101 Things That Are Blue in Nature (Visual List)

It may be one of the rarest colors in nature, but blue things can still be found everywhere around us if we’re only willing to look.

From the most vibrant and obvious splashes of color found in bird’s wings or flower petals to the kind of muted tones we may only notice on occasion, the world is bursting with color.

Here’s our extensive list of things that are blue in nature:

1. The Sky

Because of the way different wavelengths of light are scattered and absorbed as they move through the atmosphere, blue light is the most visible wavelength in the sky.

2. The Ocean

The ocean doesn’t have much of a color on its own, but on sunny days, when it reflects the color of the sky above, it’s a brilliant blue.

3. Fire

We may think of flames as being orange or red, but depending on the type of fuel being used, gas flames can take on a bright blue hue. Some volcanos also have blue flames and lava when sulfur combusts in contact with air.

4. Blue Eyes

Only around eight to ten percent of people worldwide have blue eyes, and every blue-eyed person can trace their uniquely colored eyes back to a single genetic mutation. Blue eyes have no actual blue pigment, but they scatter light differently to produce a blue appearance.

5. Blueberries

Blueberries are native to North America and are packed with antioxidants and tons of other powerful vitamins that make them great for people looking to boost heart health.

6. Cornflowers

Cornflowers, with their bright blue petals, are originally native to Europe and were commonly seen growing as a weed in cornfields, which is where they got their name.

7. Thistles

Most thistles have purple or even slightly pinkish flowers, but the Globe Thistle, native to Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa, have petals with a soft blue hue. The thistle is the national flower of Scotland and its spiky leaves are reported to have stopped an invading army in legend.

8. Butterflies

Several exotic breeds of butterfly, including the Emperor Butterfly, the Morpho Butterfly, the Mazarine Blue Butterfly, the Ulysses Butterfly, and the Miami Blue Butterfly, have bright blue wings.

9. Dart Frogs

Native to the rain forests of South America, the Dart Frog has enough poison in its skin to kill twenty men, although the poison also has medicinal properties.

10. Blue-Footed Booby

Their actual feathers may be a plain brown and white, but the eponymous webbed feet of the blue-footed booby have a pale, robin’s egg blue color to them.

11. Hyacinths

Hyacinth flowers have a deep blue or pale purple color. The ancient Greeks believed that this flower sprang from the body of the heroic youth Hyacinthus after his death.

12. Neptune

The atmosphere of the planet Neptune has lots of methane, which partially explains its blue tone, but the majority of the deeper colors come from an unknown compound.

13. Uranus

Uranus’s pale blue color comes from the large amounts of methane, ammonia, and other similarly gaseous elements that make up its upper atmosphere.

14. Tomatoes

Truly “blue” tomatoes are carefully bred and modified in order to reach the same color as blueberries, but blue-black tomatoes occasionally occur as the result of a mutation.

15. Hibiscuses

When we think of hibiscus flowers, we tend to imagine the bright red version. However, blue “hibiscuses” are actually a type of lily that closely resemble real hibiscuses.

16. Anemones

Although sea anemones can certainly be blue, we’re talking about anemone flowers. These small flowers come in blue, red, and other colors and are found throughout the world.

17. Robin’s Eggs

Long before it was a popular paint color, the distinctive blue-green color of robin’s eggs have been a splash of brightness from an otherwise drab bird.

18. Peacocks

They may have a lot of different colors in that iconic spreading tail of theirs, but the feathers of a male peacock’s coat boast an unmistakably blue note.

19. Kingfishers

Kingfishers are found in Oceania, Asia, and Africa. Their bright blue coats make them instantly recognizable, and they play prominent roles in the myths and legends of many cultures.

20. Hyacinth Macaws

Despite its name, the Hyacinth Macaw is actually a much darker blue than the traditional hyacinth flower. It’s also the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot worldwide.

21. Crayfish

The electric blue crayfish is native to Florida. Also referred to as the Florida Blue Crayfish, this popular aquarium crustacean isn’t found anywhere else in the natural world.

22. Turquoise

The cheerful bluish green tint of this semi-precious gemstone once made it one of the most valuable stones in the ancient world, beloved by the Greeks and Aztecs.

23. Bluebonnets

Named after the petals that resemble an old-fashioned woman’s bonnet, the bluebonnet is actually a family of flowers, the most famous variety being the state flower of Texas.

24. Lobsters

Most of the time, lobsters definitely aren’t blue. However, a one-in-two-million genetic mutation can result in a completely natural lobster that happens to be a bright electric blue.

