Fairy Duster
Calliandra eriophylla, or the Fairy Duster plant, comes from parts of Mexico and the Western regions of the US.
This striking plant has the advantage of looking like a fern, with similar silvery foliage, while producing feathery, spherical flowers which are favorites of bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
The seed pods are also interesting, following the flowers in their unusual shape, producing pods shaped like beans.
The fairy duster plant, or false mesquite, is useful for border planting, where the tough roots can stop soil erosion. This is especially handy on sloping beds.
False Indigo
False Indigo, also known as Baptisia australis, is an annual herb native to North America that produces beautiful blue-violet flowers.
It was first cultivated by Native Americans, who used it as dyeing material. Some people still use it as a fabric dye today.
It is now grown commercially around the world for its bright blue flowers, which are often used in floral arrangements.
If you’re not a fan of blue flowers, you can also get false indigo in white and yellow, too.
It is easy to grow and will self-seed across your garden.
False Rue Anemone
False Rue Anemone, also known as Enemion biternatum, is a striking perennial which will reach about a foot tall.
It produces large, white flowers with golden yellow anthers, contrasting nicely against the bright green leaves. It’s a great addition to any woodland garden.
These flowers appear in the middle of spring, and the plant will continue to bloom for just under a month.
This plant has a spreading habit, producing more plants from root tubers, and it makes for a perfect focal point in dappled shade.
Fan Flower
Also known as Scaevola aemula, this pretty plant hails from Australia, though it’s now grown as an ornamental across the world.
As you can imagine, the fan flower plant is quite tolerant of drought, and it will produce a sea of lilac, pink, or white fan-shaped flowers all summer long.
You’ll find them growing well in full sun, but they do best when given some afternoon shade. They are fuss-free plants once established.
Fern Leaf Yarrow
Achillea filipendulina, or the fern leaf yarrow, is popular both for its airy, fern-like leaves, and huge flat clusters of tiny golden yellow flowers.
This plant has many traditional medicinal applications, and it’s capable of reaching 5 feet high.
Once planted, any Achillea will self-seed regularly, and you’ll soon find random, leggy stalks of beautiful, flat flower heads popping up all over your garden.
The fern leaf yarrow is loved by many pollinators, too.
Feverfew
Feverfew, also known as Tanacetum parthenium, is a hardy perennial which grows up to 2 feet tall.
Its small, daisy-like flowers have a strong scent, and they attract lots of insects, including bees, butterflies, and hoverflies.
They look lovely in bouquets, and they make excellent cut flowers.
They are very easy to grow from seed, although you may need to start them off indoors before planting out.
Fire Pink
Fire Pink, also known as Silene virginica, is a herbaceous perennial from the Caryophyllaceae plant family, providing fiery color in any garden from April until June.
It’s a favorite of hummingbirds, and thrives very well in rockeries, shallow beds, and areas which are prone to drought.
Fivespot
Nemophila maculata, or the Fivespot flower, looks similar to a pansy in shape. It bears instantly-recognizable flowers in brilliant white, the five petals ending in a purple spot, hence the name.
They are perfect for injecting some color and interest into bare spots in your garden, where they will provide color during the summer.
You will need to sow more seeds or buy more fivespot plants if you want them in your garden for next year, as these are annual plants.
Flame Nettle
The flame nettle plant, or coleus, is a very striking plant that will make a focal point in any garden. You can also grow it as a houseplant if you prefer.
The star of the show in this plant is the leaves, which can feature wildly different colors.
The plant also flowers, but some people take off the flowers to divert the plant’s energy into growing more leaves.
Depending on the type of coleus you go for, some may be annual varieties, while others are tender perennials.
Flannel Flower
Native to Sydney, Australia, the flannel flower, or Actinotus helianthi is perfect for a monochrome planting scheme, as difficult to achieve as that sounds.
This plant makes a lovely focal point in any garden despite its low-growing habit. It features pale, silvery foliage and white flowers, perfect for containers, rockeries, or as part of a mixed border.
Flannel flowers are tender perennials, so if you live somewhere colder you can treat them as annual plants, starting them off indoors and introducing them outside once the risk of frost has passed.
Flannel flowers need very good drainage, so if that doesn’t sound like the soil in your garden, you can also plant them in pots.
Flax Flower
The flax flower, or Linum usitatissimum is a very versatile plant, used to make linen as well as a food crop.
