Cultivate these flowers to channel your favorite pop culture icons, from wild and eclectic Lady Gaga to the seemingly innocent characters on Glee
Sunset
1 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
5 botanical Lady Gagas
Just like the unpredictable Lady Gaga, the following five flowers are over-the-top, theatrical, and ironic. Subtle? Not exactly.
2 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Incrediball' hydrangea
White flower clusters so enormous (a foot wide!), they're almost comical. And like Gaga, held up by very sturdy stems. Sunset climate zonesA3; 1-21
3 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Gum Drop' Echinacea
Nothing modest about this cone-flower. Except for a miniskirt of tiny pink petals, it's all look-at-me core. ZonesA2, A3; 1-24, needs full sun.
4 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Gator aloe
An unusually bold pattern for such a small plant. Like the pint-size diva herself, it's proof that drama doesn't depend on size. Climate zones8, 9, 12-24, part shade.
5 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Techno Blue Iobelia
A blue so intense, it feels hot rather than cool. A prolific bloomer and a real show-off. Allzones.
6 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Little Shark agave
Perfect symmetry and high drama with black-outlined leaves. And check out those spines. Zones4-24.
7 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
5 plants that evoke Marie Antoinette
Frilly, floaty, fanciful, and feminine, these next flowers are a total embrace of the soft side, just like the queen herself.
8 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Sun Spun Yellow petunia
Shaped like a twirly skirt in the sunny color of optimism. Innocent and idealistic. Allzonesas an annual.
9 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Wendy's Wish' Salvia
Jewel-like buds, seemingly always in bloom, with petals like pink petticoats and dainty stems. Zones14-24. Needs full sun.
10 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Fireworks' fountain grass
The girliest of grasses: Predominantly pink, billowy, and, in summer, it dresses up with tassels. Zones8-24; H1, H2. Needs part shade.
11 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Superbells Blackberry Punch Calibrachoa
A flower with the flared shape and rich colors of the finest haute couture gown. Zones8, 9, 14-24. As an annual: zones 2-7, 10-13.
12 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Dark Towers' Penstemon
Blackish red foliage topped with baby pink flowers--a romantic pairing of radical and sweet. Zones6-9, 14-24. As an annual: all zones.
13 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
5 picks that bring on the Bollywood
Spicy, jewel-toned, gilded, and otherwise adorned, these flowers have an Indian flair. Jai Ho!
14 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Million Bells Cherry Pink Calibrachoa
The saturation level in these petals rivals that of the best saris. A color you'd like draped around you. Zones8, 9, 14-24. As an annual: zones 2-7, 10-13.
15 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Flame Thrower' Echinacea
A coneflower that looks like it swirled its way out of a train-station dance number. The red centers resemble bindi beauty marks. ZonesA2, A3; 1-24. Needs full sun.
16 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Lemon Fizz' santolina
A sizzling chartreuse that we'd love to see in a bolt of silk. The every-which-way foliage is fun too. Zones2-24; H1, H2. Needs part shade.
17 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Lunacy Orange marigold
As intricate as a henna tatoo. The searing orange color and strong aromatic scent make is especially exotic. Allzonesas annual.
18 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Belinda's Find' red hook sedge
Red sedge is already extravagant. But add some twists and turns and you've got a real melodrama. Zones4-6, 15-17.
19 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
5 plants that channel Black Swan
These next flowers are gothic, brooding, mysterious, and definitely dark. Maybe even dangerous.
20 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Pinstripe' petunia
White streaks dissolving into velvety black petals like shooting stars disappearing in dark skies. Allzonesas annual. Needs full sun.
21 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Tropicanna Black canna
This exotic canna has leaves so dark, you'll wonder how it photosynthesizes. Sinister, to say the least. Zones6-9, 12-24; H1, H2; or dig and store.
22 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Fire and Ice Echeveria
Pale, pale foliage that looks even more so thanks to its blood-red edges. Ethereal or ominous, you decide. Otherworldly either way. Zones8, 9, 12-24. Needs part shade.
23 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Burgundy Ice' Dyckia
Dark red blades and sharp white teeth--just the right amount of menace. Zones4-24.
24 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Mojito' elephant's ear
A heart-of-darkness tropical plant. Inky splotches across its mammoth leaves give this new elephant's ear a gothic sort of glamour. Climate zones12, 16-24; H1, H2.
25 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
5 flowers fresh off last week's Glee
A batch of buds that have exuberant exhibitionism paired with wholesome innocence--just like our favorite show.
26 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Hot Lava' Echinacea
Knockout color, simple bold shape, and stems as strong as a cheerleader's legs. Center stage only, please. ZonesA2, A3; 1-24. Needs full sun.
27 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
Big Bang 'Redshift' Coreopsis
More modest than some of its fellow cast members, but showy in its own quiet way. A sweet little explosion of color. Zones1-24.
28 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Ascot Rainbow' Euphorbia
Looks as if it might burst into song. And when it blooms, you'll swear it has--the flower shares the same three colors of the leaves. Zones3-24. Needs part shade.
29 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Campfire' Crassula
Full of juice and raring to go. That's the impression these propeller-shaped leaves create--especially in sizzling red and lime. Zones8, 9, 12-24.
30 /30Written by Sharon Cohoon
'Electra' coral bells
Cayenne red veins streaking across saffron yellow leaves. Imagine this spicing up a bland patch of shade. Zones1-9, 14-24.