The Best Flowers To Grow For Drying 

Thank you for sharing!

In this post I’m sharing a list of flowers that you should add to your garden this growing season if you want to have everlasting dried flowers for bouquets, wreaths, and more! Keep reading to learn all about the best flowers to grow for drying!

Have you ever wanted to make your own dried flower arrangements, but didn’t know where to start? The best way to learn is to just dive in, but sometimes figuring out what to plant is the hardest part! I’ve learned a lot about growing flowers in recent years, and have some great suggestions about which types of flowers you should plant for beautiful everlastings.

What are everlasting flowers?

Everlasting flowers are types that retain their shape and color well after they are dried.  

Do all fresh flowers make good dry flowers?

Unfortunately the answer to this question is no. There are so many kinds of beautiful flowers that look absolutely stunning freshly cut in a vase, but if you tried to dry them they would look unrecognizable. Some kinds are so delicate they simply fall apart, while others turn brown and lose their vibrant colors. However, there is a good selection of flowers you can grow that make excellent everlasting flowers.

What are the best flowers to grow for drying?

This list contains the types that I have personally grown and have had good success with, and I took all of these pictures while documenting throughout the growing seasons. There are many more that I hope to try in the future, but these are some of my favorites so far. Several of them are known by different names, so I will list both the common and scientific names where applicable. All of these on my list of the best flowers to grow for drying also make excellent cut flowers to use in fresh bouquets!

1. Globe Amaranth (Gomphrena)- These are prolific little flowers that resemble clover blossoms. They are a branching type on which the blooms get bigger the longer you leave them on the stems. We grew a mix that had colors ranging from light pink to a deep purple, and also white. This is a cut and come again variety, and the more you harvest the more the plants produce. The type of blooms they have are called bracts, which are specialized leaves and not true petals. They are very stiff and sturdy, and this is what makes gomphrena so good for drying.

2. Pincushion (Scabiosa) Seed Pods– Pincushion petals are super delicate, and these cut flowers must be treated with gentleness. They do not make great dried flowers, but if you leave them on the plant until they “go to seed” you can harvest the seed pods. All varieties of scabiosa have lovely seed pods, but “Starflower” is grown specifically for its pods. They add such a lovely texture to dried arrangements, and I think they’re definitely worth growing!

3. Cockscomb/Plumed Cockscomb (Celosia)- If I could only grow one type of flower for drying, it would be celosia. There is so much variation in color and shape among the different varieties. It is a hardy plant that doesn’t require any special treatment, and gives loads of blooms throughout the season. The more you cut the more you have!

4. Giant Marigolds– This was my biggest surprise last season! These flowers are the definition of a work horse, and I expected the blooms to be great in fresh bouquets (which they were). However, I had no idea they made such excellent dried flowers also! They retain their color so well and keep a nice shape after they are dry. They will be a staple in our garden from now on.

5. Strawflowers– Strawflowers were probably the ones that I was most excited to grow for drying. I just love everything about them! They have bracts like gomphrena, and the stiff “petals” are papery and straw-like which is where they get their name. They are delicate yet sturdy, and so very lovely.

6. Drumstick Flowers/Billy Balls (Craspedia)– These whimsical yellow balls add a touch of something extra to dried florals. They were a little more challenging to grow than others, but definitely worth the effort!

7. Yarrow (Achillea)– Ahh yarrow, is there anything that you cannot do? Reduce fever? Check. Stop bleeding? Check. Make a great addition to dried flower arrangements? Check. This plant is a jack of all trades, and one I recommend growing for MANY reasons. Since this post is about everlastings though, let’s talk about that! Yarrow produces clusters of small flowers in a myriad of colors that you can incorporate into your arrangements. The pinks and reds look lovely in fresh bouquets, and the fern like leaves make an excellent filler. In my experience these colors faded after they were dry, but the yellow and white varieties kept their color much better. So if you want to grow them for dried florals, try planting achillea filipendulina or achillea millefolium. 

8. Statice– These tiny papery blossoms are long lasting and have excellent color retention. They add an airy delicate touch to dried arrangements. They weren’t super producers, so I recommend planting more than you think you’ll need.