25. Blue Racer Snakes

Mostly grayish-blue with blue highlights, these non-venomous snakes often rattle their tails against dry leaves in order to frighten predators away by imitating the far more deadly rattlesnake.

26. Starfish

The blue Linckia Sea Star lives throughout the shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and ranges in color from pale blue to electric blue to deep royal blue.

27. Steelblue Ladybugs

The Steelblue Ladybird is an Australian beetle that resembles the more common “ladybug” beetle. Its outer coating has a metallic blue sheen, and it preys on other insects.

28. Siamese Fighting Fish

Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta Fish are some of the most popular aquarium fish in the world. The scales of many often take on a vibrant blue hue.

29. Tree Swallows

Tree Swallows, native to most of North America, have dramatic blue and white feathers. This stark color contrast serves as a form of camouflage when seen from above.

30. Blue Tangs

Native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean and popularized by the Pixar movie Finding Nemo, Blue Tangs have bright royal blue scales and are commonly found in aquariums around the world.

31. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The blue-ringed octopus isn’t actually blue, but instead features blue spots covering its body that give it its name. It’s also one of the most venomous animals worldwide.

32. Iguanas

Only the males of the Blue Iguana species are truly blue, with colors ranging from bright turquoise blue to dark gray. The females are varying shades of green.

33. Sharks

Long and slim, Blue Sharks rely heavily on countershading for protection. Their darker backs and lighter stomachs help them blend in better whether viewed from above or below.

34. Blue Whales

Like most sea creatures, the Blue Whale’s definition of “blue” tends a little more towards gray than true blue. They are the largest animals existing on the planet.

35. Ribbon Eels

The Ribbon Eel has a sharp, pointed nose, a bright yellow stripe along its dorsal fin – and a jet black skin that turns to blue as they age.

36. Blue Spotted Puffer Fish

Like the similarly named octopus, the Blue Spotted Puffer Fish is actually tan in color, but features a series of small blue spots along its sides and head.

37. Sea Slugs

They come in a wide range of colors and patterns, so it should come as no real surprise that some Sea Slugs boast bright blue coloring.

38. Morning Glory Flowers

Dark blue with light purple or white trim around the center, Morning Glory flowers are most well-known for their habit of opening at sunrise and closing up tightly at night.

39. Blue Flies

The Blue Bottle Fly or Blue House Fly has a shiny, blue-green carapace and is a bit bigger (and louder) than the average house fly, which makes for a lot of buzzing.

40. Sapphires

Ranging in color from royal blue to a deep midnight blue, Sapphires are precious gemstones that are naturally occurring in similar environments or settings on every major continent.

41. Columbine Flowers

The state flower of Colorado, Columbine Flowers have small, flared, blue and white petals surrounding a head that tilts slightly down towards the perennial plant’s leaves and roots.

42. Bluebells

As the name might suggest, Bluebell flowers are shaped like bells. They’re very similar to bluebonnets, but the distinctive bell shape is an easy way to differentiate them.

43. Lungwort Flowers

Lungwort flowers tend to land on the sliding scale of blue and purple. Younger flowers are often pink or violet, but they deepen to blue as they mature.

44. Lapis Lazuli

Renowned for its deep, striking color, Lapis lazuli gemstones are found primarily in Afghanistan, Russia, and Chile, with smaller reserves scattered across North America and the Middle East.

45. Honeycreepers

The Honeycreeper is a brilliantly blue songbird that ranges all across South America. It eats insects found on plants, but will often swallow fruits whole as well.

46. Indigo Buntings

Indigo Buntings are small migratory birds that are found all across South and North America. It migrates mostly at night, using the cover of darkness to stay safe.

47. Cerulean Warblers

Another small songbird found in North America, Cerulean Warblers migrate to South America during the winter. The babies and females are often greenish or gray instead of blue.

48. Eastern Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebirds live along the eastern coast of the United States. Beloved by early colonists and modern birdwatchers alike, they are small, round birds with bright blue feathers.

49. Eurasian Blue Tit

Although its unusual name highlights the blue head, back, and wings, the Eurasian Blue Tit also has yellow, black, and white feathers along its head and chest.

50. Blue Dashers

Often seen “dashing” over still bodies of water like ponds, lakes, or even puddles, Blue Dashers are a species of dragonfly with a pale blue, almost metallic body. Several other dragonflies have green or blue-green bodies as well, but the pale blue appearance of the Blue Dasher sets them apart.