The flowers on the flax plant are relatively short-lived. Like the morning glory, the flax blooms last for about a day each, and the plant will produce more throughout the season.
You’ll usually find these petite flowers in a vivid, true blue, but they also come in white if you prefer.
There’s a flax flower for every garden, as they can range from one to five feet tall, and this is dictated by what species you pick.
One thing that flax flowers need above all else is well-draining soil which is consistently damp, and a position where they will get some sunlight for at least part of the day.
Flowering Tobacco
Tobacco, also known as Nicotiana, is an annual often grown for its beautiful scent.
It’s worth knowing that most species will only emit their spellbinding fragrance at night to attract pollinating insects, such as the hawk moth.
It comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, and it’s been cultivated since ancient times.
If you’re looking for something with a bit of history behind it, tobacco might be worth considering.
The flowering tobacco, or Nicotiana alata, is the most common form of the plant, and is available to buy as plug plants or as seeds.
The plant produces large, single blooms, and it’s easy to grow.
Forget Me Not
The forget-me-not plant, or Myosotis, is sometimes regarded as a weed, depending on who you ask. It provides a huge amount of color in both spring and summer, depending on the variety you choose.
They don’t require much maintenance, and they’re suitable for almost any kind of garden.
They make a great contrast to nearly any flowering plant you can think of, and they are also a good choice if you want to create a wilder-looking planting scheme.
Forget-me-nots self-seed very easily (see also Growing Forget Me Nots), so you’re likely to find them across your garden in no time.
Forsythia
The forsythia, is a popular shrub that’s ideal for creating a bold statement in your garden.
It flowers around the same time as many spring bulbs such as tulips start to open, finally bringing in some color after the long winter months.
The forsythia (see also Forsythia Grow Guide) produces rays of golden yellow blooms on the bare branches of the plant, and once they have finished flowering, the leaves come in.
They’ll live in most soil types, and will withstand cold winters with ease. One thing they absolutely hate is extremely wet or completely dry soil.
Four O’clock
Also known as the marvel of Peru, or Mirabilis jalapa, this perennial flowers prolifically in the afternoon, usually at around 4pm.
It’s a low-maintenance plant, producing an array of trumpet-shaped blooms in different colors, including purple, pink, and red.
It’s worth knowing that these plants are toxic to humans and animals, so they aren’t the best choice if you have pets or children.
Foxglove
The foxglove, or Digitalis, is a classic garden favorite, particularly of cottage garden schemes.
They produce a wealth of colorful blooms throughout the year, especially in late spring and early summer.
They come in either biennial or perennial forms, with a whole host of color to choose from.
A foxglove’s height can range between one and five feet tall, depending on the variety you go for.
The foxgloves do need plenty of sun, but they tolerate drier conditions than other perennials. They’re not too fussy about soil type either, making them perfect for most gardens.
It helps that they are a favorite of many insects, including long-tongued bees, helping to boost the ecosystem within your garden.
Frangipani
The frangipani tree, or Plumeria, has become one of the most popular trees for tropical landscaping.
They do particularly well in warmer gardens, as both humidity-loving and drought tolerant plants.
Its bright orange blossoms appear in clusters along its trunk and branches during the summer months.
This makes them a fantastic addition to any tropical planting scheme, where they provide a splash of color against the green foliage.
Gardeners often use frangipani trees as specimen plants, because their size and shape lends itself perfectly to large pots and planters.
Freesia
The freesia is one of the easiest flowers to grow in the garden, part of the Iris plant family, Iridaceae.
It comes in a wide range of colors, including white, blue, pink, and red, which means it’s easy to match with almost any style of garden.
These flowers are also incredibly fragrant, adding a wonderful scent to your garden all through the season.
You can buy them as annuals, or you can let them flower over several years.
These flowers are also a favorite of florists everywhere. Though they can prove expensive when bought as a cut flower, they provide a lot of joy when you plant them in your own garden.
French Marigold
The French marigold, or Tagetes patula, is a beautiful and versatile plant.
It’s a low-growing annual plant, producing double, semi-double or crested flowers in warm shades, usually orange, red, and yellow, or a combination of these.
Frikart’s Aster
The frikart’s aster, or Aster x frikartii, is a great little plant for edging borders, or even for dividing up larger areas of lawn.
It produces a profusion of small daisy-like flowers, with a low and compact growth habit.
Each flower reaches about 5cm in diameter, with bright blue petals and yellow centers.
