Tall flowers, little flowers, short flowers, spreading flowers and bushy flowers all add to the grace of this garden. Spiked flowers are the crowning glory, holding their heads high. Set them in the rear of the flower bed or utilize the spiked flowers as a focal point. Spiked flowers come in all colors and range from brief hyacinths to tall hollyhocks.
Bulbs, Corms and Tubers
Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) herald in the spring with spikes of purple, pink, yellow or white fragrant flowers on stems from 8 to 12 inches long. In U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, hyacinths have to be chilled first for 10 to 12 weeks prior to planting in spring. Liatris (Liatris spicata), in USDA zones 4 through 9, has hundreds of little feather-like flowers arranged around a central stem, giving it the common name of botanical blossom. Gladioli (Gladiolus), growing in USDA zones 7 through 10, has sword-shaped leaves from two to three feet with a flowering stem up to 5 feet high. The 3- to 4-inch flowers bloom on the spikes from the bottom up.
Annuals
Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) blossoms in early summer in shades of pinks, purples, white and blues. The bush is 5 feet tall with feather leaves, so it does not block the sunlight from flowers behind it. The 1-inch diameter blossoms are star-shaped and are closely packed up and down the stems. Salvia (Salvia leucantha) blooms in shades of blue from dark to medium. Once the initial burst of bloom has finished, cut the plant back to about 6 inches to support another burst. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) flowers resemble miniature Chinese dragons. If you pinch the flower between the top section and bottom section, the mouth of the dragon opens. Snapdragons flower on 36-inch-tall spikes.
Biennial
Biennial flowers focus on herbaceous increase the first year. The second season, the plant flowers, sets seed and dies. Foxglove (Digitalis), in USDA zones 4 through 9, has oval leaves at the bottom of the plant with flowering spikes around 3 feet tall. The 2-inch, oblong, bell-shaped flowers bloom in pinks, purples and cream. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) grown in USDA zones 3 through 9, and are among the tallest spiked flowers. They reach more than 6 feet tall, with fluffy round blooms approximately 3 to 4 inches round growing on the central spike.
Perennials
Perennials live for two seasons or more. Rose mint (Agastache), in USDA zones 7 through 10, grows to 20 inches high with fuchsia flowers on wine-colored stems and silver leaf. If you’ve got a shady garden, subsequently astilbe is the choice for feathery spikes of flowers in hues of pink, white and cream, in USDA zones 4 through 8. Lupine, in USDA zones 4 through 8, resembles a chubby delphinium but flowers in yellow, purple and pink. It prefers a cooler place in the summer.