Colorful gardens are the best. Beautiful brights mixed with mesmerizing darks, standing on greens- AWESOME! There are various flowers of different hues, all complimenting the beauty of nature. Red, blue, pink, orange, green, yellow, white, black, brown- you name ‘em, you got ‘em.
However, brown flowers are rare, mystical, and a treat to the eyes! If you have seen them, you know what I am talking about. In any colorful garden, browns should be planted to contain its earthiness alongside the fantasy, bright ones.
Here is a list of beautiful brown flowers for you if you wanna try out some mysterious yet earthy flowers in your place. Your visitors will be awed by it.
31 Beautiful And Pretty Brown Flowers
1. Chocolate Cosmos
Cosmos atrosanguineus or Chocolate Cosmos is a perennial plant ranging from dark red to dark brown. Like the other sunflower family members, Asteraceae, to which it belongs, each flower of this plant grows a raised disc in its center, surrounded by flat petals and supported by a long, tender stem grown from tuberous roots.
The most attractive quality is its chocolate fragrance (that’s why the name). The scent attracts bees and bugs who act as pollinators. It’s pretty small and thus looks beautiful as a pot plant.
The blooming period is from mid-summer to fall. Summer is the best season for planting. It requires moist, well-drained, fertile soil, and full sun for the best growth. During autumn, mulch the hard soil to conserve moisture. In winter, moist peat will keep it frost-free.
2. Brown Daylily
Hemerocallis or Daylily is a low-maintenance perennial plant, the color of which varies from yellow to pink to brown. The Brown Daylily, like the others, belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. It grows light brown flowers with yellow or greenish-yellow throats, surrounded by sword-shaped leaves that collect at the base and stands with the support of fleshy and narrow roots.
The word ‘Day’ refers to its reblooming trait as the flower lasts no more than 24 hours. The flowers open in the early morning and wilt at night. So, the stems always have plenty of blooms for the reblooming process. Despite its trait, it is a tough and tenacious plant as it can grow and survive in inhospitable environments. Butterflies are pollinators, but one can easily cross-pollinate it by dusting its pollen on the pistil of some other flower.
The plant will thrive well in moist, well-drained, fertile loam, under full or partial sun. The blooming period is early or mid-summer. For maintenance, remove the withered ones and cut off the scapes after all the blooms are spent. Also, removal of the dead foliage to encourage reblooming should be done.
3. Cymbidium Charlie Brown
Cymbidium or Boat Orchid is a genus of evergreen flowering plants and comes in many other colors like yellow, brown, and pink. Orchidaceae, the orchid family, is the one it belongs to. The brown flower is thick and waxy, has five, pointed petals, and grows on a stem modified as a pseudobulb. Each stem has long, thin, two to three leaves. Thick, fleshy, and abundant roots support the plant.
The flower lasts for several years. All cymbidiums are self-pollinators. This flower looks beautiful in floral arrangements and as a pot or garden plant.
The flower blooms beautifully from mid-autumn to mid-spring. It requires loamy, moist, well-drained soil and partial sun to grow. Water the plants well during bloom time i.e. spring, summer, and fall, while in winter, reduce watering so it remains damp but does not go dry. A weak orchid fertilizer during the growing seasons is good enough.
4. Brown Dahlia Pinnata
Like other Dahlias, Dahlia Pinnata is also a perennial herbaceous plant that comes in varieties of colors other than brown, like pink, orange, and violet. It belongs to the Dahlia family, Asteraceae. The appearance of the flower is slightly different than the common Dahlia as the florets, here, are ovate in shape. The stems are erect, and the tuberous roots rise from rhizomes.
The overall plant is kinda shaggy. Some parts of the plant, like the flowers and roots, are edible in nature. It attracts insects for pollination.
The flowering period is from June to October. They can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils ( sandy, loamy, or clayey), but they need to be moist and sunny. However, well-drained, acidic loam is the most preferred one. Organic mulch to keep it weed-free and conserve the moisture of the soil. Sufficient watering and some monthly fertilizers are good enough.
5. Velour Frosted Chocolate Viola
A member of The Velour series, a series of hybrids between Pansy and Viola developed in England. This evergreen woodland plant grows flowers whose petals are chocolate brown in color with a touch of gray and contains yellow whiskers. The foliage is deep green in color.
The overall plant is small and floriferous, hence, looks great as a pot plant or even in gardens. Usually, it is found in rock gardens, containers, borders, and edgings. This sweet Viola attracts female bees for pollination.
