When it comes to spring flowers, I’m about as knowledgeable as the girl whose Ranunculus all died the morning of her wedding. I know what kinds of flowers I like, I’m familiar with the names of the ones I’m really into, but I otherwise have no idea where they grow, when they are in season, or how you put them together. And it’s really hard to get exactly the kind of floral arrangement you want at a reasonable price if you’re not at least a little familiar with what you’re asking for. Plus, if you’re going to DIY your wedding flowers (we have a full run-down on that right here), it’s vital that you know what flowers you can get when.
So with that in mind, we decided to pull some of our research from the #APWPlanner to bring you the ultimate guide to spring flowers. We’ve included price estimates from online wholesalers Fifty Flowers and Blooms By The Box, plus research from Meg’s recent book. With this handy guide, if you’re getting married in spring, basically all you have to do is figure out which spring flowers you think are pretty. (And you know, which ones you can afford. Boo.) And here it is…
The ultimate APW guide to spring flowers!
Name: Alstroemeria
Cost: $11–$19 per bunch | Hardiness: Vase life of 7–12 days | Colors: All except blue
Alstromeria is a variety of Lily that is native to South America. It comes in many color varieties, which makes the flower DIY-friendly and as an excellent filler flower in large bouquets.
Name: Anemone
We’re going to go out on a limb and say this is one of the best spring flowers. Cost: $22–$25 per bunch | Hardiness: Reasonably hardy, but does not hold up well in temperatures of over 90°F. | Colors: All | Affordable Alternatives: Godetia, Poppy, Ranunculus
Region: The native region varies based on species. The flower is available in many saturated colors, and white with the black center is the most popular.
Name: Calla Lily
Cost: $27–$48 per bunch | Hardiness: Flower has medium hardiness and holds up well in heat. | Colors: White, gold, purple | Affordable Alternatives: Alstromeria, Tulip
Calla Lilies are wildly popular (especially for weddings), and come in a range of varieties. The flower is native to cool, temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere.
Name: Carnation
Cost: $9 per bunch, or $.75–$1 per stem | Hardiness: Holds up extremely well. | Colors: Basically whatever you can imagine, including colors that don’t exist in nature
This flower is used widely, and is generally purchasable by the stem. The flower hails from the Mediterranean, but is now cultivated worldwide.
Name: Craspedia (billy ball)
Cost: $50 (25 stems)–$250 (300 stems) | Hardiness: Very hardy. | Colors: Yellow, green, orange, red (also available tinted and airbrushed)
Craspedia are native to Australia and New Zealand, and are often used a filler flowers for wedding bouquets. You can generally get a good deal on stems because several are required to make a big impact.
Name: Daffodil
The bloom that just screams spring flowers. Cost: $89.99 (50 stems)–$249.99 (200 stems) | Hardiness: Very hardy. | Colors: Yellow, white
Daffodils are a classic flower that are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North America. They play well with other soft petaled flowers, such as Ranunculus, Sweet Peas, and Irises.
Name: Daisy
Cost: $99.99 (12 bunches)–$159.99 (24 bunches) | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: White, yellow, pink, red, orange
The Daisy is a spray flower that includes more than 23,000 species. These are found everywhere on Earth except Antarctica and the extreme Arctic.
Name: Daisy, Gerber
Cost: $109.99 (50 stems)–$259.99 (200 stems) | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: White, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange
Gerber Daisies are extremely popular and are generally used as a cut flower or for decoration. The flowers are native to the tropical regions of South America, Asia, and Africa.
Name: Delphinium (Larkspur)
Cost: $25–$33 per bunch | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: Blue, purple, white | Affordable Alternatives: Gladiolus, Stock, Snapdragon, Lilac
Delphinium is one of the few naturally blue flowers in the world, and are native to the Northern Hemisphere and the high mountains of tropical regions in Africa.
