Hardy flowers for windy gardens
Windy, exposed areas can make it difficult to grow flowers successfully, but there are some flower plants that are well suited to these types of areas.
Wind tolerant plants have flexible stems, which allows them to sway in the wind without breaking.
Here are 10 of the best flowers for windy areas.
This post about wind resistant flowers contains affiliate links. Please read the disclosure for more info.
1. Gazania
Gazanias
They’re low maintenance flowers that thrive in full sun and bloom from summer until fall.
Gazanias grow 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) tall and spread out about 10 inches (25 cm) wide.
2. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Nasturtiums
They’re fast growing annuals with bright yellow, orange or red edible flowers. The leaves and seeds are also edible.
Nasturtiums are ideal for hanging baskets and containers or you can plant them directly in the garden after the last frost of the season.
3. Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum)
Shasta daisies
They form clumps 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) tall and 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) wide and produce an abundance of white flowers with yellow centers.
Shasta daisies grow well in full sun, will tolerate most types of soil and they’re fairly pest resistant.
They’re short-lived perennials, so they’ll come back for a few years and they make beautiful long lasting cut flowers.
4. Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)
Portulaca
The fleshy foliage retains moisture well so the plants don’t need to be watered too often.
Portulaca reseeds easily and will come back year after year.
5. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Zinnias
Low growing zinnias are best, otherwise they’ll need to be staked.
Zinnias don’t do well when transplanted, so it’s best to plant the seeds directly in the garden in spring when the weather is warm.
6. Geranium
Geraniums
They grow best in a sunny spot, but they need some afternoon shade in hot summer weather.
Geraniums are susceptible to fungal diseases, so it’s best to water the base of the plant to keep the leaves dry.
They’ll need to be moved indoors before the frost arrives.
7. Marigold (Tagetes)
Marigolds
They grow best in full sun and flower during spring and summer.
Marigold seeds can be planted directly in the garden in spring after the risk of frost has passed.
8. Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)
Compact varieties of daylilies
They’re hardy perennials with beautiful bright flowers that open for only one day and then die off.
Each stem usually produces at least a dozen flowers though so you’ll get plenty of beautiful blooms from each plant.
Daylilies grow best in a position with full sun, but in hot areas they will need afternoon shade.
9. Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
Coreopsis
They’re hardy, wind tolerant plants that are great for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to the garden.
The flowers can be yellow, white, pink or red and appear in summer.
You can also get a repeat bloom in fall if you deadhead the spent flowers. [1]
10. Azalea (Rhododendron)
Azaleas
They grow best in a spot with partial shade and need protection from hot afternoon sun.
So there is my list of flowers that can withstand wind.
Some other good wind tolerant plants include ground covers like alyssum or low growing shrubs like lavender.
Choosing the right flowers means that you can have a beautiful flower garden, even if the location is exposed and windy.
You can also create a wind-break by growing a hedge or building a retaining wall to protect your flowers.
Also, keep in mind that plants exposed to strong winds will need to be watered more often.
RELATED ARTICLES
- 15 Orange Perennial Flowers
- 7 Beautiful Bell-Shaped Flowers
- 10 Yellow Flowering Shrubs
- How To Grow Bleeding Heart Flowers
- 10 Flowering Climbers
Which of these wind tolerant flowers do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.
Are you on Pinterest? I have boards dedicated to Flower Gardening and Gardening Tips that you may enjoy. You can also find me on Facebook.
I have mentioned before in previous comments that I don’t have a garden myself. But I do spend a lot of time looking at and photographing flowers during spring and summer. Your posts help me assimilate information about the flowers, basics like the name, but also unique characteristics. Thanks for the education!
We plant marigolds in our flower beds every year as they tend to grow fairly large and the rabbits won’t eat them. We also fill containers on the pool deck with geraniums. They are hearty and require very little except dead heading and water. Shasta daisies are beautiful as well but I’ve found them to spread.
All these flowers are so beautiful. I have a total of three flower gardens, and I just love when I am able to find new flowers to plant in them. We do get high winds here, and so this list will definitely come in handy. Thank you for sharing.
Those Nasturtium look absolutely gorgeous and would look great in my garden. Thanks for sharing such wonderful tips and making an informative post and a helpful guide on the best wind tolerant flowers. Florida does get so much wind and these will make a great addition.
I really love nasturtiums. Especially when I put them in salads or use them for a garnish. They add a pop of color and really make a dish complete.
Hi Kelly,
I’m a very bad gardener, but I love flowers and love reading your site. I have it bookmarked.
This particular post gives me some ideas on what I could actually try to grow in my often-windy little garden.
Portulaca sounds good to me as it doesn’t have to be watered too often. Geranium might like my garden as I only have sun there for half of the day. I’ve never heard of Zinnia Elegans – what a beautiful flower! I’m not sure if I could be successful growing it, but I like it so much that I would at least try.
Thank you for the great suggestions!
Warm regards,
~ Julia
Sometimes, I find out that I know little to nothing about some things and this is one of them. I did not ever think of considering the impact of wind on a plant before getting it.
Thank you so much for sharing.
very very pretty! I like it a lot! very beautiful garden choices
I do love a good floral display for sure. so many different types of beautiful flowers here xx
These flowers are all so beautiful! I never really thought about flowers being wind tolerant but it’s a good thing there are more sturdy plants especially when you live in windy areas. You don’t want all your hard work and dedication to blow away!
We had a lot of Coreopsis flowers in our garden at my childhood home, I did remember watching them sway in the breeze.
This is great advice! We don’t have too much of a wind problem at our current house, but I wish that I had a resource like this at our last house! We had a beautiful front garden area but the wind that we faced there often ruined our chances of the beautiful garden that I envisioned in the space.
My grandmother would have loved all of those wonderful looking flowers. I like the Azalea and Shasta daisies the best, they look adorable.
I love nasturtiums, unfortunately they have been attracting a little black flea looking beetle for the last few years. Any ideas as to why and how to control? They would literally destroy plants within a day by making holes in all the leaves. I was so scared it would spread to my other plants that I pulled and destroyed all of them. Any advice would be really appreciated. This post was very informative.
Sorry to hear that Tina. There are lots of different flea beetles and most can be controlled very effectively using pyrethrin spray.
How do Roses do in windy some time?
I’d like to know what kind of potted plants I can grow and will survive on a high-rise apartment complex. It gets the morning sun, but if there is wind about, it gets the full brunt of it. I’ve made a note of the ones listed above but would like your expert advice on whether they would work in that situation. Thank you.
Hi Pamela, I think portulacas or geraniums would work best for the containers on your windy balcony.
I have success with Regier begonias on my windy balcony.
Also tropical hibiscus does well on my windy balcony in addition to the Rieger begonia (misspelled last message!).