The 20 Most Beautiful Flowers in the World

Flowers are one of life’s simplest pleasures, representing beauty in its purest, most flawless form. There’s nothing like a vase of flowers to add a pop of color to your living room, myriad colors in a field of wildflowers, or the scent of a fragrant bouquet. People even travel far distances to witness seasonal blooms, like the cherry blossoms in Japan or the tulips in The Netherlands.

For your daily dose of beauty, we compiled a list of the 20 most beautiful flowers in the world—they’re so dreamy, that you’ll want to fill your house with fresh blooms immediately.

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Lilac

Many count the lilac among their favorite flowers. The bold purple coloring and elegant white outline imbue the flower with a regal look, plus the elongated petals add to the uniqueness of the presentation.

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Iris

The iris flower looks as though it was meticulously designed by a skilled artist. Perhaps that’s why it was a favorite subject of Impressionist painter Claude Monet. Splashes of blue, purple, yellow, and white make for a truly unforgettable artistic arrangement.

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Dahlia

The dahlia is one of the lushest and most vibrant flowers you’ll find, available in a rainbow of colors ranging from pink and red to orange or white. Some dahlia petals even have stunning color gradients, like bright reds that gradually fade into soft whites or gorgeous purples that lighten from stem to tip.

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Bird-of-Paradise

The bird-of-paradise is so named because it resembles a brightly colored bird, complete with fluttering wings and a slender body. Vibrant oranges, reds, and blues make up the impressive “wingspan,” and the colors really come alive in the sunlight.

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Water Lily

It’s no surprise that the water lily would provide inspiration for Claude Monet’s visual artistry. This flower has a beauty and symmetry that’s seldom seen, plus the radiant colors almost seem to have their own glow.

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Marigold

A bright red and orange marigold set against a lush green garden may be one of the most beautiful sights nature has to offer. The golden hue of the flower becomes more incredible the closer you get. The unique ridges along the petals, the rich yet subtle color variations, and the cornucopia of shapes give the marigold an almost hypnotic beauty.

Plant marigolds in a raised bed or near fruits and vegetables to help keep pests away. They function as natural pest control.

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Lotus

The lotus almost doesn’t seem real. The outward-reaching petals radiate with vibrant shades of pink and white, while the golden stamen in the center provides a focal point that brings the whole presentation together. The petals are almost perfectly symmetrical in size, and the highlighted tips add incredible dimension and character.

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Orchid

The orchid is in a class by itself on account of its unique shape and bold color combinations. Whereas many flowers combine colors using gradients and highlights, the orchid plays by its own rules. The gorgeous colors are arranged in wild and unpredictable ways, but the result is always astonishing.

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Rose

The elegantly curling and overlapping petals, the bold coloration, and the diverse array of colors truly make the rose the ultimate flower. Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Cézanne are just some of the iconic artists who have incorporated the rose into their works. If you’re looking for the perfect bouquet to say, “I love you,” “I miss you,” or “Congratulations,” you can’t do better than the rose.

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Cherry Blossom

The cherry blossom might be Japan’s national flower, but it’s loved all over the world. Up close, the delicate petals are a gorgeous sight to behold—although the beauty of the flowers really becomes apparent from a distance. When you look at thousands of flourishing cherry blossoms on a tree, you feel like you’ve been whisked away to some incredible wonderland.

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Peony

Peonies are large, fluffy blooms that are intensely fragrant. They bloom between April and June, depending on the variety and climate. The color variety is quite wide and, while pink peonies might be the most popular, they also range from white to red and coral to yellow. Scents of peony varieties are equally wide-cast, as some are sweet and others citrus-inspired.

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Azalea

Azaleas are less singular flowers and more a flowering bush, which is a great colorful and fragrant alternative to a larger and more structured shrub. They bloom in the spring in colors that range from pink to yellow and everything in between. They are also quite shade tolerant, which allows them to grow in low-light areas that many other flowering plants are unable to.

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Daisy

Daisies might very well be one of the most common flowers (actually aptly referred to often as the common daisy), with that classic round yellow center and multi-petal white surrounding shape, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. They tend to grow in multitudes, among grassy fields.

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Zinnia

Zinnia’s petals are very feather-like, looking almost as a colorful bird would, showing off its coat. With full sun, they’re easy to grow, as they will sprout in mere days (and flower in weeks) during the summer months with well-drained soil and heat. Zinnias on their own produce quite the colorful bouquet, as tones range from deep red to colorless white, bright orange, and butter yellow alike.

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Ranunculus

Ranunculus flowers look as though they’re made of a continuous, paper-thin spiral. Moving out from the center, the petals are numerous and close together, even when the bloom is fully opened. They stand on tall and straight stems, making them ideal for cut flowers.

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Anemone

Often simply called wildflowers, anemones are brightly colored and grow in clumps, though on separate stems. They are carefree in growth and are part of the buttercup family, which gives them that classic single-layer petal look.

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Sunflower

One could get lost in a field of sunflowers, truly. With large heads that boast that signature brown center and wide-spread yellow petals, they often grow feet taller than you ever will. That said, there are many species that are happy to grow in a home garden.

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Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are giant orb-like blooms that come in a range of colors, from pink to blue and everything in between. They bloom as a shrub in a fair amount of sunlight. Each bloom can be cut for floral arrangements, but they definitely bloom up and not out!

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Poppy

Poppies might very well instantly bring to mind the field in The Wizard of Oz, but that could be a reality for you—even if it’s only your window box. Bright red in hue, this flowering plant grows in double and single blooms, depending on the climate.

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Lantana

Lantanas are unique because each bloom looks like 100 tiny colorful blooms all put together. In fact, a single stem can hold a head of a variety of different colors in concentric circles—including purple, yellow, orange, pink, and more.

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