51. Campanula

Like the bluebell, the Campanula flower takes its name from its shape. Campanula is Latin for “little bell”, which makes sense given the flower’s appearance.

52. Aster Flowers

Another shape name, Aster flowers are named for the long, thin petals that stream out like a bright blue starburst, as aster means “star” in Latin.

53. Sea Holly

Sea Holly is a spiky plant that grows by the sea but it can also be grown in the garden. It has flowers that look more like burrs than traditional flowers, with a steely metallic color.

54. Glory of the Snow

The petals of the Glory of the Snow flowers have a purplish blue color at their tips, but fade into white or yellow as they near the center.

55. Starflowers

Starflowers may have sharp, star-like blooms, but the plant is more well-known for the oil extracted from its seeds, high in essential acids and other health benefits.

56. Gentian

A popular choice for acidic or rocky garden soils, Gentian flowers are a very intense blue color. The roots of the flower are often used for flavoring liqueurs.

57. Forget-Me-Nots

They may be called Forget-Me-Nots today, but the scientific name for these pale blue or grayish blue flowers, myositis essentially translates to “mouse’s ear” for the flower’s soft appearance.

58. Freesia

Freesia flowers come in many colors and grow in a large, upwards-facing funnel shape. It grows from Kenya to South Africa, although it’s often cultivated in other places.

59. Centaurea

Another spiny, thistle-looking plant, Centaurea knapweed flowers are actually pretty invasive to North America and can be toxic for animals despite their innocent, pale blue or light purple appearance.

60. Monkshood

With pale blue flowers growing on long stalks, Monkshood is also known as Wolf’s Bane or Aconite. It’s also one of the most poisonous plants on the planet, dangerous both to humans and animals alike.

61. Bluestripe Garter Snakes

Another instance where the name spoils the surprise, the Bluestripe Garter Snake is a nonvenomous, mostly dark colored snake with a blue stripe running the length of its sides.

62. Electric Blue Geckos

Also known as Turquoise Dwarf Geckos, these bright blue lizards are heavily captured and sold as pets, to the point that they’re endangered in the wild.

63. Carpathian Blue Slug

A large slug that lives in the mountains of Eastern Europe, the Carpathian Blue Slug is blue, green or black with a textured back.

64. Calla Lilies

Calla Lilies are most commonly seen in the popular white (wedding) variety, but they come in a wide range of other colors, including a deep purplish blue tone.

65. Love-in-a-Mist Flowers

Love-in-a-Mist flowers have a spiky, almost sharp appearance to their icy blue blooms. Depending on the breed of the flowers, they may come in a much darker hue.

66. Clematis

Technically a part of the buttercup family, Clematis flowers have been popular worldwide since the 1800’s, when they were first brought over to Europe from their native Japan.

67. Geraniums

Geraniums are most often found growing in Mediterranean climates. They come in lots of different colors, the most popular being red, but blue blooms are a close second.

68. Pansies

Despite the name, Pansies are an aggressively resilient little plant. Their small, purplish blue flowers bloom in much colder environments than other flowering plants can usually handle.

69. Periwinkle

We call some colors “periwinkle blue” for a reason. The flowers of the Periwinkle plant are a pale, pastel blue tone and they are another popular garden plant.

70. Scarlet Pimpernel

While the name indicates that the reddish orange variety of this plant is more popular, the Scarlet Pimpernel can actually come in a deep blue variety as well.

71. Veronica Flowers

Veronica Flowers are another “spire” flower, which means that it grows a bunch of small flowers surrounding a tall, thin base in order to form a pointed spire.

72. Agapanthus

Sometimes called Lily of the Nile, the Agapanthus plant produces a cluster of thin flowers at the end of several stems in a range of colors including blue.

73. Balloon Flowers

Balloon Flowers are originally native to East Asia, but they have become increasingly popular in the Western world as garden plants, with their many dark blue, star-shaped flowers.

74. Himalayan Blue Poppies

Himalayan Blue Poppies are cheerful, sky blue flowers. They have slightly hairy or fuzzy leaves and are extremely particular about the quality of soil in which they grow.

75. Germander Sage

Germander Sage is actually another variety of the Salvia family. It produces small flowers in a light, smoky blue color and is often used as a ground cover.

76. Blue Daisies

A small, evergreen plant that’s originally native to the southern regions of the African continent, Blue Daisies are sweet-looking flowers that have spread all the way to Europe.

