Plants for Dried Flowers, Greenery and Seedpods
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Dried Flowers, Seedpods and So Forth
I love collecting bits of nature. The following is a compilation of plants to grow or track down for that purpose. I've included some other suggestions too. I will continue to update this with more items and pictures.
Flowers
There are many flowers great for drying and most flowers can be pressed.
Strawflower
Helipterum
I especially love the flowers that are red, orange and yellow. So fiery and great in fall arrangements. They need regular water, preferably drip so the leaves don't get wet. Give them a sunny site or they get powdery mildew.
Bunny Tails Grass
Lagurus ovatus
My daughter picked out these seeds a few years ago. I LOVE this plant! I thought the seed heads would be sharp like other grasses. They're not. They are so soft I have to touch one every time I go outside. They have long straight stems, dry nicely and don't fall apart. If you have cats this is a must have. Pick a stem for hours of kitten entertainment. Cheaper and more eco-friendly than expensive cat toys. I leave mine in the garden even after the plants turn brown because they are so lovely blowing in the wind. Reseeds like crazy.
Poppy
Papaver
I love these tall beauties. They come in some really interesting colors. The blooms only last a day but there are so many when happy. What a show. The seed pods are fun to dry. Just shake out the seeds in the garden and see what shows up next year.
Larkspur
Delphinium
Easy to grow. Easy to dry. Beautiful in the garden. Great plant for anyone.
Love-in-a-Mist
Nigella Damascena, Nigella Hispanica
Love-in-a-Mist is a great plant for drying the seedpods. The flowers are usually blue but come in whites, pinks and purples too. Nigella hispanica is one of my favorite plants. They are drought tolerant and reseed reliably.
Globe Thistle
Echinops
Lavender
Who doesn't love lavender? It smells fantastic. Cut a bundle to lay in a basket in the bathroom. Stuff a muslin teabag for garden fresh sachets. If you pick lavender for drying or culinary use, it is best to harvest before the flowers open.
Oregano Flowers
origanum
Smells fantastic, tasty and easy to grow. Let this herb flower for drying
Lamb's Ears
Stachys byzantia
Lamb's ears gets the award for snuggliest plant. The leaves are so soft. Don't snuggle up to the flowers though, kinda scratchy. I'm not fond of the flowers in the garden and so prefer to snip them off when they appear. That's the perfect time for drying. Thus a win win situation.
Billy Buttons, Drumsticks
Craspedia
The gold globular flowers dry nicely.
Hydrangea
The flowers on the hydrangea are so delicate looking but dry wonderfully. If you buy a blue plant only to find it pink the next year, your soil isn't acidic enough. Add some amendments or fertilize with a acid loving formula.
Grape Vines
Grapes are good for more than just their fruit. If you've ever tasted a vine-ripened grape you will wonder what that stuff is in the grocery they call grapes. Grape plants are gorgeous with their fall color and some have beautiful lacy foliage. Cut the vines back in fall to make wreaths and what not.
Cockscomb
Celosia
The word cockscomb is one of my favorite old-fashioned insults. Add that plus fop and dandy to your arsenal of discourtesy. They come in all sorts of deep colors and can certainly stand alone. Ah we come full circle. Their name is suiting.
Amaranth
Showy dried flowers. If you plan to dry them, make sure you pick them early. This is true of most flowers for drying. You don't want the flowers fully open. If you do let them mature birds, both wild and pets, like the seeds.
Yarrow
Achillea
Yarrow grows native here in California so it would be terribly out of character for me to leave it out. However, it is native many other places so check at your local nursery to make sure you get one native to your region. Flower color fades quickly so harvest early.
Bear Grass
Xerophyllum tenax
This long grass is fun to use. It is a California native plant. It's not difficult to find in the wild but not easy to find for the garden. As with any wild plant, harvest sustainably, make sure the area isn't a protected habitat, get permission from land owner and when on public lands make sure collecting isn't illegal (it usually is). Floral collecting has diminished this plant. Plant one!
Wisteria
The wisteria vine has nice fuzzy seedpods. You could also cut the vines after the leaves fall and use them like grape vines.
Statice
A classic flower for drying.
Blue Flax
Linum
My grandma always grew some flax in the back of her flower bed. She said it reminded her of her childhood. One grew by the outhouse. Now it reminds me of her and my childhood. I like having it around, so graceful in the wind. Cut stems and dry for the cute seedpods.
Money plant
Lunaria annua
Unique translucent seed pods are a must have for dried arrangements.
Bittersweet
Celastrus orbiculatus (invasive) Celastrus scandens (not invasive)
I have a vivid memory of my grandpa walking to pick a bundle from the roadside at the family farm. As grandpas will do, I wasn't allowed since there was poison ivy there too. One of the prettiest items for a fall display. The berries are poisonous so caution the kiddos like I was. I imagine the plant along the roadside was the invasive type. It was probably the result of bird droppings, they love it. If you collect it in the wild have at it. If you plant one make sure it's Celastrus scandens.
