20 Beautiful Flowers That Starts With A: Add Aesthetics to Your Garden

Planning to decorate your home garden in alphabetical order? The first thing that comes to mind is to start finding the flowers that starts with A. There are so many flowers that begin with an A, like African lily, Achillea, Acacia, Adder’s tongue, Aconite, Angelica, and more. 

If you are still confused about whether the flower is meant for indoors or outdoors, read the article and learn about their origin, native and ideal growing conditions, and choose the one that aligns with your environment and weather conditions. 

10 Flowers That Start With The Letter A

Many perennial flowers begin with A. These fall into two categories: first, those whose common names begin with A, and second, those whose botanical names begin with A. Examples include anemone, angelica, and African lily, and achillea, aurinia, and aeschynanthus, respectively. Let us explore some of the well-known Flowers that starts with A  from both categories.

1. Acanthus 

Acanthus is a perennial that belongs to the Acanthaceae family. The plant can be sown between spring and throughout summer, which gives it a long establishment period before winter. The flowers are often used in bouquets or floral decorations, which provides the bouquets with a unique structural element. 

Here is some basic information about the acanthus flower: 

Botanical name	Acanthus montanus
Hardiness zone	7 to 10 USDA Zone
Native	Mediterranean region
Ideal growing conditions	Acanthus prefers moist, deeply fertile, and well-drained soil and requires watering only when the top layer of the soil starts drying out.

2. Achillea 

Achilleas are commonly known as Yarrows and belong to the Asteraceae family. It is often valued for its flowery fragrance, feathery foliage, and long-lasting, flat umbel flowers. Yarrow typically grows about 2 to 3 ft. tall and up to 2 ft. wide. 

Once established, the plant becomes drought-tolerant, making it perfect for people who cannot pay much attention to their plants. Here is some basic information about the peony flower: 

Botanical name	Achillea millefolium
Hardiness zone	3 to 9 USDA Zone
Native	Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere
Ideal growing conditions	It is a low-maintenance plant that prefers chalk, loam, and sandy soil with acid, alkaline, and neutral pH levels. The plant requires average watering during the growing period, but later you can reduce the frequency of watering.

3. Acacia 

Acacia is commonly known as wattle, which is commonly appreciated for their distinctive foliage and showy character. The plant species vary widely in habit, ranging from shrubs to large trees. It blooms in vibrant yellow or cream-coloured flowers from winter to early spring. Here is some basic information about the acacia flower: 

Botanical name	Acacia retinodes (Swamp Wattle)
Hardiness zone	9 to 11 USDA Zone
Native	Australia and Africa
Ideal growing conditions	The plant performs best under full sun in well-drained, moist, neutral to acidic pH level soil.

4. Adder’s Tongue 

Adder’s tongue is an unusual fern that resembles a snake’s tongue. It usually appears between June and August and is considered an indicator species of ancient meadows. This small perennial grows up to 30 cm high. Here is some basic information about the adder’s tongue flower: 

Botanical name	Ophioglossum vulgatum
Hardiness zone	4 to 8 USDA Zone
Native	Woodlands and meadows across Europe and North America
Ideal growing conditions	The plant thrives in consistently moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil and partially shaded areas.

5. Adam’s Needle 

Adam’s needle or Yucca filamentosa is a perennial shrub that has a long, thick underground stem, which is rarely visible on the ground. The Yucca plant grows up to 3 meters tall and is an evergreen shrub valued in horticulture.  

Here is some basic information about the Adam’s needle: 

Botanical name	Yucca filamentosa
Hardiness zone	4 to 11 USDA Zone
Native	Southeastern United States
Ideal growing conditions	Yucca is a low-maintenance flowering plant that prefers full sun and requires low water. It usually thrives best in well-drained chalky, loamy, or sandy soil with acidic to neutral pH levels.

6. Aconite 

Aconite is commonly known as wolfsbane, devil’s helmet, or blue rocket and belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. This herbaceous plant is frequently tagged as a toxic perennial plant by NIH. Here is some basic information about the aconite flower: 

Botanical name	Aconitum variegatum
Hardiness zone	3 to 9  USDA Zone
Native	Northern hemisphere, especially in mountainous regions.

Did you know?

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is one of the species of Aconite that is not considered to be a toxic perennial and is often attributed among winter plants. 

