80 Beautiful Flowers That Start With C: Names, Photos & Growing Tips

Somewhere between the calendula in a herb bed and the Cattleya orchid on a windowsill, the letter C turns out to be one of the richest in the entire flower alphabet. Most gardeners searching for flowers that start with C stop at carnations and chrysanthemums, but the letter actually stretches across shrubs, vines, bulbs, herbs, orchids, and houseplants that rarely make it into shorter lists. This guide brings together 80 verified names, each checked for its botanical name and safety around pets or children, so the information can be trusted rather than skimmed.

The organization here is practical rather than strictly alphabetical. Instead of one long scroll of names, the guide groups these flowers that start with C by what a reader actually needs: a symbolic meaning for a gift, a color scheme for a border, a pet-safe houseplant, or a name that will flower indoors through a gray winter. Every table below sits inside a paragraph that explains what it shows, and by the end you should be able to name a strong pick for almost any color, season, or growing space — plus know which popular ones deserve a second look before going near a curious pet.

Quick Answer: The Standout Picks

Carnation earns its reputation through practicality — few cut flowers last as long in a vase or come in as many colors. Chrysanthemum carries color into autumn after summer bloomers finish, while calla lily and cattleya orchid dominate formal floristry thanks to their clean, photogenic shape. For easy garden color, cosmos and coreopsis reward almost no effort with months of bloom, and coneflower does the same for pollinator beds. Indoors, cyclamen and clivia are the most forgiving windowsill choices. For something nobody else is growing, chocolate cosmos — dark red petals with a genuine cocoa scent — is hard to beat.

What Flowers That Start With C Symbolize

Flower meanings shift across cultures, so none of this is a fixed rulebook. Carnation is layered: red leans toward romantic love, while white is tied more to remembrance. Chrysanthemum flips meaning by geography — a symbol of longevity across much of East Asia, but associated with mourning in several European countries. Calla lily has settled into a reputation for quiet elegance, columbine suggests resilience thanks to its odd spurred petals, and crocus, usually the first bulb through late-winter soil, has become shorthand for renewal.

Color Groups at a Glance

White is well covered by calla lily, candytuft, and Christmas rose, all suited to shaded or evening gardens. Yellow and orange are the workhorses — calendula and coreopsis bloom for months with little care, while crocosmia and California poppy add taller or sunnier accents. Red belongs to cardinal flower and canna lily, pink to cosmos, cyclamen, and camellia. Blue and purple are where this letter gets genuinely competitive: cornflower is one of the clearest true blues anywhere, while campanula, clematis, and clitoria (the butterfly pea vine) round out cooler tones. For dark, unusual color, chocolate cosmos and crown imperial lean into deep maroon and burnt orange.

Garden Favorites

Coneflower and coreopsis are North American perennials that tolerate poor soil and neglect while still feeding pollinators for months. Cosmos does the annual version of the same job — scatter seed in a sunny bed, and it blooms until frost. Catmint has become a landscaper’s default edging plant thanks to tidy silver foliage and lavender spikes that bounce back hard after a trim.

Garden Favorite	Botanical Name	Why It’s Chosen
Coneflower	Echinacea spp.	Drought-tolerant, strong pollinator draw
Coreopsis	Coreopsis spp.	Long flowering window, easy from seed
Cosmos	Cosmos bipinnatus	Fast annual color, almost no care
Catmint	Nepeta spp.	Reliable edging, reblooms after trimming
Crocus	Crocus spp.	First color after winter
Columbine	Aquilegia spp.	Distinct spurred flowers, self-seeds

Indoor and Container Picks

Cyclamen blooms through the coolest months indoors, given bright light and careful watering. Clivia tolerates low light better than most flowering plants and rewards patience with winter blooms. Christmas cactus flowers almost on cue in December, and Cattleya or Cymbidium orchids remain the go-to for a showy indoor bloom without a greenhouse.

Indoor Flower	Botanical Name	Light Needs
Cyclamen	Cyclamen spp.	Bright, indirect; cool rooms
Clivia	Clivia miniata	Low to moderate light
Christmas Cactus	Schlumbergera spp.	Bright indirect; cool nights to rebloom
Cattleya Orchid	Cattleya spp.	Bright indirect, high humidity
Cape Primrose	Streptocarpus spp.	Bright indirect, no direct sun

Florist Favorites

Carnation is the industry workhorse — it ships well and lasts two weeks or more in water. Chrysanthemum fills the same role for fuller, textured arrangements, calla lily anchors modern minimalist bouquets, and cosmos and cornflower have become popular in farm-style arrangements as an alternative to stiffer, formal designs.

