7 Beautiful Ideas for Pairing Green-Flowered Perennials

In a modernist or minimalist garden

In a modernist or minimalist garden, the green flowers of certain perennials will fit right in, offering uniqueness as well as a beautiful simplicity characteristic of this type of space. To mirror the clean lines of a modern dwelling or terrace, introduce green in an almost monochrome version, with foliage and perennials with green flowers!
Invite some grasses with green inflorescences such as Panicum elegans, Carex grayi or Briza triloba and a Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ for the summer. For spring, incorporate a Corsican hellebore, then some graphic young plants like Arums for just the right amount of flowering in summer.

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, Helleborus argutifolius, Carex grayi and Zanthedeschia aethiopica

A Different Take on the Tropics

Let’s consider the counter-example of this first minimalist garden… For a tropical-style garden, only viable in the orange tree zone or Atlantic micro-climates, you recreate a lush and exotic ambiance at home. Perennials with green flowers can rely on the [Curcuma longa](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-a-to-z/curcuma-longa-common-turmeric.html), which is stunningly exotic, and mingle with white, greenish, and pink flowerings, slightly against the grain of what a typical exotic garden usually offers, but you’ll see, the result is just as inspiring!
Plants with large, glossy foliage, such as those of the [Alpinia zerumbet](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-a-to-z/alpinia-zerumbet-variegata.html), also from the ginger family, as well as [alocasias](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/alocasia.html) will mainly be planted all around. The colourful flowers of white hibiscuses like [‘Carousel Ghost’](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/shrubs/shrubs-by-variety/hibiscus/hibiscus-moscheutos-carouselr-ghost-r-swamp-rose-mallow.html), white bougainvilleas, or [Brugmansia](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/shrubs/shrubs-by-variety/brugmansia-angel-s-trumpet/brugmansia-arborea.html) add tremendously to the tropical spirit. Finally, always in a region favoured for this type of ambiance, install an Australian plant from the proteaceae family.

In less favourable regions, this type of garden is also possible, but by replacing these plants with slightly less frost-sensitive species: Ethiopian Arums instead of Alpinia, white daylilies with green throats like [‘Gentle Shepherd’](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/hemerocallis-daylilies/hemerocallis-gentle-shepherd-daylily.html) instead of Brugmansia, a [‘Basjoo’](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/shrubs/shrubs-by-variety/musa-banana-tree/musa-basjoo-hardy-banana.html) banana plant, the hardiest of them all, for the exuberance of the foliage, hardy orchids like the [Cypripedium](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/garden-orchids/cypripedium-sabine-pastel-lady-slipper-orchid.html) or a [Spiranthe](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/garden-orchids/spiranthes-ochroleuca-yellow-ladies-tresses.html)…

Summer in Green and Blue

A green and blue scene brings a beautiful elegance to a flowerbed, in a very chic spirit! For this example, we have gathered the incredible Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’, with a green heart and cream and green ligulate petals, alongside a magnificent and long-flowering bush, thriving well in partial shade or sun, the Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’, and an annual that one simply cannot overlook in this quest for green flowers: the ornamental tobacco (Nicotiana) ‘Lime Green’.

The intense blue of the plants chosen to accompany them will further enhance the freshness of the green flowers, featuring here a perennial geranium magnificum ‘Rosemoor’, also long-flowering, and blue lupins (Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Fräulein’ or ‘The Governor’) that start the season. To replace them throughout the summer, an agastache ‘Black Adder’ or a campanulate poscharskyana ‘Stella’ as ground cover are perfect, in the same deep blue that matches so well with the chartreuse green of the other plants in the flowerbed.

Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’, ornamental tobacco ‘Lime Green’, Geranium magnificum ‘Rosemoor’, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’ and blue lupins

In a Naturalistic Spirit

Some green-flowered perennials are still lesser-known, yet they blend perfectly into the landscape when planted in a naturalistic garden setting.

Consider the Eryngium yuccifolium, also known as yucca leaf thistle, and surround it with quaking grass (Briza media or Briza triloba, which have the greenest flowers). Now, simply choose from the wide range of perennials that can be included in this natural garden, such as the wildest possible echinaceas, for instance, the Echinacea pallida, pink or white, and green-tinted purple echinaceas like ‘Mozzarella’. To carry this scene into late autumn, include some simple asteraceae such as the Aster laevis ‘Calliope’.