7. Angelica 

Angelica is a tall biennial and perennial herb belonging to the Apiaceae family. It blooms in white, purple, and many more colours. The flowers bloom in late spring to early autumn as dome-shaped umbels and are a valuable nectar source for many pollinators. Here is some basic information about the Angelica plant: 

Botanical name	Angelica archangelica
Hardiness zone	4 to 9 USDA Zone
Native	Northern and Eastern Europe and some regions of Asia and North America.
Ideal growing conditions	Plant angelica during the early spring at a location that receives full sun to partial shade. Make sure that the soil is moist but not soggy and has a pH level up to 7.0 and not higher than that.

Did you know?

Angelica or Norwegian angelica herb is considered slightly toxic to humans and is also known as wild celery. 

8. Ambrosia 

Ambrosia is commonly known as ragweed, annual ragweed, and low ragweed. There are about 50 species in the genus, but Ambrosia artemisiifolia is the only one that is part of the large Asteraceae family. The plant blooms in various hues of purple, pink, yellow, white, and many more colours and grows from 17 inches to 22 inches tall. 

Here is some basic information about the ambrosia flower: 

Botanical name	Ambrosia artemisiifolia
Hardiness zone	4 to 9 USDA Zone
Native	North America
Ideal growing conditions	The plant blooms as an annual weed and dies back in hard frost.

9. African Flame Lily

African flame lily belongs to the Colchicaceae family and is commonly known as climbing lily, glory lily, flame lily, and creeping lily. This climbing tender perennial bears flowers in a rich red tone with penciled yellow edges and swept-back petals. Here is some basic information about the African Flame Lily: 

Botanical name	Gloriosa superba
Hardiness zone	8 to 12 USDA Zones
Native	Tropical and Southern Africa and parts of tropical Asia
Ideal growing conditions	Flame lily requires a warm, humid environment with partial to full sunlight and well-drained soil.

10. Ageratum 

Ageratum, commonly known as floss flower, is a perennial that grows 4 inches to 36 inches tall and 6 to 18 inches wide. It is a pollinator-friendly plant that attracts pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Here is some basic information about the ageratum flower: 

Botanical name	Ageratum houstonianum
Hardiness zone	2 to 9 USDA Zone
Native	Central America and Mexico
Ideal growing conditions	The plant thrives best in full sun with partial shade and requires rich, well-drained soil with a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5.

10 Additional Flowers that Start with A 

The bonus list of ten flowers that start with A is as follows:

Flower name and image	Description
American Ash	Native: Eastern and central North America Botanical name: Fraxinus americana Hardiness zone: 3 to 9 USDA Zones
Ammi majus	Native: Nile River Valley Botanical name: Ammi majus Common names: bishop’s flower, false Queen Anne’s lace, laceflower, and bullwrot Hardiness zone: 2 to 11 USDA Zones
Aloe Succotrina	Native: South Africa Botanical name: Fynbos Aloe Hardiness zone: 3 to 9 USDA Zones
Almond Blossom	Native: Middle East and South Asia Botanical name: Prunus dulcis (formerly known as Prunus amygdalus or Amygdalus communis) Hardiness zone: 4 to 8 USDA Zones
Aster	Native: North America, particularly central and eastern regions. Botanical name: Aster amellus Hardiness zone: 3 to 9 USDA Zones (Did you know? Aster is one of the two September birth flowers.)
Allium	Native: Northern Hemisphere Botanical name: Allium cepa Hardiness zone: 3 to 8 USDA Zones
African Boxwood	Native: South Africa Botanical name: Myrsine africana Hardiness zone: 3 to 11 USDA Zones
Anemone	Native: Japan, Europe, and North America Botanical name: Anemone spp. Hardiness zone: 3 to 10 USDA Zones
Ardisia	Native: East Asia and America Botanical name: Ardisia crenata Common name: Coralberry Hardiness zone: 8 to 10 USDA Zones
Apache Plume	Native: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico Botanical name: Fallugia paradoxa Hardiness zone: 6 to 10 USDA Zones

Read more: Areca Palm Guide: Taxonomy, Ideal Growing Conditions, Care Tips, & Much More

Conclusion 

This article includes annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs that can be planted both indoors and outdoors. Some are better for borders, and others are for indoor or outdoor bloom. Aster, African flame lily, Adam’s needle, Adder’s tongue, and ambrosia are a few flowers that begin with A and are not only aesthetically pleasing but are also pollinator-friendly and can be planted outdoors or at the borders for their vibrant hues to make it look more ornamental. 

Furthermore, these flowers can also be arranged into a bouquet to gift your loved ones. 

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