If you want to add striking form and texture to your garden, consider plants with balls of flowers. Several garden favorites produce distinct, spherical clusters of flowers that create a bold visual impact. These globular blooms, often called inflorescences, can be soft and airy or dense and architectural.
They provide a fantastic contrast to spiky or flat-petaled flowers. This guide will help you identify and grow the best varieties.
You can use them as focal points or to add rhythm through repetition in your borders.
Plants With Balls Of Flowers
The category of plants with spherical blooms is surprisingly diverse. It includes perennials, annuals, shrubs, and even trees. Their rounded shape acts as a visual anchor in garden design.
These flowers are excellent for adding structure. They often provide long-lasting interest, with some offering color for months.
Alliums: The Star Of The Show
When people think of flowers balls, Alliums are often the first to come to mind. These are ornamental onions, and their perfect spheres sit atop tall, slender stems. They are a bulb plant, meaning you plant them in the fall for a spring or early summer show.
Their geometric form is almost architectural. They work wonderfully in modern gardens as well as cottage-style plots.
Popular Allium Varieties
There are many types to choose from, each with its own charm.
- Allium ‘Globemaster’: This is one of the largest, producing dense flower heads that can reach 10 inches across. The color is a rich violet-purple.
- Allium ‘Purple Sensation’: A classic choice with deep purple, golf-ball-sized blooms. It’s excellent for naturalizing.
- Allium christophii: Also known as Stars of Persia, this variety has a large, loose sphere comprised of star-shaped purple flowers. It has a more airy, sparkly effect.
- Allium schubertii: This is a dramatic, explosive-looking variety. Its flower head is huge and asymmetrical, like a purple fireworks display.
Growing Alliums Successfully
Alliums are generally low-maintenance once established. Follow these steps for the best results.
- Plant the bulbs in the autumn, before the ground freezes. Choose a spot with full sun.
- Plant them at a depth of about three times the height of the bulb. Space them several inches apart.
- They prefer well-drained soil. Soggy soil can cause the bulbs to rot over winter.
- After flowering, let the foliage die back naturally. This allows the plant to store energy for next year.
Hydrangeas: Bigleaf Beauties
Hydrangeas are famed for their large, ball-shaped flower clusters, known as mopheads. These shrubs provide a massive display of color through the summer and into fall. The flowers can sometimes change color based on soil pH.
They prefer partial shade and consistent moisture. This makes them ideal for brightening up darker corners of the yard.
Key Hydrangea Types For Round Blooms
Not all hydrangeas form perfect balls, but these types are renowned for it.
- Hydrangea macrophylla: The classic bigleaf hydrangea. Look for mophead cultivars like ‘Nikko Blue’ or ‘Endless Summer’.
- Hydrangea arborescens: Smooth hydrangeas, such as ‘Annabelle’, produce enormous, snow-white flower balls that can be 12 inches wide.
- Hydrangea paniculata: While often cone-shaped, some varieties like ‘Limelight’ start with rounded, lime-green clusters that mature to pink and white.
Ornamental Onions And Their Kin
Beyond the well-known alliums, other plants in the onion family offer similar charm. They often have that distinctive spherical flower structure. Many are also drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, which is a major bonus.
They are perfect for sunny, dry gardens where other plants might struggle.
Other Globe-Shaped Alliums
- Allium sphaerocephalon: The drumstick allium has smaller, egg-shaped maroon flower heads that appear in midsummer.
- Allium caeruleum: This one offers beautiful azure-blue, tight flower balls on thinner stems.
- Allium ‘Mount Everest’: For a pure white option, this variety produces clean, white globes that glow in the evening garden.
Craspedia: The Playful Drumstick
Commonly known as billy buttons or drumstick flowers, Craspedia are known for their cheerful, bright yellow balls. These are annuals or tender perennials, often grown as cut flowers. They add a unique, modern touch to any arrangement or garden border.
They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. You can start them easily from seed.
Echinops: The Spiky Globe
Echinops, or globe thistle, offers steely blue or white spherical flowers. As the name suggests, the flower heads are spiky and textured. They are extremely attractive to bees and butterflies.
This is a tough, drought-tolerant perennial. It’s ideal for hot, sunny spots and poor soil where other plants fail.
Caring For Globe Thistle
- Plant in a location with full sun. They need at least six hours of direct light.
- They require excellent drainage. Sandy or gravelly soil is perfect.
- Water them regularly during their first season to establish a deep root system. After that, they are very low-water plants.
- Deadhead spent flowers to prevent excessive self-seeding, unless you want more plants.
Agapanthus: The Lily Of The Nile
Agapanthus produces stunning globes of trumpet-shaped flowers, usually in shades of blue or white. These flowers rise above strappy, arching foliage on tall stalks. They are superb for adding vertical interest and a tropical feel.
In colder climates, they are often grown in pots so they can be brought indoors for winter. They prefer full sun and fertile, moist soil.
Monarda: The Fuzzy Bee Balm
While not a perfect sphere, Bee Balm (Monarda) forms shaggy, rounded flower heads that are irresistible to pollinators. The flowers come in red, pink, purple, and white. They have a unique, citrusy fragrance.
