A chaos garden is exactly what it sounds like: an intentionally unstructured mix of plants, grown together in the same space without strict planning or rows. To put it simply, if you’ve ever looked at a packet of mixed seeds and thought, “What if I just scattered them all and saw what happens?”, then you’re already thinking like a chaos gardener.
Some might call them messy or erratic, but they’re, in fact, a nature-inspired style of gardening that encourages fun, experimentation, and attracts pollinators as well.
Even though chaos gardens don’t follow the meticulous approach to gardening, that doesn’t mean they’re completely carefree. The key to creating a successful chaos garden is choosing plants that can thrive in a mixed, sometimes crowded environment. The following 15 summer plants are perfect for a chaos garden.
1. Lupines (Lupinus)
Lupines complement other flowers in chaos gardens with their dense, upright spikes covered in rows of pea-like flowers. Each spike has its own set of flowers, which can be white, yellow, pink, or purple. They can grow up to 3–5 feet tall and are especially attractive to bees and butterflies.
Lupines prefer full sun, slightly acidic to neutral soil, and do best in USDA zones 4–8. They also help improve soil health by fixing nitrogen, making them both beautiful and beneficial additions to any chaos garden.
2. Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)
Queen Anne’s lace is a great fit for chaos gardens thanks to its low-maintenance nature and wild, delicate look. Its airy, umbrella-like clusters of tiny white flowers sit on tall, hollow, and slightly hairy stems. It grows best in full sun with well-drained soil and thrives in USDA zones 3–9. Once established, it reseeds easily and often returns year after year.
3. Clover (Trifolium repens)
Clovers are low-growing, short-lived, herbaceous plants known for their distinctive three-lobed, oval-shaped leaflets. They also spot small flowers that range from white to pink and reddish-purple.
They’re a brilliant addition to chaos gardens, thanks to their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil and continue blooming throughout the summer. Clovers grow best in full sun to partial shade and thrive in USDA zones 3–10. They’re easy to grow, spread quickly, and help enrich the soil for neighboring plants.
4. California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
California poppies are somewhat chaotic themselves because they can hybridize and bloom a variety of colors in your garden. Although they grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, California poppies are tolerant of any kind of soil, including poor ones.
This western United States native is low-maintenance and attracts pollinators to boost your garden. Once established, they reseed easily and often return year after year without any issues.
5. Daikon Radish (Raphanus sativus var.)
Daikon radishes are an excellent match for chaos gardens because of their ability to grow alongside many other plants without any issues.
These fast-growing annuals improve soil structure and aeration by breaking up compacted ground and boosting drainage. In summer, they produce delicate white or pale flowers with four petals. They thrive in full sun with loose, well-drained soil and grow best in USDA zones 4–10.
6. Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Coneflowers are North American natives known for their daisy-like blooms with gently drooping petals in shades of pink, purple, or white. It’s not uncommon to find shades of peach, coral, or orange in newer varieties.
They add color to chaos gardens while attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators all summer long (and often well into fall). They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, growing best in USDA zones 3–9. Mature plants can reach up to 4 feet in height and are both drought-tolerant and low-maintenance.
7. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Little bluestem is a native North American grass that fits naturally into chaos gardens with its seasonal color shifts and low-maintenance nature. Its leaves appear blue-green in spring and summer, then transform into rich orange and red tones in the fall.
It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil and thrives in USDA zones 3–9. With the right conditions, it can reach up to 4 feet tall and requires little water once established.
8. Nigella (Nigella sativa)
Nigellas, also known as love-in-a-mist, produce delicate blue flowers about an inch wide. The flowers are often framed by fine, feathery bracts that give the plant a soft, airy look.
Their whimsical style makes them a perfect fit for chaos gardens. They grow best in full sun to light shade with well-drained soil and thrive in USDA zones 2–9. These easy annuals self-seed readily and often return each year without much effort on your part.
9. Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)
Hairy vetch has a soft, wild appearance due to the fine hairs that cover its stems and leaves. In summer, it produces trailing clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers that give your chaos garden a laid-back, natural charm and attract pollinators.
It acts as a living mulch and works well for suppressing weeds and fixing nitrogen in the soil. Hairy vetch thrives in full sun to partial shade and grows well in USDA zones 4–8.
10. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Comfrey is a hardy perennial herb known for its white, purple, and pink bell-shaped flowers. The flowers often droop and grow in loose clusters, which makes them perfect for the free-flowing style of a chaos garden.
Comfrey flowers through summer, especially when spent spikes are trimmed regularly. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, prefers moist, well-drained soil, and grows best in USDA zones 4–9. Once established, it’s incredibly low-maintenance and even helps improve soil with its deep roots.
11. Mustard (Brassica rapa subsp.)
Mustard is one of the brightest plants you can add to a chaos garden. They produce bright yellow blooms that last through summer. The flowers have four petals arranged in a cross shape, clustered tightly on tall stems. Its rough green leaves add texture to your garden while also making a great soil-enriching cover crop.
Mustard sprouts quickly and self-seeds easily, making it a low-effort favorite for wild-style planting. It grows best in full sun with well-drained soil and thrives in USDA zones 6–11.
12. Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus)
Bachelor’s buttons, also known as cornflowers, produce small, rounded blooms in shades of blue, white, purple, or pink with a distinct central disk. They’re bright, delicate, and thrive with very little attention.
Regular deadheading helps extend their blooming season and keeps the plants strong. These flowers prefer full sun, well-drained soil, and grow best in USDA zones 2–11. They’re also great at attracting pollinators and reseed easily year after year.
13. Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea)
They’re known for their tall, tubular blooms that come in a range of colors from soft pastels to deep purples. Their height and wildness attract bees and other pollinators with ease.
These plants thrive in partial shade and moist, well-drained soil, and grow best in USDA zones 4–9. Foxgloves self-seed easily and can bloom for weeks, especially if you deadhead the spent flowers. However, foxgloves are toxic if eaten by humans or pets, so plant with care.
14. Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana)
Spider flower is also known as pale pink cleome. As the name implies, it produces tall, spidery flowers in shades of white, pink, or purple, which give the plant a delicate, airy appearance.
It thrives in USDA zones 10–11, in full sun and well-drained soil, blooming from early summer until frost. The dried flower heads can last into winter, attracting birds that feed on the seeds.
15. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Black-eyed Susan poppies bloom from early summer through fall, peaking late in the season. Their daisy-like flowers are typically bright yellow with a dark brown center and help to attract plenty of pollinators. These hardy plants can grow up to 3 feet tall and do best in full sun and well-drained soil when planted in USDA zones 3–9.