Perennial flowers are not often thought of for cutting gardens because they tend to have a limited bloom period. Don’t let that stop you from including some perennial flowers in your cutting garden or from planting a few extra plants in the perennial border specifically to use as cut flowers. In fact, some of these perennials are only perennial in warmer zones and would be fine choices for annual cutting gardens where the gardener wants to raise different plants each year.
Perenial Flowers that Make Good Cut Flowers
- Chinese Lanterns (Physalis alkekengi)* Orange, papery pods look dried, even when fresh. [Zones 2 - 8]
- Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) Bell-shaped flowers, often 2-toned. [Zones 3 - 9]
- Delphinium (Delphinium elatum) Spikes of small, cup-shaped flowers in rich tones. [Zones 4 - 8]
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus gunnii)* Grown for its blue-green foliage. [Zones 9 - 11]
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Spikes of tubular, bell-shaped flowers. [Zones 3 - 9]
- Gaillardia (Gaillardia x grandiflora) Bull’s eye daisy flowers, with yellow tips and rust centers. [Zones 2 - 10]
- Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)* Airy sprays of small white or pink flowers [Zones 5 - 8]
- Heliopsis helianthoides (Smooth ox-eye) Tall, bushy plant has golden daisy-like flowers wit brown centers. [Zones 3 - 9]
- Lupine Long spikes of pea-like flowers in many colors, including some bi-colors. [Zones 4 - 8]
- Monarda (Bee Balm) Sage-like flowers in pastels and deep reds and burgundy. [Zones 4 - 9]
- Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox) A garden staple with tightly clustered upright panicales in a variety of colors. [Zones 4 - 8]
- Rubeckia (Black-eyed Susan) Traditional golden petals surrounding a center disk that comes in several shades of brown, green and black. [Varies with species]
- Scabiosa (Pincushion flower) Pincushion like flower heads on long, delicate stems, in blue, pink, white, yellow and maroon. [Zones 3 - 9]
- Snapdragon Dragon head flowers in a multitude of colors. [Zones 6 - 9]
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) In the ‘Pinks’ family, so named because the flowers look like they were trimmed with a pinking shear. Comes in a variety of colors and has a slight sweet scent. [Zones 3 - 9]
- Talinum (Jewels of Opar) Sprays of flowers like tiny coral bells, on top of light green succulent leaves. [Zones 9 - 10]
- Veronica (Veronica spicata)* Long blooming spikes of flower clusters in white, pinks and purples. [Zones 3 - 8]
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)* Flat, dense umbels in shades from pastels to 2-tone reds. [Zones 3 - 10]
* Also good for drying.
