orange, almost paprika colored beards. You can purchase Iris 'Lovely Senorita' bulbs from Eden Brothers.
Height: 100cm (39in)
Hardiness zones: 3-9
Where to plant: Full sun
Goes well with: Allium, Delphinium, Sedum
6. Geum ‘Petticoats Peach’
These beautiful geums have highly unusual semi-double flowers with gloriously frilly petals that sit atop red stems. If you're looking for blousy, ethereal cottage garden ideas, then these need to be planted in great swathes.
‘Petticoats Peach’ flowers for a remarkably long time, from May and right through the summer months to fall. It is a perennial, so it can be left in the ground and will return year after year with no qualms whatsoever. A wonderfully easy and faff-free plant to grow.
You can purchase Geum Petticoats Peach from Nature Hills.
Height: 25cm (10in)
Hardiness zones: 5-9
Where to plant: Partial shade
Goes well with: Heuchera, anemones, mascari
7. Ranunculus 'Picotee Café'
Ranunculus 'Picotee Café' produces masses of enormous Peony-shaped blooms throughout the summer, in a mesmerising shade of brownish orange.
Beautifully rich, feathered, packed choc-full of petals and with remarkably strong stems, ranunculus make for the perfect cut flower arrangement. You can purchase Ranunculus 'Picotee Café' bulbs from Dutch Grown.
Height: 60cm (24in)
Hardiness zones: 4-10
Where to plant: Full sun
Goes well with: Anemones
The best terracotta colored flowers look sensational mixed in with chocolate colored flowers and interspersed with acid green, often found in euphorbia, nicotiana, and amaranth. Be brave with your color combinations and companion planting – not everything needs to be in the same color family to get along.
