Florida gardeners know that creating beautiful bouquets from your own backyard brings special joy to any home. With our abundant sunshine and long growing season, certain perennials thrive year after year while providing perfect stems for indoor arrangements.
I’ve found that growing cut flowers in Florida’s sunny spots not only saves money on store-bought bouquets but connects me more deeply to our unique growing conditions and seasonal rhythms.
1. Coreopsis: Florida’s Sunny State Wildflower
These cheerful daisy-like blooms aren’t just Florida’s state wildflower—they’re vase superstars. The slender stems hold up wonderfully after cutting, often lasting over a week indoors.
Gardeners appreciate how quickly coreopsis establishes itself in sandy soil. No babying required here! Just plant in full sun, provide occasional water during dry spells, and watch them multiply.
My favorite varieties include ‘Moonbeam’ with its pale yellow flowers and ‘Zagreb’ sporting golden-yellow blooms that pop against greenery in summer arrangements.
2. Gaillardia’s Fiery Appeal
Also known as blanket flower, gaillardia brings southwestern flair to Florida gardens with its red and yellow pinwheel blooms. Heat and drought never faze these tough performers, making them perfect for our hottest garden spots.
Cut the stems when flowers first open fully. The trick is harvesting early morning when stems contain the most moisture, extending vase life significantly.
Pair gaillardia with blue salvia or white zinnias for dramatic bouquet color combinations that celebrate Florida’s vibrant landscape. Their bristly centers add wonderful texture to arrangements.
3. Rudbeckia: Black-Eyed Susans With Staying Power
Nothing says summer like these golden beauties with their distinctive dark centers. Black-eyed Susans thrive in Florida’s heat and produce abundant blooms perfect for cutting from June through October.
Harvest stems when the petals have just fully opened but the center cone still looks fresh. A splash of lemon juice in the vase water helps extend their life indoors to nearly two weeks.
Plant several patches throughout your garden for continuous cutting. I’ve found ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Goldsturm’ varieties perform exceptionally well in Central Florida’s challenging conditions.
4. Echinacea: Coneflowers That Keep On Giving
Butterflies adore them, and Florida gardeners treasure them for both garden beauty and vase longevity. Purple coneflowers stand tall through summer heat, their sturdy stems making them natural choices for cut arrangements.
Remove lower leaves before placing in water to prevent bacterial growth. The distinctive cone centers continue developing in the vase, changing from green to copper as they mature.
For something unexpected, try the newer varieties like ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ with coral tones or ‘White Swan’ for elegant simplicity. My coneflowers return reliably each year with minimal care in my Jacksonville garden.
5. Salvia: Spikes Of Long-Lasting Color
Hummingbirds flock to them, but salvias deserve equal attention from bouquet makers. These vertical bloomers provide architectural interest in arrangements that few other flowers can match.
From deep blues to vibrant reds, salvias offer colors that pop against Florida’s intense sunlight. Cut when one-third of the florets on each spike have opened for longest vase life.
My personal favorites include ‘Mystic Spires’ for its true blue color and ‘Hot Lips’ with its striking red and white bicolor effect. Both rebloom quickly after cutting, ensuring continuous flowers for both garden and home.
6. Lantana’s Colorful Clusters
Don’t overlook this Florida roadside staple for cut arrangements. Lantana’s multicolored flower clusters bring instant cheer to bouquets and last surprisingly well when properly conditioned.
The secret is cutting stems early morning and immediately placing in warm water. Remove all leaves that would sit below the waterline to prevent rot and cloudiness.
Look for named varieties like ‘Miss Huff’ or ‘Chapel Hill Yellow’ for best performance. While some gardeners find lantana’s scent challenging in the garden, it becomes pleasantly subtle in mixed bouquets.
7. Pentas: Star-Shaped Blooms For Tropical Bouquets
Star flowers, as some call them, bring a touch of tropical flair to Florida cut arrangements. Their clustered blooms in shades from white to deep pink create instant volume in bouquets with minimal stems.
Gardeners love how pentas bloom continuously from spring through fall. The more you cut, the more they produce!
Place cut stems in cool water immediately. Their vase life extends to 7-10 days when properly conditioned. I’ve found the ‘Lucky Star’ series performs exceptionally well in South Florida’s heat and humidity while providing perfect cutting material.
