table of contents
- Wet and bog meadows
- Dry grass / grassland
- Pastures / fertilized meadows
- Forest meadows / shadow meadows
- Mountain meadows and pastures
- Grass and rubble spots, overgrown areas, weed corridors, grassy roadsides
- frequently asked Questions
The color of the flowers is an important criterion for identifying plants. Some indigenous blue meadow flowers and their characteristics are listed here.
In a nutshell
- Flowers grow on different types of meadows
- some plants come from other parts of the world, but are naturalized or feral
- some of the flowers are grown in the garden as ornamental plants
- the flower color can vary, from blue to purple or reddish tones
Wet and bog meadows
Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)
- Plant family: Iris family
- Features: 30 - 90 cm high, 2 - 6 leaves, linear, shorter than the flower stem
- Flowers: mostly 2 flowers per stem, flower stem round and hollow, flowers 6 cm long, blue-violet, May - June
- other locations: flat bogs and ditches, meadow flowers frequently found in gardens
- Distribution: Eastern and Central Europe, in Asia to Siberia and Japan
Marsh skullcap (Scutellaria galericulata)
- Plant family: lip flower family
- Characteristics: 10 - 40 cm high, leaves ovate-lanceolate to linear, serrated
- Flowers: Flowers blue-violet, 12-20 mm long, June - September, insect pollination
- other locations: ditches, banks, alder quarries
- Distribution: almost all of Europe
Devil's bite (Succisa pratensis)
- Plant family: Cardaceae
- Characteristics: 15 - 80 cm high, rhizome upright, short, leaves elongated to lanceolate, usually with entire margins
- Flowering: July - September, flower heads hemispherical, crown dark blue, insect pollination
- other locations: grasslands, forest edges
- Distribution: almost all of Europe, except in the far north
Two-leaved squill (Scilla bifolia)
- Plant family: lily family
- Features: 10 - 20 cm high, bulbous plant, 1 flower stem, 2 lanceolate leaves
- Flowers: 2-7 flowers, light blue (rarely white or pink), March - June, insect and self-pollination
- Other location: alluvial forests, moist bushes, light deciduous forests
- Distribution: Central and Southern Europe
Dry grass / grassland
Common finial, meadow finial (Polygala vulgaris)
- Plant family: finial plants
- Characteristics: 5 - 20 cm high, leaves lanceolate, attached to the entire flower stalk
- Blossom: May to August, intensely blue, rarely reddish or whitish, forming dense clusters
- other locations: alternately dry meadows, bushes
- Distribution: Central and Western Europe
Ball-bellflower (Campanula glomerata)
- Plant family: bluebell family
- Characteristics: 20 - 60 cm high, stems mostly hairy short, leaves heart-shaped or rounded, also softly hairy
- Flowering period: July - September, flowers in clusters, blue crown, insect pollination
- other locations: forest edges and roadsides, calcareous clay soils
- Distribution: almost all of Europe, except in the extreme north
Small grape hyacinth (Muscari botryoides)
Vineyard's grape hyacinth (Muscari neglectum)
- Plant family: lily family
- Characteristics: 10 - 30 cm high, bulbous plants, usually a flower stem, leaves very narrow and long
- Blossom: April - May, single flowers, spherical, grouped into flower clusters, blue with a white border, insect pollination
- other locations: wine-growing regions
- Distribution: Central and Southern Europe, often overgrown
Note: The grape hyacinth is known as a blue meadow flower and early bloomer, the individual species are difficult to distinguish.
Meadow Sage (Salvia pratensis)
- Plant family: lip flower family
- Characteristics: 30 - 60 cm high, leaves irregularly notched
- Flowers: April - August, flowers blue, rarely purple, pink or white, inflorescence upright, pollination by bumblebees
- other locations: roadsides, embankments
- Distribution: to Northern Germany
Pastures / fertilized meadows
Bach Speedwell (Veronica beccabunga)
Ivy-leaved speedwell (Veronica hederifolia)
Germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys)
Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)
- Plant family: Figwort family
- Characteristics: 5 - 60 cm long or high, usually spreads creeping, stems mostly hairy, leaves almost circular, smooth or notched
- Flowering: partly all year round, otherwise from spring to summer, small bluish-white flowers that are very sensitive to insect or self-pollination
- other locations: gardens, ponds or streams, bushes, roadsides
- Distribution: all over Europe, Persian Speedwell naturalized from Southwest Asia
Note: Speedwell species often bloom all year round, but it is a rather inconspicuous blue meadow flower.
