Spring is in the air, and what says Spring better than cut flowers. And, don't think you must buy cut flowers. With a little planning you can grow your own source of cut flowers. Here a just a few species that produce excellent cut flowers:
(1) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.). Several species are common in Georgia, including R. laciniata, R. fulgida and R. hirta. Also known as coneflower, the disk flowers are yellow to gold, sometimes with red at the base. The flower lasts only a few days in a vase, but it's worth the time to grow and cut them.
(2) Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). The brilliant orange flowers can be seen from far away. The plant has a long taproot and is a bit hard to transplant. A perennial, it flowers only once or twice a summer. But it's worth it. The remaining plant will likely be caterpillar food for monarch butterflies.
(3) Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Its brilliant red flower is prized. Plants grow to 4 feet high and do best in moist sites. A perennial, it's a wonderful cut flower in August. Cut when half the flowers are open on the tall stem.
(4) Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.). Most of the many Georgia annual species have yellow to gold flowers. A common road beautification wild flower, Coreopsis tinctoria is outstanding for cut vases. A number of cultivated varieties do well in the wildflower garden.
(5) Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus and C. sulphureus). C. bipinnatus ranges to 5 feet high with flowers white to pink to lavender. C. sulphureus grows to 3 feet high with flowers yellow to orange to red. These annual flowers last only a few days, but you'll have hundreds to select from each week.
(6) Periwinkle (Vinca minor, V. major). This evergreen, perennial groundcover thrives in shade or partial shade. Both species have attractive blue flowers, though there are white ones. V. minor has smaller leaves and is more compact. Cut a lot of stem for best results. Remove most lower leaves before placing in vase.
And, (7) Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). At 3 to 5 feet high, they bloom all summer. The flowers have high, dark crowns (cones) surrounded by drooping rose-purple petals. Perennial. Nice vase presence. Cut just after the flower opens fully for best results.
For more information on perennials, access the UGA Extension publication, Flowering Perennials for Georgia Gardens.
Billy Skaggs
Agricultural Agent Hall County Extension Coordinator 734 East Crescent Drive Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone:(770)531-6988 Fax: (770)531-3994 Email: [email protected]
Tuesday
August 5th, 2025
4:50AM