The blooming seasons are summer, spring, and fall, among which the best season for planting is spring or fall. Normal, sandy, or clayey, all three types of soils are suitable, but it needs to be moist. It prefers full sun or partial shade. In the case of warm regions, trim the foliage in early June to promote reblooming, while in the case of mild regions, the flowering continues throughout winter.
6. Summerina Brown
Echibeckia or Summerina Brown is a perennial cross between Gloriosa Daisy and a Coneflower, belonging to Rudbeckia and Echinacea species. The large brown flower has an orange tip and a raised black disc in its center. It stands on a sturdy stem with green foliage. It can last for two to three months.
The beautiful flower attracts both birds and insects for pollination. The overall plant is quite small, so it is ideal for beds, borders, bouquets, and cutting gardens.
The blooming season is from early summer to autumn. The condition for planting is average, well-drained soil under the full sun. Regular watering and cutting off the withered flowers are the care it needs.
7. Brown Sunflower
Helianthus or Sunflower, one of the most common flowers, is a genus of annual and perennial flowering plants that comes in colors other than yellow, like brown, red, copper, and orange. As already mentioned before, it belongs to the Asteraceae family. Like the common one, the brown sunflower has a large flower head with daisy-like petals and a central floret disc. It stands on a thick, erect stem with heart-shaped foliage.
This flower is ideal for both pots, gardens, and bouquets. This can tolerate immense heat and survive in droughts. The large flower heads attract bees and other insects for pollination.
The blooming period is throughout summer till early fall. It thrives in well-drained, waterlog-resistant soils under full sun. The place’s temperature is the main thing- the warmer it is, the better it grows. Despite its tolerant nature, it requires frequent watering. Unless the soil is poor in nutrients, no fertilizer is required.
8. Carolina Allspice
Calycanthus floridus, more commonly known as Eastern Sweetshrub, is a flowering shrub whose color ranges from dark red to brown. This non-invasive plant belongs to the Calycanthaceae family. The flower has unusual, strap-like petals and a sweet banana-strawberry fragrance. It also grows persistent, urn-shaped, brown fruits. The leaves are simple and lustrous that turn yellow in fall.
The sweet fragrance attracts insects for pollination. This plant is pretty tough and can thrive in various climates.
It begins to bloom in early spring and sporadically continues after the leaves emerge. It needs moist, well-drained soil with full or partial sun exposure. Regular watering and a layer of mulch over the root zone will be sufficient to conserve the moisture it needs. It can have a considerable size, so pruning can be done to shorten it. But the worst part is it can grow a bacteria that has no cure other than removing the plant entirely.
9. Brown Gerbera Daisy
Another member of the Asteraceae family, Gerbera or Transvaal Daisy, is named after botanist Traugott Gerber. It has various colors like orange, yellow, pink, white, and brown. The brown one, like the others, is an attention-seeker with showy flowers with central yellow discs and short stems with impressive foliage. Bees, butterflies, and other insects act as pollinators.
The blooming season is relatively long, from early spring through autumn. Whether it be the brown one or the others, growing it can be tricky as it requires quite some conditions. Thus, it is preferred as a small pot plant that lasts for a year or more. In the case of gardening, it prefers slightly acidic, well-drained, fertile soil and full sun.
However, the light part is the tricky one. It needs adequate light all day. Bright sunlight in the morning is good for it, but the afternoon light isn’t at all. Watering needs to be done carefully. Use fertilizers and pluck out the wilted ones.
10. Brown Blanket Flower
Botanically known as Gaillardia, it is obvious that this also belongs to the sunflower family, Asteraceae. This short-lived, easy-to-grow perennial comes in rich colors like red and pink apart from brown. The leaves are daisy-like, with the central, tubular florets disc-like in a sunflower. The alternative leaves vary in shape.
The name Gaillardia is given after an enthusiastic botanist, Maître Gaillard de Charentonneau. The size is appropriate for pots and bouquets but also looks beautiful as a ground cover. The tubular disc attracts bees, butterflies, and flies for pollination.
It blooms from summer through fall. A well-drained, moist soil under the full sun is the best condition for it to bloom profusely. Although it is drought-tolerant, adequate watering should be done. Pruning is not required. Try to avoid fertilizers.
11. Brown Lily Of The Incas
Alstroemeria, also known as Peruvian Lily, is a half-hardy perennial that comes in colors other than brown, like yellow, pink, orange, white, purple, and red. It consists of umbrella-shaped flowers, having streaks, and stripes of dark colors, with smooth green leaves and long stems.