Eryngium yuccifolium, Aster laevis ‘Calliope’, Echinacea pallida, Briza media and Echinacea purpurea ‘Alba’

Green Flowers and White Garden

In a monochrome white garden, green flowers truly stand out! Often striate or spotted with green, they blend subtly and delicately into a setting designed just for them. Choose a location in partial shade or full sun and plant some of the finest white alstroemerias, such as the cultivar ‘Mazé’, subtly enhanced with purple at its centre. Surround them with beautiful evergreen ferns for year-round presence, alchemilla with its refreshingly tart spring flowering (and perpetual if pruned after flowering), and a few white Allium spheres like ‘Mont Blanc’ or ‘Mount Everest’ (these are the tallest, but earlier Allium neapolitanum can join them).

For a bit more flair and verticality in this scene, rely on a superb, yet underappreciated acanthus, the Acanthus mollis ‘Rue Ledan’ (also known as ‘Jeff Albus’), a perennial that blooms in early summer with majestic spikes, distinguished by green bracts. Its foliage will also be present for many months, adding an exotic touch to this bed.

Alstroemeria Majestic ‘Mazé’, Dryopteris wallichiana, Alchemilla mollis, Allium ‘Mount Everest’ and Acanthus ‘Rue Ledan’

Green and orange flowers in a container garden

The aniseed green of some perennials is another source of inspiration alongside orange flowerings. The vitality of orange flowers indeed gently teases the softness of the green flowerings.

One can imagine bringing together, in an exotic evocation and a pot planting, some beautiful green perennials: the Curcuma alismatifolia ‘White’ and variegated Eucomis reminiscent of the Curcuma’s tuft, green Kniphofias such as ‘Green Jade’, or ‘Ice Queen’, alongside orange varieties, the latter being very hardy. Easily cultivable in pots with the right care, a Cyperus papyrus, with its light, characteristic greenish-yellow spikelets, will add that little extra if you compose this scene on a terrace. This little microcosm will be enhanced by some cannas, choosing varieties with purple foliage for added depth.

Curcuma alismatifolia ‘White’, Kniphofia ‘Fiery’, Canna, Cyperus papyrus and Kniphofia ‘Green Jade’

A Black and Green Jewel of a Flowerbed

At last, we can attempt a more daring combination, one of two unique colours that intrigue us in the garden: green and black. Black flowers aren’t truly black; their petals are more of a deep purple with sometimes even bluish reflections. For this elegantly contrasting tableau, a little gem in your garden, gather together the most beautiful flowers of these two original shades: for the green note, opt for examples like Veratrum album which have the advantage of offering magnificent foliage once the flowering has passed, absinthe green gladioli ‘Green Jade’, euphorbias, and ornithogalums. For the dark note, invite some black irises like ‘Black Night’, Centaurea ‘Black Pride’ and a Zantedeschia ‘Odessa’.

Blend all these wonders with a bit of white and cream-variegated foliage to bring the right amount of light: lily of the valley, some white columbines, Phlox divaricata ‘White Perfume’, lupin ‘Noble Maiden’, etc. To these plantings, add some winter and spring flowers to start the year beautifully: black oriental hellebores and green hellebores, a small group of hyacinths ‘Woodstock’, black and green tulips ‘Black Parrot’ and ‘Brooklyn’, wood anemones ‘Virescens’ to be planted more in partial shade, and why not the Persian fritillary ‘Green Dreams’?

You can consider this amazing alliance near beds dominated by mauve and violet, and really in all gardens, these plants being quite hardy (except for the black arum, hardy down to about -5°C). This bed will thrive in a semi-shaded to sunny exposure.

→ Find more ideas for black flowering in Marion’s article: Adopt the black-flowered perennials.

Centaurea ‘Black Pride’, Veratrum album, Calla ‘Odessa’, oriental hellebore, Iris ‘Black Knight’, Ornithogalum thyrsoïdes, and gladiolus ‘Green Jade’