Garden planning season is here, and I’ve found myself flipping through seed catalogs, circling every dreamy blue flower in sight. There’s just something about those cool tones that feels so calming in the heat of summer.
But over time, I’ve learned that not all those stunners are great for the bees and butterflies I love watching in my yard. Some of the showiest ones I planted years ago ended up being all looks and no substance—barely a pollinator in sight. And a few turned into high-maintenance divas or spread way more than I bargained for.
Pretty, yes—but more trouble than they were worth. Now I’m a bit more picky. I still want that gorgeous pop of blue, but I also want blooms that actually feed wildlife and stick around. Let me show you which ones to skip—and which blue beauties have earned their place in my garden year after year.
1. Morning Glory
Despite their cheerful trumpet-shaped blooms, these climbing vines quickly become garden thugs. Once established, they self-seed so aggressively you’ll be pulling seedlings for years to come.
While they do attract some pollinators, their tendency to choke out neighboring plants creates more problems than benefits. The seeds can remain viable in soil for decades!
Many gardeners, myself included, have learned this lesson the hard way after planting them near a fence or trellis, only to find them spreading to areas where they weren’t invited.
2. Bachelor’s Button
Often marketed as bee-friendly, these familiar blue blooms actually offer minimal nectar value compared to better alternatives. The double-flowered varieties are especially problematic since pollinators can’t access what little nectar they contain.
Growing them for years, I’ve noticed they’re prone to powdery mildew in humid conditions and often flop over after summer rains. Their reseeding habit makes them pesky in organized garden beds.
While they have a certain cottage garden charm, their brief flowering period means they take up valuable space that could host more beneficial options.
3. Periwinkle
This seemingly innocent ground cover with pretty blue flowers is actually considered invasive in many regions. Its aggressive spreading habit allows it to outcompete native woodland plants that wildlife depends on.
The waxy leaves and stems resist decomposition, creating a thick mat that prevents other plants from establishing. Even worse, the flowers provide almost no value to pollinators despite blooming for weeks.
My neighbor’s small patch expanded to take over half their woodland garden in just three years. Removing it proved nearly impossible without disturbing the soil and native plant seedbank.
4. Hydrangea macrophylla
Those big mophead hydrangeas with blue blooms might be showstoppers, but they’re surprisingly poor choices for wildlife gardens. Their showy flowers are actually sterile and offer virtually no pollen or nectar for hungry bees.
Adding to their drawbacks, these fussy shrubs require constant moisture and often suffer dieback in colder climates. After three seasons trying to keep mine happy, I’ve found them to be high-maintenance divas that demand regular attention.
The blue color itself requires acidic soil conditions that must be maintained artificially in many gardens, creating an ongoing chore just to maintain their signature hue.
5. Annual Lobelia
Garden centers always stock these tiny blue flowers, but they’re disappointingly short-lived in most gardens. Once summer heat arrives, they typically decline rapidly despite regular watering and care.
The small flower size and structure make them nearly useless to larger pollinators like butterflies and bees. Their shallow root systems mean they dry out quickly, requiring constant attention during warm spells.
Last summer, my hanging baskets of lobelia looked spectacular for about three weeks in May, then gradually faded to scraggly stems by early July—hardly worth the investment for such a brief show.
6. Blue Flax
The delicate blue flowers open only briefly each morning, closing by afternoon and leaving the plant looking rather disheveled for most of the day. While native to Europe, it contributes little to North American wildlife food webs.
My experience with blue flax has been frustrating—the plants are short-lived perennials that often disappear after just 2-3 seasons. They self-seed unpredictably, popping up where you least expect them while vanishing from their intended location.
The thin, wiry stems make them difficult to incorporate into designed plantings, as they tend to flop against neighboring plants rather than standing upright on their own.
7. Lily Of The Nile
These South African natives with their spherical blue flower heads may look exotic, but they’re remarkably stingy when it comes to supporting pollinators. The tubular flowers contain minimal nectar and aren’t structured for most native bees.