Its size makes it best suitable for cutting gardens and multi-flowered bouquets. The best trait is its long-lasting nature and, thus, gardeners’ favorite. Pollination is mostly done by hand.
Summer is the blooming season. Good quality, rich, well-drained sand in a sunny or partly shady area is the best condition for its blooming. Adequate watering, applying some fertilizers, and pruning to encourage rebloom is all the maintenance it requires.
12. Brown-Bearded Iris
Botanically known as Iris germanica, Bearded Iris is a hardy perennial plant that grows from rhizomes and comes in shades like violet, purple, brown, and yellow. The brown bearded iris, like the others, grows from a thick root-like structure called rhizomes, which eventually multiplies to form foliages and blooms. The ‘bearded’ term refers to the shape of the flowers- each has six petals, three upright and three hanging, thus forming the beard shape. The sword-shaped green leaves beautifully surround the blooms. Hand-pollination is done for further growth.
The blooming season is spring. You need well-drained soil and a sunny spot to grow this beautiful flower. Late summer is best for planting it. Adequate watering, low-nitrogen fertilizers, pruning, and dividing the clumps are all the maintenance it requires.
13. Tahitian Brown Embers
The Tahitian Brown Embers ( Hibiscus rosa-Sinensis) is a brown-colored Tropical Hibiscus, a perennial shrub, which, like the others, belongs to the Malvaceae family. The trumpet-shaped flower is big and showy and has a protruding stamen. It lasts only a day. The foliage is evergreen. The size of it makes it pretty appropriate for containers as well as gardens.
There is no specific flowering time for it, it grows all year round. Growing requires highly organic, well-drained soil and full sun or partial shade. Regular, adequate watering and mulch are the maintenance it needs. In the case of containers, drip irrigation or regular hand watering will keep the soil moist.
14. Aristolochia trilobata
It belongs to the genus Aristolochia, consisting of several species, all belonging to the Aristolochiaceae family. This particular Aristolochia trilobata species, also known as Dutchman’s Pipevine, has brown, solitary, pendulous flowers with a long tail and shiny, slender stems with green, alternate leaves. It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor pot plants and a garden plant and needs support to climb. It traps insects for pollination.
Summer is the blooming season. It requires well-drained, average to moist soil and full sun to partial shade for growing. Once established, this tropical evergreen vine becomes drought-tolerant. However, provide it with proper irrigation. It is a good host plant for butterflies and is usually found along roadsides, meadows, and prairies.
15. Starfish Cactus
Stapelia Grandiflora or Starfish Cactus, is a flowering plant of the family Apocynaceae. Apart from brown, it comes in other colors like pink and purple. The name describes the flower of this plant- star-shaped with long, slender, spiked branches. However, this plant isn’t related to cacti at all. It is also known as the Carrion flower because of its unpleasant scent. The scent attracts some flies and insects for pollination.
The blooming time is quite long. Expect only a couple of blooms after one or two years of planting. In the native places, it usually flowers from November through March. It prefers pots to grow. The condition is well-drained, moist soil in a pot under full to partial sun. Water the plants to keep the soil moist but too much of it can lead to the rotting of the plant.
16. Calcico Flower
Also known as Dutchman’s pipe, Aristolochia littoralis ( botanic name) is an evergreen tropical vine of the family Aristolochiaceae. The unusual flower js heart-shaped with purplish-brown markings. The bright green leaves are also heart-shaped and create dense foliage. The name ‘Dutchman’s Pipe’ indicates the s-shaped tube at the mouth of the flower. This vine is used as herbal medicines mostly for easing pain, however, it is toxic. It also produces an unpleasant odor to attract insects for pollination. It can grow both indoors and outdoors.
The flowering time is extended throughout the summer season. The vine prefers well-drained soil under full to partial sun. But, there must be support for it to climb. Sufficient watering to conserve the moist during all seasons is pretty much all the maintenance it needs.
17. Tulip ‘Brown Sugar
Tulipa or Tulip, a common bulbous flowering plant, is a spring-blooming perennial herb of the family Liliaceae that comes in wide varieties of color like pink, violet, brown, yellow, etc. The Tulip ‘Brown Sugar’ is the tulip with orangish brown, bulb-like flowers, which are large, showy, and bright and produce a sweet scent. The green leaves are sword-shaped and attached to cylindrical stems. This tulip is self-pollinating. It can be grown in a pot as well as in the garden.