Creeping Gunsel (Ajuga reptans)
- Plant family: lip flower family
- Characteristics: 15 - 30 cm high, runners above ground, leaves on the flower stem almost round, with entire margins or serrated
- Flowers: April - August, flowers blue, violet, rarely reddish or white, dense spike-like inflorescences
- other locations: bushes, forests, roadsides
- Distribution: almost all of Europe
Meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense)
- Plant family: Storch's bill family
- Characteristics: 20 - 60 cm high, pinnate leaves, serrated
- Blossom: May - August, crown blue-violet or light lilac, the faded flowers resemble corks' beaks when they are ripe, suitable for bee pasture
- other locations: ditches, roadsides
- Distribution: almost all of Europe
Forest meadows / shadow meadows
Blue-red stone seeds (Buglossoides purpurocaerulea)
- Plant family: Rough leaf family
- Characteristics: 10 - 60 cm high, flower stalks upright, leaves lanceolate
- Flowering: April - June, flowering first reddish, later deep blue, 5-leaved, insect pollination
- other locations: bushes, limestone soils
- Distribution: Southern and Central Europe
Ordinary Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)
- Plant family: buttercups
- Characteristics: 30 - 80 m high, perennial plant, pinnate or lobed leaves
- Blossom: May - July, wild species predominantly blue, garden varieties reddish, whitish, pink or purple, bell-shaped flowers with spurs
- other locations: bushes, stony slopes, meadows
- Distribution: almost all of Europe, overgrown from gardens
Lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Plant family: dog poison plants
- Characteristics: 15-20 cm high or long, creeping spread, evergreen, leaves lanceolate
- Flowers: March - May, flowers 5-leaved, light blue
- other locations: bushes, gardens and cemeteries (as ground cover)
- Distribution: almost all of Europe, often overgrown
Mountain meadows and pastures
Blue monkshood (aconitum napellus)
- Plant family: buttercups
- Characteristics: 50 - 150 cm high, typical perennial plant, leaves divided into hands, very poisonous
- Flowering: June - August, dense racemose inflorescences, dark blue-violet
- other locations: bushes, brook borders
- Distribution: Central and Western Europe
Spring gentian (Gentiana verna)
Fringed gentian (Gentianella ciliata)
Clusius gentian (Gentiana clusii)
Lung gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe)
Swallowwort gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea)
- Plant family: Gentian plants
- Characteristics: flat species up to 25 cm high, upright species up to 80 cm, leaves lanceolate, tapering to a point
- Flowers: March - August, flowers bright blue, up to 3 cm in diameter, cup-shaped, mostly solitary, but also in groups on the stem, pollination mainly by bumblebees
- other locations: open forests, bushes, moor meadows
- Distribution: Mountains in almost all of Europe
Globular devil's claw (Phyteuma orbiculare)
- Plant family: bluebell family
- Characteristics: 10 - 50 cm high, leaves lanceolate or heart-shaped, serrated
- Flowers: May - September, flowers blue to blue-violet, insect pollination
- other locations: moor meadows, rocks
- Distribution: Central Europe
Grass and rubble spots, overgrown areas, weed corridors, grassy roadsides
Field delphinium (Consolida regalis)
- Plant family: buttercups
- Characteristics: 15 - 50 cm high, perennial plant, leaves divided several times, slightly poisonous
- Flowers: May - August, 3-7 flowers on the stem, in racemes or panicles, blue, rarely white, ornamental varieties with different colors
- other locations: fields, calcareous clay soils, in the garden as an ornamental plant
- Distribution: Central and Southern Europe, not in the mountains
Common lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta)
- Plant family: Valerian family
- Characteristics: 5 - 20 cm high, annual, stems branched, leaves small, lanceolate
- Flowers: April - May, flowers very small, grouped together, blue-white, self-pollinating
- other locations: fields
- Distribution: feral as a meadow flower in almost all of Europe, as a lettuce plant in vegetable gardens
Common adder head, blue adder head (Echium vulgare)
- Plant family: Rough leaf family
- Characteristics: 30 - 100 cm high, biennial, rosette plant, leaves on the stems lanceolate
- Flowers: June - October, inflorescences pyramidal, flowers funnel-shaped-bell-shaped, first reddish, later blue
- other locations: preferably stony locations
- Distribution: almost all of Europe
Common chicory, wild chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Plant family: Asteraceae
- Characteristics: 25 - 120 cm high, branched stems, short bristles, leaves lanceolate, with entire margins, basal leaves pinnate
- Flowering: July - September, flowers only in the morning, on cloudy days also all day, flower heads 3 to 4 cm large, blue
- other locations: fields and pastures
- Distribution: all of Europe, possibly introduced
frequently asked Questions
That depends on whether the meadow has an owner. If this is the case, he must be asked, otherwise small amounts, such as a bouquet of hands, are allowed. Digging up, for example to plant the meadow flower in the garden, is not allowed. Any willful destruction of the site is also prohibited.
This is only necessary if the blue meadow flower is really annoying, for example in the lawn or in the vegetable garden. Most flowers are good insect plants and should therefore also be allowed to bloom in the garden. After flowering, the meadow flower can be removed to prevent seeding.
The best method is to press the flowers. To do this, the flowers are placed between two layers of paper and then weighted down with books. It's even easier with a flower press.