Agapanthus demands perfect drainage yet consistent moisture—a challenging combination in many gardens. After planting several expensive specimens, I watched them slowly decline over two seasons despite following care instructions meticulously.
In warmer zones, they can become invasive, escaping gardens to displace native vegetation. Their thick, fleshy roots make them difficult to remove once established.
8. Campanula glomerata
Marketed as a well-behaved perennial, this clustered bellflower quickly reveals its true nature as an aggressive spreader. Underground runners help it colonize far beyond its welcome, invading neighboring plants’ territory with remarkable speed.
The dense flower clusters look impressive for about two weeks, then become brown and unattractive as they fade. Cutting them back rarely produces meaningful rebloom in most climates.
Having battled this plant in my side garden for years, I’ve found it nearly impossible to eradicate completely. Even small root fragments left behind quickly regenerate into new plants, making it a perpetual maintenance headache.
9. Forget-Me-Not
Those charming little blue flowers come with a hefty price—rampant self-seeding that quickly transforms them from delightful accent to garden menace. Each plant produces thousands of seeds that germinate readily in disturbed soil.
While they do attract some small pollinators, their ecological value is limited compared to native alternatives. The plants become scraggly and unattractive after flowering, leaving gaps in garden beds during summer months.
Having initially welcomed them into my woodland garden, I now spend hours each spring pulling countless seedlings to prevent them from overwhelming more valuable plants. Their tenacity is truly remarkable.
10. Delphinium
Gardening magazines showcase these towering blue spires, but rarely mention their extreme fussiness and brief lifespan. Most delphiniums struggle in regions with hot summers, requiring constant vigilance against mildew and insect attacks.
Despite their height, they need substantial staking to prevent toppling during summer storms. The hollow stems snap easily, often destroying an entire season’s display in a single windy afternoon.
My attempts to grow these temperamental beauties have resulted in disappointment three years running. Between the slug damage, disease issues, and their dislike of both heat and humidity, they’ve proven to be high-investment, low-return plants.
11. Love-In-A-Mist
Despite their intriguing blue blooms and decorative seed pods, these annuals provide minimal wildlife value in exchange for their garden space. The complex flower structure actually limits access to what little nectar they produce.
Their brief flowering period—typically just 2-3 weeks—leaves a gap in garden displays. The plants quickly turn yellow and unattractive once blooming ends, even with deadheading.
While they do self-seed, their germination is unpredictable at best. My experience has been feast or famine—either too many seedlings crowded together or mysterious absences where they grew abundantly the previous year.
12. Plumbago auriculata
Often recommended for warm-climate gardens, this South African shrub produces clusters of sky-blue flowers that look charming but contribute little to local ecosystems. The pollen and nectar don’t match the nutritional needs of most native pollinators.
The sprawling growth habit requires regular pruning to maintain any semblance of order. Left unchecked, it quickly becomes a tangled mess that encroaches on neighboring plants.
Growing it in my southern garden taught me another drawback—its sticky seed capsules cling tenaciously to pet fur, garden gloves, and clothing. Removing them is a tedious chore that makes garden maintenance unnecessarily complicated.
13. Scilla
These early spring bulbs with nodding blue flowers might seem innocent, but they’ve become invasive nightmares in many woodland areas. They spread rapidly through both bulb division and prolific self-seeding, forming monocultures that crowd out native spring ephemerals.
While they do provide early season nectar, their tendency to dominate has serious ecological consequences. The dense carpets they form prevent the germination of native wildflowers that local insects have evolved alongside for millennia.
After introducing just a handful to my garden’s edge seven years ago, I’m still battling their spread into both lawn areas and the adjacent woodland preserve—a mistake I deeply regret.
14. Grape Hyacinth
While their blue spikes emerge reliably each spring, grape hyacinths quickly become garden thugs through aggressive bulb multiplication and self-seeding. What starts as a charming cluster soon invades lawns, pathways, and neighboring garden beds.