Other good plants for dried arrangements

It’s also a good idea to grow plants that can be used as filler for all your dried arrangements. I wasn’t as successful with these as I was with the other flowers, but I’m going to keep trying to grow them anyway! 

Baby’s Breath– These delicate wispy flowers are great to add to dried wreaths and bouquets. They provide bulk and blooms at the same time.

Bunny Tails– They are whimsical and elegant, and I can’t wait to add them to my dried floral collection.

Ornamental Grasses– There are so many kinds to choose from depending on what your end goals are. Some would look lovely in elegant designs, while others add more of a rustic charm and are reminiscent of autumn.

Queen Anne’s Lace– This grows wild where we live, so I have an abundance to use. I did start a chocolate variety from seed that just didn’t do very well. It makes a perfect filler for fresh bouquets, and when dried, the flower folds inward creating a unique texture. CAUTION: If you are foraging wild plants, make sure you know the difference between Queen Anne’s Lace and it’s poisonous lookalike, Poison Hemlock!

Dry Hydrangeas– These are on my wish list to grow in the future. I think they are so beautiful and would look lovely by themselves in a vase.

A word about climate

The key here is to experiment. Some flowers that aren’t typically grown for drying might indeed make good everlastings, while others that are known for their dried qualities simply might not do well in your area. It’s helpful to get advice from other local growers, and see how different types perform for them. Your list of the best flowers to grow for drying could be a little different than mine!

When to harvest flowers for drying

Most of the plants on this list can be harvested all season long. If you have an early last frost date, you can probably start drying sometime in late spring or early summer, depending on when you get your plants in the ground. Make sure you harvest before the seed heads form except if you are growing them specifically for that purpose. You will probably want to go ahead and strip the leaves off at this time as well unless that is a main component of the dried look you are going for.

How to dry flowers

The air drying process is straightforward, and most flowers don’t require any special treatment. 

The basic steps after harvesting are:

​1. Group them in small bundles.

2. Place stems together.

3. Secure the ends with a rubber band- it’s easiest to do this if stems are roughly the same length.

4. Hang them upside down in a dry spot, making sure that there is adequate space between the bunches to allow for good air circulation.

(A note about wire stems- sometimes the flower heads will fall off and if you still want to save and use them, then you can make a stem out of floral wire. Some people do this for all of their strawflowers, and I definitely see the benefit of it for those in particular because of how delicate they are and how thick and curved the stems become after drying.)

How to preserve and store dried florals

After all the hard work of growing, harvesting, and drying your own flowers, you want to make sure they last a long time. There are some basic things you can do to help preserve them for as long as possible.

Dried florals will always last longer in a dry location away from windows. It’s tempting to want to display a beautiful wreath on the front door, but this the worst place to put one. The sunlight will fade the colors rapidly, and cause the delicate petals to deteriorate. For best results, find a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.

Preservation

Decide if you want to use a preservative or would rather have your flowers all natural. Dried flowers properly taken can of can last a couple of years, but there are some additional things you could do to preserve them for longer. The use of silica gel before arranging will remove moisture and preserve the blooms. I have never tried this method, but it looks interesting!

There are also floral sprays you can use to aid in preservation. Acrylic sealant is often used to preserve dried flowers. This would probably preserve your flowers for a very long time. However, if you want to avoid that type of product, foliar spray is an alternative. It is most often used in event design work for fresh flowers, but can also be used on dried florals to reduce shedding and preserve vibrant colors. 

Long term storage

You can keep all of your extra blooms in a container tucked away in a dark room. A cardboard box works well for this purpose as long as there is no moisture around. If you use an airtight container make sure your flowers are completely dry so they don’t mold. I like to put tissue paper between the layers of flowers as well for extra protection.

Ways to use your dried flowers

​Now once you have a storage system for all those flowers, you can begin the process of creating with them! There are endless ways to use dried florals in craft projects, dried flower bouquets, floral arrangements, and dried wreaths.

I hope you’ve learned something new, and a little about the best flowers to grow for drying!

Thank you for sharing!