We’ve rounded up some of the best plants to grow to honour the coronation of King Charles III this May.

By Gardens Illustrated Team

Published: Wednesday, 22 March 2023 at 12:00 am


King Charles III will be coronated on 6th May 2023. The coronation ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey and be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Across the UK, people will be hosting garden parties and picnics and making festive spring tipples to mark the occasion. To get ahead of the game and start prepping your garden, why not plant some of these celebratory plants in honour of His Majesty the King.

""
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) amongst the Alliums during a visit to Kew Gardens on May 17, 2017 in London, England.

Plants to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III

King Charles III Rose Bush

""
© Carbeth Plants

What better way to celebrate royalty that with a classic rose bush? This fully hardy red rose from Carbeth Plants is the perfect plant to celebrate the coronation with. British grown and supplied in a three-litre pot wrapped in hessian, this rose which is dedicated to King Charles III is ready to plant in the garden. This plant would also make the perfect gift for someone looking forward to celebrating the coronation, and you can include a personalised message if required. This rose flowers in summer and autumn and likes a sunny spot.

Take a look at our rose pruning guide

Dianthus ‘Coronation Ruby’

""
© Allwoods

A lovely garden pink with the perfect name to celebrate King Charles III’s coronation. This dianthus bears clove-scented double flowers with pale pink petals laced with deep maroon in summer. It is a hardy perennial with evergreen foliage, best planted in full sun.

Party Flowers for the Year of the Coronation Collection

""
© Jonathan Buckley

In celebration of the coronation, Sarah Raven have put together a collection of brightly coloured flowers perfect for making party arrangements. Including Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Rubenza’, Antirrhinum majus ‘Sonnet Orange Scarlet’ F1, Tagetes patula x erecta ‘Konstance’ and Tagetes patula ‘Linnaeus Burning Embers’. The collection comes delivered as five seedlings so you can start growing right away and have flowers for cutting in no time.

Coronation Dahlia Collection

""
© Jonathan Buckley

Another celebratory collection from Sarah Raven, this bundle of dahlias is perfect for making gorgeous floral arrangements as well as for supporting pollinators in the garden. In honour of King Charles’ love of nature, these open-faced dahlias are loved by butterflies and are sure to lure plenty of wildlife into the garden. The petals of dahlias are edible too, so this collection is perfect for adding some colour to summer salads for your coronation garden party. The set includes Dahlia ‘Blue Bayou,’ Dahlia ‘Lou Farman,’ Dahlia ‘Dad’s Favourite,’ Dahlia ‘Liquid Desire’ and Dahlia ‘Skyfall.’

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’

""
© Gardeners Dream Store

To celebrate King Charles III’s ascension to the throne, you could plant Clematis ‘Prince Charles.’ Producing mauve-blue flowers in summer and early autumn, this climber is perfect for scrambling over walls and trellises and adding a pop of colour and height to the garden. It is a compact variety making it great for growing in containers too, which could be paired with a small obelisk. Plant this clematis in sun to part-shade, preferably with the roots shaded. Take a look at our guide on pruning clematis too for extra guidance on caring for this plant.

Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’

""
© Ballyrobert Gardens

Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’ would be a fitting tribute to grow in the garden to honour King Charles. Apparently introduced to honour the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, it features tall stems with clusters of bright yellow flowers that are very popular with bees. Yarrow works especially well planted with grasses and in prairie-style planting schemes.

If you’re hosting a garden party to celebrate the coronation, why no read our pieces on how to set up a garden bar, where to buy the best bunting and which blankets and throws will give your garden a cosy feel.