The flowers offer limited pollinator value, with their tight, closed structure restricting access to all but the smallest insects. Their foliage emerges in fall and remains through spring, creating messy-looking garden beds during winter months.
Having planted them near my perennial border, I’ve spent countless hours digging out wayward bulbs that appear in increasingly distant locations each year. Their persistence is remarkable but unwelcome.
15. Anchusa azurea
Gardening catalogs tout this plant’s vibrant blue flowers but rarely mention its numerous drawbacks. The coarse, hairy foliage irritates skin when brushed against, making garden maintenance uncomfortable and requiring gloves even for simple weeding nearby.
Despite being promoted as drought-tolerant, Anchusa often collapses dramatically during summer heat, creating an unsightly gap in the garden just when outdoor enjoyment peaks. The plants are short-lived perennials at best, frequently disappearing after just 2-3 seasons.
My specimens grew impressively for one season, then declined rapidly the following year despite ideal conditions. Their root system proved remarkably fragile when I attempted to divide them.
16. Great Blue Lobelia
Unlike its fussy annual cousin, this native perennial offers genuine ecological benefits. The tall blue spikes provide critical late-summer nectar when many other flowers have finished blooming.
Bumblebees absolutely adore these flowers, and I’ve counted five different species visiting mine simultaneously! The plant thrives in partial shade and adapts to various soil conditions, making it perfect for those tricky spots where other perennials struggle.
Having grown great blue lobelia for six seasons now, I appreciate its reliability and disease resistance. It self-seeds modestly without becoming invasive, creating small colonies that pollinators can depend on year after year.
17. Blue Wild Indigo
This architectural native perennial offers both beauty and remarkable wildlife support. The blue-purple flowers feed early-season bumblebees, while the plant later serves as a crucial host for several butterfly species, including the rare Wild Indigo Duskywing.
Unlike many garden plants, Baptisia develops a deep taproot that makes it exceptionally drought-tolerant once established. My seven-year-old clump sailed through last summer’s record heat without supplemental watering.
The decorative seed pods add winter interest and gentle rattling sounds when breezes blow. Even better, this long-lived perennial can thrive for decades with minimal care, becoming more impressive each season.
18. Blue Vervain
Tall, slender candelabras of tiny blue-purple flowers make this native plant a pollinator magnet. The delicate blooms open gradually from bottom to top, extending the flowering period and providing nectar for weeks longer than many garden favorites.
Butterflies, native bees, and even hummingbirds visit these flowers regularly. The plant’s open structure allows it to blend beautifully with other perennials without overwhelming them.
Growing in my rain garden for four seasons now, blue vervain has proven remarkably adaptable—tolerating both seasonal flooding and summer dry spells. It self-seeds just enough to maintain its presence without requiring intervention.
19. Bluestar
Soft blue star-shaped flowers cover this native perennial in spring, creating a dreamy cloud of color that lasts for weeks. Unlike many spring bloomers that disappear afterward, bluestar’s willow-like foliage forms an attractive backdrop all summer before turning brilliant gold in fall.
Specialized native bees and butterflies visit the flowers, while the plant itself serves as a larval host for the Unexpected Cycnia moth. My oldest clump has developed into a stunning four-season performer that anchors an entire garden bed.
Perhaps most impressive is its adaptability—thriving in conditions from part shade to full sun and tolerating both clay and sandy soils once established. It’s truly a low-maintenance native that delivers multiple benefits.
20. Blue-Eyed Grass
Don’t let the name fool you—this charming native isn’t a grass at all, but a diminutive member of the iris family. The delicate blue star-shaped flowers appear on slender stems just above tufts of grass-like foliage, creating perfect miniature accents in garden edges and rock gardens.
Specialized small native bees rely on these flowers, which bloom over several weeks in late spring. Unlike many small plants that disappear after flowering, blue-eyed grass maintains attractive foliage all season.
My colonies have spread gently over five years, filling in between stepping stones with carefree blue dots each spring. They thrive with minimal attention and compete successfully with actual lawn grasses in meadow settings.