Name: Dianthus (Sweet William)
Cost: $89.99 (8 bunches or 80 stems)–$199.99 (30 bunches or 300 stems) | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: Red, white, pink, fluffy green ball variety | Affordable Alternatives: Carnation
Dianthus flowers have a short shelf life, but are wildly adored. The flowers are native to Europe and Asia, and a few species are found in Africa.
Name: Freesia
Cost: $23–$28 per bunch | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: White, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange
Freesia have bell-shaped blooms and a citrus scent, which makes them great for late spring weddings. They are native to the eastern side of southern Africa (Kenya to South Africa).
Name: Gladiolus
Cost: $169.99 (8 bunches)–$259.99 (12 bunches) | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: White, pink, red, purple, yellow, orange | Affordable Alternatives: Snapdragon, Hyacinth, Stock, Delphinium
These flowers are ideal for tall flower arrangements, and come in a wide array of colors (purple is extremely popular). They typically occur in Asia, Mediterranean Europe, South Africa, and tropical Africa.
Name: Hyacinth
Cost: $13–$15 per bunch | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: Purple, blue, white | Affordable Alternatives: Lilac, Snapdragon, Stock
The flower is native to the eastern Mediterranean (from south Turkey to Lebanon, throughout Syria to Northern Israel), Iraq, Northeast Iran, and Turkmenistan. They also hail from Holland.
Name: Hydrangea
Cost: $7–$10 per stem | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: Any and all
Hydrangeas have been popular in gardens for years. They are native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas, and you can find the greatest species diversity in China, Japan, and Korea.
Name: Iris
Cost: $19–$20 per bunch | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: Blue, purple, yellow, white
The Iris is a super saturated, colorful flower that is found in temperate Northern Hemisphere zones from Europe to Asia, and across North America.
Name: Lilac
Cost: $99.99 (50 stems)–$379.99 (300 stems) | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: White, purple | Affordable Alternatives: Hyacinth, Snapdragon, Stock
The Lilac is native to the Balkan Peninsula, but is now cultivated widely in Europe (UK, France, Germany, Italy) and across much of North America.
Name: Lily
Cost: $28–$47 per bunch | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: Many | Affordable Alternatives: Godetia, Dianthus, Stock, Delphinium
Lilies are native to much of Europe, most of Asia to Japan, India, Indochina, the Philippines, and southern Canada. you can also find the flowers throughout much of the United States.
Name: Lisianthus
Cost: $30–$34 per bunch | Hardiness: Delicate | Colors: White, purple, light green, pink | Affordable Alternatives: Godetia
The Lisianthus is a delicate, delightful flower that is native to the southern Untied States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America. The flower is also known as Eustoma.
Name: Mum (Chrysanthemum)
Cost: $7–$23 per bunch | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: many
Chrysanthemum flowers are widely used in centerpieces, and come in a variety of colors. They are native to Asia and northeast Europe, and the center of diversity is in China.
Name: Narcissus (Paperwhite)
Cost: $189.99 (10 bunches or 100 stems) | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: White, yellow | Affordable Alternatives: Stephanotis, Daffodil
The flowers is native to the meadows and woods in southwestern Europe and North Africa, and the center of diversity is in the western Mediterranean.
Name: Orchid
Cost: $18–$40 per stem, $2–$25 per bunch | Hardiness: Delicate | Colors: Many | Affordable Alternatives: Iris
The richest and most diverse species are found in the tropics, but the flower is also found above the Arctic circle, in southern Patagonia, and there are two species on the Macquarie Island.
Name: Peony
We all know that the Peony is the gold standard for spring flowers. Cost: $179.99 (25 stems)–$489.99 (100 stems) | Hardiness: Delicate | Colors: White, pink, red | Affordable Alternatives: Ranunculus, Poppy, Garden Rose, Mum, Tulip
Peonies are native to Asia, southern Europe, and western North America. Alternatives to Peonies include Sweet Juliet Roses, Cabbage Roses, Ranunculus, and Mums.