8. Shasta Daisies: Classic White For Every Arrangement
Few flowers bring classic simplicity to bouquets like Shasta daisies. Their pristine white petals with sunny yellow centers complement every other flower you might grow in your Florida cutting garden.
Harvest when the flowers have just fully opened but before the centers begin to mature. Shasta stems can reach 24 inches, making them perfect for taller arrangements.
The ‘Becky’ variety has proven itself as the most heat-tolerant for Florida gardens. Give these beauties rich soil with good drainage, and they’ll reward you with armloads of cuts from spring through early summer.
9. Yarrow: Flat-Topped Flowers That Dry Beautifully
Yarrow’s delicate, lace-like flower clusters add airy texture to fresh arrangements while doubling as perfect drying specimens. The flat-topped blooms come in shades from soft pastels to vibrant yellows and reds.
Harvest when flowers are fully open but still fresh-looking. Remove lower leaves and place in water immediately. For dried arrangements, hang bunches upside down in a dark, dry place.
Florida gardeners should look for heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Moonshine’ with its silvery foliage and bright yellow flowers. In my Tampa garden, yarrow thrives with minimal irrigation once established.
10. Mexican Sunflower: Tithonia For Bold Statements
While technically a reseeding annual in some parts of Florida, Mexican sunflowers perform like perennials in frost-free areas. Their fiery orange blooms make dramatic statements in summer arrangements when many other flowers fade.
Cut stems when flowers first open fully. The trick is harvesting early morning when stems contain the most moisture. Their velvety leaves add interesting texture to mixed bouquets.
Butterflies absolutely adore them, so plant extra for both pollinators and your vases. I’ve found they grow almost too enthusiastically in my Gainesville garden, reaching over six feet tall in rich soil.
11. Bee Balm: Monarda’s Unique Texture
Looking like something from a Dr. Seuss book, bee balm’s whimsical flowers bring unmatched texture to Florida bouquets. The crown-like blooms in shades of pink, red, or lavender attract pollinators while providing conversation-starting cuts.
Harvest when flowers are fully open but before they begin to fade. The square stems (typical of the mint family) provide good structural support in mixed arrangements.
Look for mildew-resistant varieties like ‘Jacob Cline’ or ‘Raspberry Wine’ that handle Florida humidity better than older types. Their slight minty fragrance adds another sensory dimension to your fresh-cut bouquets.
12. Verbena: Clusters Of Tiny Blooms With Big Impact
Tall verbena varieties like ‘Homestead Purple’ and ‘Lollipop’ produce elegant stems topped with clusters of tiny flowers that add delicate texture to any arrangement. Their naturally branching habit provides multiple blooms per cut.
Harvest when about half the florets in each cluster have opened. This ensures the longest vase life while still showing the flower’s beauty. A drop of bleach in the vase water helps prevent stem rot.
Plant verbena in your sunniest spots with excellent drainage. Florida’s occasional heavy downpours can challenge them, so raised beds or containers work wonderfully for growing perfect cutting stems.
13. Stokesia: Stokes’ Aster For Blue Tones
Native to southeastern states, Stokes’ aster brings much-needed blue tones to Florida cutting gardens. The cornflower-like blooms appear in late spring and continue through summer if regularly harvested.
Cut stems when flowers have just fully opened, ideally in early morning. Remove all foliage that would sit below the water line to prevent bacterial growth and cloudiness.
The ‘Peachie’s Pick’ variety has proven itself as the most heat-tolerant for Florida gardens. Place these beauties where they’ll receive morning sun and afternoon shade for best performance, especially in South Florida’s intense summer heat.
14. Gaura: Dancing Butterflies For Airy Elegance
Sometimes called whirling butterflies, gaura’s delicate white or pink blooms dance on wire-thin stems, adding movement and grace to any arrangement. Their airy nature perfectly complements more substantial flowers in mixed bouquets.
Harvest when several blooms have opened on each stem but many buds remain. The buds will continue opening in the vase, extending the display’s life.
Florida gardeners appreciate gaura’s exceptional drought tolerance once established. My ‘Siskiyou Pink’ plants have thrived through multiple summers in Orlando with minimal supplemental irrigation, providing countless stems for casual kitchen table arrangements.