Finding the right flowers for any garden can be a really difficult task. After all, there are many things you need to consider, including watering needs, bloom color, hardiness zone, sunlight exposure requirements, and much more.
With that being said, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of different flowers for you to choose from.
Today, we want to take a look at some neat flowers that start with the letter N. As you’re about to see, there are many different flowers that start with the letter N, and each one of them makes for a prime contender for your garden.
List of Flowers That Start with the Letter N
- Nerine
- Nasturium
- Nemesia
- Nolana
- Nicotiana
- Nymphaea
- Nigella
1. Nerine
Nerine may also be referred to as the Jersey Lily, a prime contender as far as flowers that start with the letter N are concerned. This is a large and bulbous perennial that’s well known for its petals that look like little spiders. They come together to form large clusters of flowers that can be white, red, pink, and other colors too.
This is a flower that is native to South Africa, and they generally bloom during the mid fall. It’s a great way to provide your garden with some color when all of your other flowers are starting to die down for the season. These flowers are ideal for rock gardens, borders, and they work well as container plants. The cut flowers also last for quite some time.
- Watering needs: Moderate. Prefers well-drained soil and benefits from being kept dry during dormancy.
- Bloom color: Pink, red, and white.
- Hardiness zone: 7-10.
- Mature height: 18-24 inches (45-60 cm).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
- Facts about care:
- Plant in clumps for a more impressive display.
- Allow foliage to die back naturally before removing.
- Lift and divide clumps every few years to ensure continued flowering.
- Mulch heavily in colder zones to protect from frost.
2. Nasturium
Nasturtiums are great flowers to have in any garden, ones that come originally from South America, one of the most stunning flowers that start with the letter N. What’s really interesting about these flowers is that they’re not just grown for their beautiful and cheerful rounded flowers, but also for their ability to repel pests.
Many people even use them for cooking, as the leaves and flowers are both technically edible. What’s also beneficial about these flowers is that their very bright colors help to attract a variety of pollinators to the garden, therefore making them very eco-friendly.
- Watering needs: Moderate. Prefers well-drained soil and is drought-tolerant once established.
- Bloom color: Shades of red, orange, and yellow.
- Hardiness zone: 9-11 as perennials; grown as annuals elsewhere.
- Mature height:
- Trailing types can reach up to 10 feet (3 m).
- Bush types grow 1-2 feet (30-60 cm).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
- Facts about care:
- Avoid over-fertilizing to prevent excessive leaf growth at the expense of blooms.Direct sow seeds, as nasturtiums dislike root disturbance.
- Pinch back stems to promote bushier growth.
3. Nemesia
The nemesia is a very small and compact annual flower that generally features very small and double lipped flowers that come in many different colors, including purple, white, yellow, pink, orange, and in bicolors as well.
This is a South American plant, and it’s often used for edging, on borders, and it works well in containers as well. During the late spring and summer months, you’ll get a whole lot of colors out of these flowers, and they have a very light yet enjoyable fragrance as well.
- Watering needs: Moderate. Prefers consistently moist, well-drained soil.
- Bloom color: Wide variety, including pink, purple, white, yellow, orange, and bicolors.
- Hardiness zone: 9-10 as perennials; grown as annuals elsewhere.
- Mature height: 6-12 inches (15-30 cm).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
- Facts about care:
- Pinch back after the first bloom to encourage more flowering.
- Remove spent flowers regularly to prolong the blooming period.
- Prefers cool temperatures, so provide partial shade in hot climates.
4. Nolana
Moana may also be referred to as the Chilean bell flower. As you might be able to tell, the flowers look somewhat like bells. This is a very hardy plant that likes to trail a little bit, which is ideal for ground covers and hanging baskets. The flowers look like small bells or trumpets, and they can be white, purple, blue, or other colors as well. They aren’t the easiest plants to care for, but these flowers do certainly look nice.
- Watering needs: Low. Prefers well-drained, sandy soil and is drought-tolerant once established.
- Bloom color: Blue, purple, white.
- Hardiness zone: 9-11 as perennials; grown as annuals elsewhere.
- Mature height: 8-12 inches (20-30 cm).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun.
- Facts about care:
- Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.
- Thrives in poor soil conditions.
- Direct sow seeds, as nolana dislikes transplanting.
- Deadhead regularly to encourage continued flowering.
5. Nicotiana
As you might be able to tell from the name, yes, here we are talking about a type of tobacco plant, nicotiana, known as flowering tobacco. This is a perennial flower that may also be annual in nature, and it’s extremely fragrant period as opposed to what the name might say, it doesn’t actually smell like tobacco. These flowers are tubular in shape, and they can be red, green, white, or pink. They’re ideal because they tend to attract pollinators and moths. These are beautiful flowers that add a visual appeal to the mix, and they smell really nice too.
- Watering needs: Moderate. Prefers well-drained soil.
- Bloom color: White, pink, green, red.
- Hardiness zone: 10-11 as perennials; grown as annuals elsewhere.
- Mature height: 1-5 feet (30 cm to 1.5 m).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
- Facts about care:
- Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming.
- Some varieties may self-seed.
- Start seeds indoors for early spring planting.
- Avoid planting near vegetables, as nicotiana is related to tobacco and can host similar pests.
6. Nymphaea
Here we have a very interesting flower that most people probably know simply as water lilies. These are perennials that are aquatic in nature, and they love to grow in still water. This makes them ideal for water features, ponds, and any other bodies of water. They have very large and amazing looking blooms that can be red, purple, yellow, blue, pink, or white in color. What’s also nice about these flowers as far as ponds are concerned, particularly for something like a koi pond, is that they produce a lot of shade, and therefore reduce algae growth.
- Watering needs: Aquatic, must be submerged in water.
- Bloom color: White, pink, yellow, blue, purple, and red.
- Hardiness zone: Varies by species; typically 3-11.
- Mature height: Floating leaves reach up to 6 feet (1.8 m) across, while flowers stand above the water surface.
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun.
- Facts about care:
- Divide and repot every few years to maintain vigor.
- Control algae growth for best flowering.
- Plant in large, heavy containers to prevent toppling in windy conditions.
- Fertilize with slow-release aquatic plant fertilizer.
7. Nigella
Nigella, also known as Love-in-a-Mist, is a very delicate type of plant that has foliage that look like ferns, with very unique flowers that are surrounded by a bract of lace. What’s really cool is that many people use the ornamental seed pods for dried arrangements once the flowering has completed. It’s a Mediterranean flower that likes warm climates, and it works really well for mixed borders and gardens alike.
- Watering needs: Low to moderate. Prefers well-drained soil.
- Bloom color: Blue, white, pink, and purple.
- Hardiness zone: 2-11 as annuals.
- Mature height: 1-2 feet (30-60 cm).
- Sunlight exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
- Facts about care:
- Sow directly in the garden, as they don’t transplant well.
- Allow seed pods to mature for self-seeding.
- Tolerant of poor soil conditions.
- Collect seeds for future planting or use in dried arrangements.
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