Florist Favorite	Why It’s Used
Carnation	Long vase life, wide color range
Chrysanthemum	Full texture, autumn association
Calla Lily	Clean architectural shape
Cornflower	True blue, useful in mixed bunches

Rare Finds Worth Seeking Out

Chocolate cosmos is the clearest standout — deep maroon petals with a real chocolate scent, usually grown from tubers rather than seed. Crown imperial is a tall spring bulb topped with hanging bells and a musky smell some gardeners love and others avoid. Checkered lily is easy to miss in a catalog but has an unusual checkerboard petal pattern, and clitoria offers a genuinely rare true-blue bloom more commonly known as a natural food dye in parts of Asia than as an ornamental in the West.

A Caution on Toxicity

Not every attractive bloom is safe around pets or kids. Castor bean seeds contain ricin and are dangerous even in small amounts. Convallaria (lily of the valley) looks harmless but contains cardiac glycosides that can affect heart rhythm.

Cyclamen and Christmas rose are toxic if eaten, and calla lily’s oxalate crystals cause mouth and throat irritation. Chrysanthemum, by contrast, usually causes only mild skin or stomach irritation rather than a genuine emergency — worth knowing before assuming every name on this caution list carries equal risk.

Life Cycle at a Glance

Annuals like calendula, cosmos, and cornflower give fast first-year color with no long-term commitment. Perennials such as coneflower, coreopsis, and catmint take longer to establish but return yearly. Tender perennials like canna lily and calla lily behave as true perennials in warm climates but need lifting and storage everywhere else — a distinction that trips up more gardeners than any other on this list.

Life Cycle	Examples
Annual	Calendula, Cosmos, Cornflower, Celosia, Cleome
Biennial	Canterbury Bells, Cardoon
Perennial	Coneflower, Coreopsis, Catmint, Clematis, Crocus
Tender Perennial	Canna Lily, Calla Lily, Crossandra, Cape Daisy

Full Comparison Table

The table below is the master reference for this guide, listing all 80 flowers that start with C alphabetically, with botanical name, type, primary color, and a safety note in one place. It doubles as both a quick nursery lookup and a safety check — read the safety column even for flowers you already know, since a few common garden names carry mild toxicity that many people miss.

A quick note before you scan it: calla lily and canna lily sound alike but aren’t related at all, and camas lily should never be foraged casually since it closely resembles the toxic death camas in the wild.