Monarda prefers moist soil and can tolerate partial shade. Be aware that it can be susceptible to powdery mildew in humid conditions, so choose resistant cultivars and provide good air circulation.
Gomphrena: The Long-Lasting Globe Amaranth
Gomphrena is an annual that produces clover-like, papery flower balls in purple, pink, white, and orange. They are fantastic for drying and hold their color beautifully. They bloom continuously from early summer until frost.
They are heat and drought-tolerant once established. Plant them in full sun for the best flower production.
Designing With Spherical Flowers
Using plants with balls of flowers effectively requires some thought. Their strong shape can be used to create rhythm, contrast, and focal points.
Creating Rhythm And Repetition
Planting the same spherical flower in a repeated pattern along a border guides the eye. It creates a sense of order and movement. For example, a row of Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ spaced evenly can tie a planting scheme together.
Using Contrast In Form And Texture
Pair round flowers with plants that have contrasting shapes. The spires of foxgloves or salvias look wonderful next to the globes of alliums or echinops. Fine-textured grasses like stipa or festuca also soften and complement the bold flower balls.
Establishing Focal Points
A large, dramatic spherical bloom can serve as a perfect focal point. A single Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ at the corner of a house or a grouping of large alliums in the center of an island bed will immediately draw attention.
Planting And Maintenance Tips
While care varies by species, some general principles apply to many plants with spherical blooms.
General Planting Guidelines
- Always check the specific light requirements. Most of these plants, especially alliums, echinops, and gomphrena, need full sun.
- Ensure proper soil drainage. Amend heavy clay soil with compost or grit to prevent waterlogging.
- Consider the mature height and width. Place taller plants like alliums and agapanthus toward the back of borders.
- Water thoroughly after planting and maintain consistent moisture during the first growing season.
Seasonal Care Checklist
- Spring: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer as new growth emerges. Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
- Summer: Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms on repeat-flowering plants like monarda and gomphrena. Stake tall alliums if they are in a windy spot.
- Fall: Plant spring-flowering bulbs like alliums. Cut back the foliage of perennials after it has died back. Divide overcrowded clumps of plants like agapanthus.
- Winter: In cold regions, apply a protective mulch over the crowns of tender perennials. Move potted agapanthus to a frost-free location.
Common Problems And Solutions
Even tough plants can encounter issues. Here’s how to address common problems.
- Poor Flowering: This is often due to insufficient sunlight. Move the plant to a sunnier location if possible. Over-fertilizing with a high-nitrogen fertilizer can also promote leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
- Flop or Leggy Growth: Tall alliums or heavy hydrangea blooms may flop. Provide support with stakes early in the season. Ensure plants are not overcrowded, as this causes them to stretch for light.
- Pests: Aphids can sometimes bother new growth. Blast them off with a strong jet of water or use an insecticidal soap. Deer and rabbits typically avoid alliums and echinops.
- Disease: Powdery mildew affects monarda and some hydrangeas. Improve air circulation, water at the base of the plant, and choose resistant varieties.
Propagating Your Favorite Plants
You can expand your collection of spherical flowers without buying new plants. The method depends on the plant type.
- Division: This works for perennials like agapanthus, monarda, and echinops. Dig up the plant in early spring or fall, separate it into smaller sections with roots and shoots, and replant.
- Bulb Offsets: Alliums produce small bulblets around the main bulb. You can carefully separate these when the plant is dormant and replant them. They may take a few years to reach flowering size.
- Seeds: Many plants, including alliums, echinops, gomphrena, and craspedia, can be grown from seed. Collect seeds from spent flower heads in late summer, sow them according to packet instructions, and be patient.
FAQ About Plants With Balls Of Flowers
What are some small plants with ball-shaped flowers?
For smaller spaces, consider Allium caeruleum, dwarf agapanthus varieties like ‘Peter Pan’, certain compact hydrangeas such as ‘Bobo’, or the annual Gomphrena. Craspedia also stays relatively small and is perfect for the front of a border.
Which spherical flowers are best for cutting gardens?
Alliums, Agapanthus, Craspedia, and Gomphrena are all exceptional cut flowers. Alliums and Gomphrena dry beautifully for long-lasting arrangements. Always cut flowers in the morning when they are most hydrated.
Are there any shade-tolerant plants with globe flowers?
Hydrangeas are the primary choice for shade, particularly Hydrangea macrophylla. They thrive in partial or dappled shade. Some alliums can tolerate light shade but will produce fewer flowers.
How do I get my hydrangea flowers to turn blue?
Blue flowers in bigleaf hydrangeas are influenced by acidic soil (low pH) and the presence of aluminum. You can apply a soil acidifier and aluminum sulfate according to product directions. It’s a gradual process and won’t affect white-flowered varieties.
What spherical flowers are deer resistant?
Deer typically avoid alliums, echinops (globe thistle), and monarda due to their strong scents or textured foliage. Agapanthus is also considered fairly deer-resistant, though hungry deer may sample anything.