The blooming time is mid-spring. To grow it, one needs fertile, well-drained soil under full sun. Adequate watering, removal of dead flowers, and using a balanced liquid fertilizer are the maintenance it requires.
18. American Groundnut
Apios americana ( botanic name) is a perennial vine bearing edible parts. It is usually maroon or reddish-brown in color and belongs to the Fabaceae family. Each flower is a short, dense raceme that grows among the green leaves, from the leaf axils. The term ‘Apios’ is a Greek word for ‘pear’ which refers to the pear-shaped tubers of this plant. The name ‘Groundnut’ can be confusing as it is another term for peanut but this plant does not produce any nut. The name indicates the edible nature of the beans and tubers. It forms progeny by self-pollination.
The blooming time is usually from July to September. It requires sandy-loamy, well-drained, moist soil under the full sun for best growth. Also, it needs plenty of water, some fertilizers, and pruning or devising for maintenance.
19. Rusty Foxglove
Digitalis ferruginea or Rusty Foxglove of the Plantaginaceae family is a herbaceous biennial flowering plant whose color ranges from cream to pale brown. The flower is pendulous, funnel-shaped, with rusty interior veining. The green leaves are lance to ovate shaped, that increase in size from top to bottom. It attracts hummingbirds but they can also grow as self-seeders.
The blooming time season is from late spring to early summer. The soil required to grow should be moist, rich in organic, acidic, and well-drained under partial shade. To maintain it, adequate watering, removal of flower spikes after bloom, and cutting off of stalks to encourage rebloom should be done.
20. Narrowleaf Cattail
Typha angustifolia is a perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant of the Typhaceae family. The long, slender green stalks are topped with sausage-shaped brown flowers. The leaves are flat, narrow, and blade-like, and rise from the vegetative shoots. It is pollinated by wind. This plant is an obligate woodland and is usually found in brackish areas like marshes, wet meadows, and alongside lakes
The blooming begins in early to mid-summer, and the growth peaks in fall. It is a perennial and spreads all around so it is best for cutting gardens. It requires wet soil under full sun to grow. Regular and adequate watering and removing the dead blooms are pretty much all the maintenance it needs.
21. Cattleya velutina
Cattleya velutina belongs to the Cattleya genus of orchids in the Orchidaceae family. It is a rare species from Brazil, with beautiful yellow-bronze flowers, each having deep red to burgundy spots, a white lip radiating purple stripes and a yellow throat. The flowers give out a pleasant fragrance. The bright green leaves are thin and few in number and the stems are pseudobulbs. Hummingbirds, including this pollinate most orchids.
The blooming seasons are late spring and summer. It needs a soilless area, like barks and rocky places, or pots filled with thick, loose, fast-drying substrate. Also, the light should be shady. For maintaining, water, cut and fertilize properly.
22. Tracy’s orchid
Cymbidium tracyanum or Tracy’s cymbidium is another species of orchid, of the Orchidaceae family. It is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant that grows showy, fragrant red-brown flowers. Each has spots and stripes and a cream lip. This attracts bees for pollination.
The flowering time is late fall or early winter. Like other Cymbidiums, it does well as a pot plant. The substrate it needs to grow should be light, aerated, well-drained, and capable of conserving moisture. It needs full morning sun but should be protected in the noontime. Sufficient watering, trimming, dividing, and repotting are required for maintenance.
23. Deer-Antlered orchid
Botanically known as Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi, this fragrant orchid grows as an epiphyte or lithophyte. The name refers to the stalks that resemble deer antlers. The flower is glossy, and yellow in color with maroon or burgundy markings. Each branch grows seven to twelve flowers. Like other orchids, this is also pollinated by bees, insects, and flies.
There is no specific blooming time; once it is planted, it blooms repeatedly. It looks best in containers rather than free in an open garden. Well-drained soil under full sun or partial shade is the condition for its growth. Regular watering is required but not excessive.
24. Brown Garden Pansy
Viola tricolor var. Hortensis or Garden Pansy is a hybrid plant derived from several species of Viola. The flower is large-headed with five heart-shaped petals, colored in brown and yellow, with blacklines penciled in its center. It gives out a perfume-like, unforgettable fragrance. The green leaves are small, pine-like, attached to narrow, cylindrical stems.
Sometimes, only one flower can be seen in this plant. Because of its size, it looks best as a pot plant but will brighten up the garden too. The flower’s beautiful aroma and bright color attract insects for pollination. However, it can self-pollinate in some special situations.