Name: Poppy
Cost: $145 per box of 12 bunches | Hardiness: Very delicate, vase life of four to six days | Colors: Red, orange, yellow | Affordable Alternatives: Ranunculus, Anemone
Poppies grow to be 8 to 12 inches tall. The origin of the flower is not known for sure, though in America the origin is widely attributed to Europe. The native range includes western Asia, northern Africa, and Europe.
Name: Queen Anne’s Lace
Cost: $23.46 per bunch of 10 | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: White, green
Queen Anne’s Lace is native to temperate regions of Europe and southwestern Asia, and has also been naturalized to North America and Australia.
Name: Ranunculus
Cost: $28–$31 per bunch | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: All except blue
Ranunculus first came in vogue for weddings in 2013, and have steadily climbed in popularity. The genus includes more than 600 species which can be found throughout North and South America, Asia, and Europe.
Name: Rose, Garden
Cost: $49–$65 per bunch | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: All except blue
Garden roses have predominantly been grown for ornamental purposes and thrive in temperate climates. The roses are known to have been grown as far back as ancient Babylon.
Name: Rose, Long Stem
Cost: $170 for 200 stems | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: All except blue | Affordable Alternatives: Lisanthus, other rose varieties
Roses are native to Asia, and smaller numbers are native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa.
Name: Rose, Spray
Cost: $120 for 144 stems | Hardiness: Very hardy | Colors: All except blue
Spray roses are typically smaller than other roses (but not always), and have shorter stems than those you’ll find in classic rose bouquets.
Name: Snapdragon
Cost: $28.70 per bunch | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: White, yellow, pink, lavender
Snapdragon is native to rocky areas of Europe, the United States, and northern Africa. The flowers are frequently and excellently used in table arrangements and centerpieces.
Name: Stephanotis
Cost: $2.39 per stem (for 25+ stems) | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Color: White | Affordable Alternatives: Narcissus
The most popular species of Stephanotis is native to Madagascar. The flower is also known as Madagascar jasmine, waxflower, and Hawaiian wedding flower.
Name: Stock (Gilliflower)
Cost: $22–$25 per bunch | Hardiness: Reasonably hardy | Colors: White, pink, red, yellow, purple, orange | Affordable Alternatives: Snapdragon, Hyacinth
Stock can be used in centerpieces and bouquets, or on its own as a green accent. The common names include night scented stock and evening scented stock, and the flower is also known in the United States as ten-weeks stock.
Name: Succulents
Cost: $2–$17 each (minimum of 20 per order) | Hardiness: Extremely hardy | Colors: Green, gray, purple, black, pink
Succulents are ever increasing in popularity, and include 60 different plant families. Most succulents come from dry areas (think steppes, semi-desert, and deserts).
Name: Sweet Pea
If ever a spring flower made you feel like, well, spring… the Sweet Pea was it. Cost: $150 (7 bunches)–$230 (15 bunches) | Hardiness: Very delicate | Colors: White, red, pink, purple
Sweet Peas are available in a variety of colors, and lend a burst of color to table arrangements and bouquets. The flowers are native to Sicily, southern Italy, and the Aegean Islands.
Name: Thistle
Cost: $20 per bunch | Hardiness: Extremely hardy | Colors: Blue, green, gray gold
Cotton and Scotch Thistle hail from Europe and West Asia and north to central Scandinavia. They are also cultivated widely around the world.
Name: Tulip
The tulip is one of the classic spring flowers, and for good reason. Cost: $15 to $20 per bunch | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: All except blue
Tulips are loved around the world, and their native region extends through northern Africa to Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Ukraine, southern Siberia, Mongolia, and northwestern China.
Name: Veronica (Speedwell)
Cost: $160 (15 bunches)–$280 (40 bunches) | Hardiness: Moderately hardy | Colors: White, blue, purple, pink
Most species are from temperate Northern Hemisphere climates, though a few can be found in the Southern Hemisphere. There are many types of Veronica flowers available.
This post was excerpted from the #APWPlanner. For more useful advice like this, get your #APWPlanner at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or on iTunes.