Flower	Botanical Name	Type	Color	Safety Note
Cactus Flower	Cactaceae family	Succulent	Varies	Spines are the main hazard
Caladium	Caladium spp.	Tuberous	White/green blooms	Toxic if chewed
Calceolaria	Calceolaria spp.	Tender perennial	Yellow, orange, red	Low risk
Calendula	Calendula officinalis	Annual	Orange, yellow	Non-toxic; edible
Calibrachoa	Calibrachoa spp.	Tender perennial	Many shades	Low risk
California Flannel Bush	Fremontodendron californicum	Shrub	Yellow	Leaf hairs irritate skin
California Poppy	Eschscholzia californica	Annual	Orange, yellow	Mildly toxic if eaten
Calla Lily	Zantedeschia spp.	Tender perennial	White, pink, yellow	Toxic; oxalate irritation
Calluna (Heather)	Calluna vulgaris	Shrub	Pink, purple, white	Non-toxic
Camas Lily	Camassia spp.	Bulb	Blue, violet, white	Toxic look-alikes exist
Camellia	Camellia japonica	Shrub	White, pink, red	Non-toxic
Campanula	Campanula spp.	Perennial	Blue, purple, white	Non-toxic
Campion	Silene spp.	Perennial/biennial	Pink, red, white	Non-toxic
Canada Violet	Viola canadensis	Perennial	White	Non-toxic
Canadian Goldenrod	Solidago canadensis	Perennial	Yellow	Non-toxic
Candytuft	Iberis spp.	Perennial/annual	White, pink	Non-toxic
Canna Lily	Canna spp.	Tender perennial	Red, orange, yellow	Non-toxic
Canterbury Bells	Campanula medium	Biennial	Blue, purple, pink	Non-toxic
Cape Daisy	Osteospermum spp.	Tender perennial	White, purple, yellow	Low risk
Cape Primrose	Streptocarpus spp.	Perennial	Purple, pink, blue	Non-toxic
Cardinal Flower	Lobelia cardinalis	Perennial	Red	Mildly toxic
Cardoon	Cynara cardunculus	Perennial	Purple	Non-toxic; edible stalks
Carnation	Dianthus caryophyllus	Perennial	Pink, red, white	Mildly toxic to pets
Carolina Allspice	Calycanthus floridus	Shrub	Burgundy	Non-toxic
Carpet Bugle	Ajuga reptans	Perennial	Blue, purple	Non-toxic
Carthamus (Safflower)	Carthamus tinctorius	Annual	Orange, yellow	Non-toxic
Castor Bean	Ricinus communis	Tender perennial	Red, cream	Highly toxic (ricin)
Catmint	Nepeta spp.	Perennial	Lavender, blue	Non-toxic
Cattleya Orchid	Cattleya spp.	Orchid	Purple, white, pink	Non-toxic
Celandine	Chelidonium majus	Perennial	Yellow	Toxic sap
Celosia	Celosia argentea	Annual	Red, orange, pink	Non-toxic
Chamomile	Matricaria chamomilla	Annual/perennial	White, yellow	Non-toxic
Checkered Lily	Fritillaria meleagris	Bulb	Purple, white	Mildly toxic
Cherry Blossom	Prunus spp.	Flowering tree	Pink, white	Pits/leaves toxic to pets
Chicory	Cichorium intybus	Perennial	Blue	Non-toxic
China Aster	Callistephus chinensis	Annual	Pink, purple, white	Non-toxic
Chinese Forget-Me-Not	Cynoglossum amabile	Annual	Blue, pink, white	Mildly toxic in quantity
Chinese Lantern	Physalis alkekengi	Perennial	White; orange pods	Toxic unripe fruit
Chionodoxa	Chionodoxa forbesii	Bulb	Blue, white, pink	Non-toxic
Chives	Allium schoenoprasum	Perennial herb	Purple	Toxic to cats/dogs
Chocolate Cosmos	Cosmos atrosanguineus	Tender perennial	Dark red, brown	Non-toxic
Christmas Cactus	Schlumbergera spp.	Succulent	Pink, red, white	Low risk
Christmas Rose	Helleborus niger	Perennial	White, pink-tinted	Toxic if ingested
Chrysanthemum	Chrysanthemum spp.	Perennial	Many shades	Mildly toxic to pets
Cineraria	Pericallis × hybrida	Tender perennial	Blue, purple, pink	Toxic if ingested
Cistus (Rock Rose)	Cistus spp.	Shrub	White, pink, purple	Non-toxic
Clarkia	Clarkia spp.	Annual	Pink, purple, white	Non-toxic
Clary Sage	Salvia sclarea	Biennial	Pink, lavender, white	Non-toxic
Clematis	Clematis spp.	Vine	Purple, white, pink	Mildly toxic sap
Cleome	Cleome hassleriana	Annual	Pink, white, purple	Non-toxic
Clitoria (Butterfly Pea)	Clitoria ternatea	Vine	Blue, white, purple	Non-toxic; used as dye
Clivia	Clivia miniata	Perennial	Orange, yellow, cream	Toxic if ingested
Columbine	Aquilegia spp.	Perennial	Blue, red, yellow	Mildly toxic seeds/roots
Comfrey	Symphytum officinale	Perennial	Purple, pink, cream	Toxic if eaten
Coneflower	Echinacea spp.	Perennial	Purple, pink, white	Non-toxic
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)	Convallaria majalis	Perennial	White, pink	Highly toxic; heart rhythm risk
Coral Bells	Heuchera spp.	Perennial	Pink, white, red	Non-toxic
Coral Vine	Antigonon leptopus	Vine	Pink, coral	Non-toxic
Coreopsis	Coreopsis spp.	Perennial/annual	Yellow, gold, red	Non-toxic
Cornflower	Centaurea cyanus	Annual	Blue, pink, white	Non-toxic
Corydalis	Corydalis spp.	Perennial	Yellow, pink, blue	Mildly toxic
Cosmos	Cosmos bipinnatus	Annual	Pink, white, magenta	Non-toxic
Cowslip	Primula veris	Perennial	Yellow	Non-toxic
Cranesbill	Geranium spp.	Perennial	Blue, purple, pink	Non-toxic
Creeping Jenny	Lysimachia nummularia	Perennial	Yellow	Mildly toxic to pets
Creeping Phlox	Phlox subulata	Perennial	Pink, purple, white	Non-toxic
Crepe Myrtle	Lagerstroemia indica	Shrub/tree	Pink, red, purple	Non-toxic
Crinum Lily	Crinum spp.	Bulb	White, pink, red	Toxic bulb
Crocosmia	Crocosmia spp.	Perennial corm	Orange, red, yellow	Non-toxic
Crocus	Crocus spp.	Bulb/corm	Purple, yellow, white	Autumn species toxic
Crossandra	Crossandra infundibuliformis	Tender perennial	Orange, coral, yellow	Non-toxic
Crown Imperial	Fritillaria imperialis	Bulb	Orange, yellow, red	Bulb toxic if eaten
Cuckoo Flower	Cardamine pratensis	Perennial	Pale pink, white	Non-toxic
Cup and Saucer Vine	Cobaea scandens	Vine	Purple, white	Non-toxic
Cuphea	Cuphea spp.	Annual/perennial	Red, purple, orange	Non-toxic
Cupid’s Dart	Catananche caerulea	Perennial	Blue, lavender, white	Non-toxic
Cyclamen	Cyclamen spp.	Perennial	Pink, white, red	Toxic tubers
Cymbidium Orchid	Cymbidium spp.	Orchid	White, green, pink	Non-toxic
Cypress Vine	Ipomoea quamoclit	Vine	Red	Seeds mildly toxic
Ceanothus	Ceanothus spp.	Shrub	Blue, white, pink	Non-toxic

