Common Fresh Cut Flowers
Fresh Cut Flowers are an essential element of most any event; it could be a formal seated dinner, casual family and friends party, a holiday gathering and of course a wedding. Flowers can enhance the mood and help set the tone. Flowers are very much a part of the aesthetic experience of dining as the food. So, if you have a special theme in mind, want to enhance your home's atmosphere, or express your own unique style at your party, there's a flower to do that.
These common flower varieties can be found at your local florist and can be used alone or mixed with others to create beautiful arrangements. See Flower Arrangement articles for more information.
Anthurium (an-THOO-ree-um )
Unmistakable glossy heart-shaped flower bract (which gives them their popular name of painter's palette) surrounds the true flowers, which are in the form of a spike at the centre.
Anthuriums come in shades of reds, pinks, white, lilac, green and chocolate brown.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around.
Aster
Asters are dainty, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers distributed over airy sprays. They come in a rainbow of colors including white, pink, hot pink, lavender, red, purple and white.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Summer and Fall.
Alstroemeria (Alstro-MARY-ah)
The flowers are like miniature lilies, with spotted or striped markings, shaded color, or contrasting patches.
You can buy them all year round, in red, pink, orange, white, cream, yellow, peach and purple!
These fresh cut flowers are available year around and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Bird of paradise
These unique flowers are named for their similarity in shape to the heads of tropical birds.
They have multicolored flowers held inside green, pointed bracts. Their blooms are bright orange with purple.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around.
Bouvardia
Bouvardia have loose clusters of tubular starlet flowers fringed with leaves and carried on tall stalks.
Each stem resembles a small bouquet in bright colors. They also have a faint delicate scent with shades of pinks and red as well as white.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around.
Calla
Callas have large flowers with thick, waxy petals and solitary flower heads that make excellent cut flowers and blooming plants. Colors include white, yellow, pink, lavender, rose, orange and green.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around but peak season is during the Summer.
Carnation
The carnation is very common and is available as a standard carnation - one large flower per stem, or a spray carnation with lots of smaller flowers.
Available in a huge range of colors, almost all except blue.
They look best in shades of red, pink and orange.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Chrysanthemum (krus anthemon)
Also known as Mums, these flowers have several different varieties that come in a range of shapes and sizes, including spiders, spoons, buttons and blooms.
Blooms come in many different forms, just like dahlias.
Some are tight petalled, with all the petals curling upwards.
Some have petals which curve and twist like a huge feather hat.
All colors including bronze, lime green and brick red, except blue.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Summer and Fall.
Daffodil
Six outer petals surround a cup creating a trumpet-style look of this cut flower. Some stems produce one flower; others produce clusters. The outer petals are yellow or white; cups may be white, yellow, orange or salmon, and some have an orange edge.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Spring and Winter and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Delphinium (del-FINNY-um)
Flowers grow along spikes with stems that are several feet long. Flowers are either single or double, and foliage is medium green and leafy. Shades of blue, purple and white mostly, but salmon and yellow forms available.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around, peak seasons being Summer and Fall, and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Freesia
Freesias are strongly scented so they make a nice addition to any area. They have five to 10 single or double flowers. Stems are usually 10 to 18 inches long with little or no foliage. The bell-shaped freesia blooms up to seven days and comes in wide range including yellows, red, orange, lavender, pinks and white.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around, peak season being Spring, and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Gerbera Daisy (JUR-bra)
Daisy-like blooms grow to 5 inches wide with layers of thin petals. They also grow in many sizes including miniature varieties; single-flowered or double-flowered; and spider varieties.
Gerberas offer an incredibly wide range of colors with every color except blue represented.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Fall and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Gladiolus
Tall, tightly packed spikes of six to eight blossoms open in sequence from the bottom. The florets bloom in one direction with sword shaped foliage on stems. Gladiolus lend itself to almost any type of style from the use of a full stem to provide height to a tall arrangement or individual florets for corsage and wedding work.
White and soft pastels, pinks, oranges, peach, yellow, red and purple.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Summer.
Gypsophila
Its popular name, baby's breath, gives an indication of its delicate airy appearance.
Gypsophila has many slender branching stems, each bearing many tiny button-shaped flowers at the ends.