77. Corn

Traditionally found in the Southwestern United States, Blue Corn can range in color from a bold, dark blue to a blue so deep that it almost looks black.

78. Indigo Milk Caps

The Indigo Milk Cap is an edible blue mushroom that takes its name both from its strong color and from the white latex it oozes when it’s injured.

79. Splendid Fairywrens

A small songbird native to Australia, the Splendid Fairywren has black markings similar to those of a blue jay around its eyes, but otherwise, it’s a rich blue.

80. Butterfly Pea Flower

The Butterfly Pea Flower comes in both blue and white varieties. The blue-colored blossoms are often used to make tea, or in some cases, a color-changing liquor additive.

81. Mountain Bluebirds

Unlike their eastern relatives, Mountain Bluebirds are more turquoise than they are true blue. The females of the species are often yellow, gray, or a dusty white.

82. Blue Clams

Blue Clams are tough specimens that are often found in home aquariums. They can range in color, but are usually a vibrant, electric blue around their shell’s opening.

83. Blue Moor Frogs

Blue Moor Frogs are usually reddish brown in color. However, during the breeding season, the male frogs will change colors to a bright blue for a few days.

84. Blue-Eared Starlings

The Blue-Eared Starling is a clever bird with a shimmering, iridescent coat. It ranges throughout Africa and prefers to live in woodland environments near open sources of water.

85. Blue Lupines

With indigo blooms growing in sharp-looking spires, Blue Lupines can grow up to two feet tall and are a favorite snack for rabbits and other grazing garden visitors.

86. Blue Humphead Wrasses

Thriving in coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific Ocean, the Blue Humphead Wrasse is a large, light blue fish that’s heavily endangered due to overfishing and loss of its natural habitat.

87. Flax Flowers

The leaves of the flax are often used for textile work, and the seeds have lots of health benefits, but the flowers are pale blue and quaintly sweet.

88. Black Currants

The rich deep blue color of Black Currants means they were used to dye clothes or produce artwork in ancient times almost as often as they were used for food.

89. Blackberries

As the name might suggest, these berries are so dark in color that they look almost black. Nevertheless, the pigment used to color them is actually blue.

90. Damson Plums

Native to Great Britain, Damson Plums have a slightly sour taste and a deep blue, sometimes purple or violet color. They’re usually used to make preserves or even dyes for cloth.

91. Concord Grapes

If you’ve ever had grape jelly, grape candy, or grape soda, you’ve had Concord Grapes before. On the vine, these grapes have a frosty, almost pale blue color.

92. Elderberries

The Elderberry bush has small, bluish black berries that have been promoted as a cure for just about everything. Whether or not that is true is up for debate, however, they are great for juices, jams and jellies.

93. Irises

Like most of the flowers listed here, the flowers of the Iris can come in many colors, but the curling petals of the blue iris are particularly striking.

94. Delphiniums

Delphiniums grow flowers in long, thin stacks that look somewhat similar to the bluebonnet from a distance. These bright blue prairies blooms are sometimes referred to as larkspur.

95. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are extremely popular choices for gardens and front yards alike, and with their large clusters of pale blue or light purple flowers, it’s easy to see why.

96. Chicory

The roots may be used for coffee substitutes and the leafs for salads, but the flowers of the Chicory plant aren’t good for much – besides their cheerful color!

97. Blue Marble Trees

The Blue Marble Tree may not look particularly blue at first glance. It takes its name from the small, dark blue, marble-looking berries that grow among its branches.

98. Salvia Uliginosa

Not to be confused with the psychoactive Salvia divinorum, Salvia uliginosa or “bog sage” is a tenacious wetland plant with small, azure blue flowers.

99. Herons

Native to Central and North America, the Great Blue Heron has slate blue feathers that appear gray at first glance, with white feathers along its stomach and chest.

100. Crabs

Different breeds of blue crab are found throughout the ocean. Instead of being fully blue, these animals usually have spots or bands of bright blue along their arms.

101. Blue Jays

Native to North America, these blue, white, and black birds are actually a type of corvid, which means that they’re part of the larger crow family.

Things That Are Blue in Nature

Again, a lot of the objects listed above tend to contain more gray or purple than what we’d typically consider blue. This list of blue things is here to remind us just how special the color blue is. Blue is one of the rarest colors found anywhere in nature, which is a big part of what makes these plants, animals, celestial bodies, and natural phenomena so very unique.