Two rows deserve extra attention: Convallaria carries the strongest warning on this entire table, serious enough that some gardeners skip it entirely around pets or toddlers. Coneflower, cosmos, and calendula sit at the opposite end — non-toxic, easy, and forgiving of inconsistent care.

Which One Should You Choose?

Matching a situation to the right pick is often faster than scrolling back through every section above. The table below shortlists the best flowers that start with C for the most common reasons people search for them in the first place.

Your Situation	Recommended Pick(s)
Fast color, low effort	Cosmos, Calendula, Cornflower
Home with cats or dogs	Coneflower, Cosmos, Camellia (avoid Convallaria, Cyclamen)
Shaded windowsill	Clivia, Cyclamen, Cape Primrose
Formal bouquet	Calla Lily, Cattleya Orchid, Carnation
Pollinator garden	Coneflower, Coreopsis, Catmint
Climbing vine	Clematis, Clitoria, Cup and Saucer Vine
Something rare	Chocolate Cosmos, Crown Imperial, Checkered Lily

Conclusion

Flowers that start with C cover far more ground than carnation and chrysanthemum alone, stretching across annual beds, indoor pots, climbing vines, and rare finds like chocolate cosmos and checkered lily. Whether the goal is a pollinator border, a pet-safe houseplant, or one showstopping bouquet flower, this list of 80 should cover the search — match the plant to your growing conditions and household first, and let color or name appeal be the second filter.

FAQ

How many flowers that start with C are there? 

This guide covers 80 distinct names, from common annuals to shrubs, vines, bulbs, orchids, and houseplants. The true count is higher once cultivars are added, but 80 gives a thorough, non-repetitive base list.

What is the most popular one? 

Carnation, thanks to long vase life, wide color range, and low cost. Chrysanthemum and calla lily follow closely for autumn and formal-event use.

Which are toxic to pets? 

Convallaria, cyclamen, Christmas rose, calla lily, chrysanthemum, and chives all carry documented pet toxicity. Convallaria and castor bean are the most serious; chrysanthemum and calla lily usually cause milder irritation.

Which are best for beginners? 

Calendula, cosmos, coreopsis, and cornflower grow easily from seed and bloom for months with little care. Coneflower is a strong beginner perennial for the same reasons.

Which grow well indoors? 

Cyclamen, clivia, Christmas cactus, Cattleya orchid, and cape primrose are common houseplant choices, most needing bright but indirect light.

Which are considered rare? 

Chocolate cosmos, crown imperial, checkered lily, and clitoria are less available at standard nurseries rather than difficult to grow.

Which are safe around children? 

Calendula, cosmos, coreopsis, coneflower, and cornflower are non-toxic. Convallaria, castor bean, and Christmas rose should be kept out of reach.

Which blooms the longest? 

Coreopsis and cosmos often flower from early summer to first frost with regular deadheading; coneflower runs a close second.

Are calla lily and canna lily the same plant?

No. Despite the similar name, they’re unrelated and belong to different plant families, though both prefer similar warm, sunny conditions.

Which are native to North America?

Coneflower, coreopsis, cardinal flower, columbine, camas lily, coral bells, and creeping phlox are all native to the continent.