Gypsophila has a chalky white flower, although cream and pale pink varieties are sometimes found.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around.
Hydrangea
Hydrangeas have small, star-shaped flowers packed closely together to form a rounded or pyramidal head. It is also a popular pot plant and garden plant.
The colors are White, pink, blue, lilac, green, red/brown. These fresh cut flowers are available during the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Iris
Iris are very common with the flowers open to 1 to 3 inches across. Long, thin, pointed leaves grow from the base of the stem. Colors include bluish-purple, deep purple, lavender, white and yellow. Many have yellow markings on the lower part of the petals.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around with peak season being in Summer and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Liatris
Unlike other flowers, Liatris flowers open and mature from the top of the stem downward. Clustered along the spike, they have a feathery look. Various shades of deep lavender are most common; other colors are bluish shades, violet and white.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Summer.
Lily
These popular flowers have a trumpet-shaped blooms that grow to a 6-inch diameter. Stems grow to 3 feet long, carrying four to eight blossoms. Sparse foliage is dark green. Because blooms open at various times, most lilies live one to two weeks. Colors include white, yellow, pink, red and orange; many have a deeper color (freckles) on the inner petal.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Lisianthus (lizzie-ANN-thus)
These long-lasting flowers have four wide ruffled, delicate petals and oval leaves. Colors include white, light and dark pink, lavender, deep purple, and bicolors.
Double- and single-flower varieties exist.
These fresh cut flowers are available during the Spring and Summer.
Orchid
Thousands of Orchid varieties are known and vary in size and shape. Oncidium blossoms are 1 1/2 to 1 inch and are usually yellow with orange-red markings. Cattleya blossoms are large, ruffled and usually 5 to 6 inches across in white or purple with contrasting throats. Phalaenopsis have moth- or butterfly-shaped flowers in colors such as white, pink, purple and bicolors. Cymbidium and dendrobium flowers have a butterfly-like shape and are 3 to 4 inches acress. The larger of the two, cymbidiums are white, yellow, green or lavender with pink or red lips, while dendrobiums are often white or lavender.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around, peak season being Winter and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Rose
The Rose is the most popular fresh cut flower and is used for most any occasion.
With almost 120 varieties available, roses are a classic favorite. Roses span the color spectrum with varieties available in all shades of reds, pinks, purples, oranges, corals, peaches and whites. Tea roses open 3 to 4 inches. Stems can be 12 — 30 inches. Spray roses can have several flowers on one stem. These fresh cut flowers are available year around with peak seasons being Summer and Fall and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Snapdragon
These tall-spike stems usually have fully opened florets upon arrival with the buds on the upper portion showing a hint of color.
Colors include pink, purple, lavender, white, yellow, orange and burgundy.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around with peak seasons being Summer and Fall.
Statice
These cut flowers are available in several varieties.
English statice carries 1- to 2-inch clusters of calyxes, each about 1/2 inch across. Stems are 1 to 1 1/2 feet long. Seafoam statices have smaller calyxes, arched clusters, smooth stems and no foliage. German statices have small gray bracts that arch backward. English statice calyxes are yellow, white, purple, lavender or pink with tiny white or yellow flowers inside. Latifolia calyxes are white with blue-violet flowers.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around with peak season being the Fall.
Stock
Tall, strong stem with a cluster of sweet-scented, double flowers forming a spike.
White (the most popular color), pink, red, yellow, lilac and purple.
These fresh cut flowers are available year around with peak season be Summer.
Sunflower
A large flower head with usually a big dark centre and bright yellow petals. Most sunflowers are bright yellow with dark brown centers, but varieties are appearing now which have tan, orange, maroon or striped petals, and green-yellow centers. Some are even without the central disc, but are fully covered in petals instead. These fresh cut flowers are available during the Spring and Summer.
Tulip
Tulips are one of the first signs of Spring and have single flowers with six petals.
Flower variations include lily-flowering types, double flowers, fringed petals and ruffly parrot varieties. Colors include white, yellow, pink, peach, orange, red, lavender, purple and bi-colors. These fresh cut flowers are available during the Spring and Winter and are some of the most popular displayed flowers.
Other related articles: Floral Arrangements Anniversary Flowers