The Brown Pansy, like the other ones, love the cooler climate and blooms from spring to summer. It thrives in rich, highly organic, well-drained soil under full sun or partial shade. During hot temperatures, pansies slow down their growth, so they need to be kept well-watered and the roots should be mulched to keep the plant cool. Don’t pluck out the dead flowers as they encourage rebloom.
25. Antler Orchid
Dendrobium discolor, or Anter Orchid, is a flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae. The name ‘discolor’ does not indicate that it is ‘colorless’ rather it indicates its di-colored nature. The flower has long, wavy, golden to dark brown petals with mauve or purple-colored lip borne by long, cylindrical pseudobulbs. Like most other orchids, this, too has a pleasant scent.
The plant grows best in pots but beauty in gardens as well. Bees are the most famous pollinators for most orchids, including this.
It has the longest blooming time i.e. throughout the year, spring being the peak of it. This plant loves a soilless medium to grow. Thus, it grows best in a pot, filled with staghorn peat under the shade. After some time, it prefers full sun. Do regular watering throughout the summer, whereas, in winter and autumn, reduce the quantity such that it remains moist. An orchid fertilizer should also be provided for proper maintenance.
26. Charlie Brown Rose
It is a unique miniature hybrid rose of the family Rosaceae, that comes in various colors including a very light shade of brown. Each flower has 8 to 15 small brown petals, lightly fragrant, attached to a narrow, thorny stem with toothed leaves that are variable in shape.
This beauty looks pretty good both indoors and outdoors. Like other roses, insects, birds, and winds are the pollinators. If there is inadequate natural pollination, hand pollination is the way.
Late spring or early summer is its blooming time. All roses love fertile soil. This rose grows well in rich, fertile, well-drained soil under full sun. Adequate watering, mulching, and pruning are the maintenance it requires.
27. Brown Hybrid Tea Rose
It is a beautiful, pastel-hued cross-breed between two types of roses of the Rosaceae family. The orangish-brown flower has large, high-centered buds standing on a long, straight, erect stem. Hybrid Tea Rose is the world’s most popular type because of its bright color and flower form.
It also gives out a pleasant odor that attracts insects and birds for pollination. The wind is also another pollinator. However, it is highly prone to fungal diseases. Thus, it is better to plant it in a desert area. Otherwise, some chemical sprays will keep it safe from fungus.
The flowering time is at its peak during summer. It loves rich, organic, slightly acidic soil under full sun or partial shade. Adequate watering, mulching, chemical sprays, and pruning are required to conserve its beauty.
28. Graham Thomas Austin rose
Botanically known as Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’ is a hybrid of rose species in the Rosaceae family. The flower is cup-shaped golden-brown in color, and emits a fresh tea fragrance. The leaves are ovate, toothed, glossy, and bright green in color attached to thorny stems.
The Austin rose looks beautiful in floral arrangements and gardens as well. The fruity scent attracts insects and birds for being pollinators apart from the wind.
This bushy shrub blooms best from spring to fall. The best condition is rich, fertile, moist, well-drained soil under full sun or partial shade. The maintenance is quite low. Just adequate watering, some mulching, and pruning are all it needs.
29. Golden-edged Orchid
Cymbidium floribundum or Golden-edged orchid is a beautiful species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae. The golden-brown, five-petaled flower has an addictive fragrance that invites honeybees in abundance. The leaves are sword-shaped, borne by long stems.
Although it attracts a hive of honeybees yet they do not attempt to pollinate until the flower turns brown. Usually, it is planted in pots but won’t look any less beautiful in the garden.
The blooming time is from mid-autumn to mid-spring. It prefers loamy, moist, well-drained soil under full sun to partial shade. For maintenance, it requires plenty of watering and some fertilizing. During winter, they prefer partial shade.
30. Iris-like Cymbidium
Cymbidium iridoid is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae that combines the yellow color well with brown. The flower resembles other orchids, with five petals with a central seedpod. The green foliage is sword-shaped, borne by the long, narrow stems.
Like most other cymbidiums, it attracts insects and bees for pollination. A special quality of this flower is its medicinal benefits. It was used so much in medicines that it is now extremely rare. Pots are the best place to grow this type.
It becomes “extra exotic” during flowering from autumn to early winter. Grow it in moist, loamy, well-drained soil under full sun to partial shade. To maintain, repot, water, feed properly, and keep it disease-free.
Brown flowers are rarely seen in comparison to the bright. So, if you decide to plant any of the brown flowers mentioned on the above list, you will surely attract some visitors. Different flowers require different conditions so choose accordingly.