Chili Peppers
Bundles of dried chilies take me back to the days I lived in Santa Fe. Oh how I long for green Chili. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, you can find red, orange, yellow, green, purple, black and even white chilies.
Holly
Ilex
The foliage can be used in arrangements but holly always conjures up images of the berries too. If you plant one be sure to talk to your nursery professional about getting it to fruit. Only the females fruit and she'll need a man for that, unless she's the kind that doesn't. So ask. Consider yourself warned about this ferocious beauty. The leaves of this gal have drawn more of my blood than any other plant. Especially the fallen ones, that brown camo gets me everytime, and through my gloves.
Jacaranda
This tree has beautiful purple (pavement staining) flowers. Great in tropical gardens. The seed pods are pretty and hard like wood. You do have to search for them and clip them off. They aren't tall trees though, more spreading, a pair of pole pruners will do the trick.
Tee Tree
leptospermum
This large shrub produces very small but pretty seedpods along the stems. Save them on the stem or pull them off one by one. A good project for the kids who are likely to come up with fun ways to use them. It's a great drought tolerant plant. That makes it a nice addition for dry areas. Just keep in mind that it's adapted to areas with seasonal fires. So don't plant this tinder bush near buildings. The flowers can be dried too.
Sweet Gum Tree
Liquidambar
This is a very popular fast growing tree here in the Bay Area. Though it escapes me why anyone would put it in the sidewalk strip. The roots Will tear up your sidewalk. If you decide to plant it keep it away from structures and pavement to avoid damage. Brilliant fall colors of red, orange, yellow and even purple, great for pressing leaves. It sheds what my kid and I call "pokey balls." They're a tripping hazard on pavement but fun (and sharp) to collect. If they grow in your area go pick up some. Magnolia Grandiflora
This is an excellent tree if you live in an area where it grows and you are lucky enough to have the space for it. The seedpods are beautiful. They fall from the tree when ripe making them easy to obtain. Additionally the leaves on the tree have a velvety golden underside and dry nice. A good choice of greenery in wreaths. Oak Trees
Quercus
I remember as a kid the magic of encountering an ancient oak in the Midwestern countryside. I would stare and ponder their age and wonder what they had seen in their lives. The ancients have mosses, lichens and galls that are fun to collect, not greedily mind you. Do plant one if you can. There really isn't a more magnificent tree than an oak. Deciduous types will provide beautiful leaves for pressing. The acorns are fun to collect and the tops make great fairy hats.
Pepperberry Tree
Schinus
This tree produces pink berries. You can find them in markets as pink peppercorn. Pick a cluster to hang in the kitchen. The tree is has a weeping gnarled look, gorgeous. Mature specimens are great for climbing.
Buckeye tree
Aesculus
Buckeyes beg to be picked. Add them to a basket with some gourds, bittersweet, strawflowers and ornamental corn for a festive Autumn arrangement.
Conifers
The foliage on most conifers work well in arrangements. They all have nice cones too, thus the name conifer.
Juniper
Juniperus
Eucalyptus
There are lots of eucalyptus to choose from all with suitable foliage for drying. While I don't encourage illegal picking by any means, take all you want from this invasive tree. Pretend you're a hungry caterpillar and defoliate the whole tree. In fact chop the whole tree down. This tree belongs in Australia and wreaks havoc in California. If you plant one do make sure it is not invasive. Then double check again. The peeling bark can also be used for projects. Most smell nice but I've heard some liken the fragrance to cat pee.
Bamboo
This giant grass makes a great switch. If you're sentimental about your switch, they keep well. For years in fact. So many uses. I like black bamboo. The runners from this plant can completely take over and there's little you can do once this happens. Always always always use a root barrier if you put it in the ground. Otherwise give it a big pot and don't fret.
Redtwig Dogwood
Cornus stolonifera
Dogwood oh Dogwood how I do love thee. Dogwoods are some of my all time favorite plants. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, plant a native variety. Non-natives are disease carriers, killing the ones that do belong. Also the native ones have berries that feed local wildlife. The Redtwig Dogwood is at home here, usually found along streams. They need a nice agressive pruning each year. Perfect since the red twigs make an excellent addition to projects.
Sprigs
A sprig is not a plant , at least not to my knowledge. But you might enjoy a sprig of the following plants for their greenery.
Bay
Rosemary
Boxwood
Bay
Rosemary
Boxwood
Pyrecanthus
Pretty fall berries.
Mistletoe
It's not a tree or a shrub, but it does parasatize trees. So romantic. Can't plant it but you can harvest it for seasonal smooching.
Miscellaneous
Go beyond flowers and foliage.
Gourds
Everyone should grow gourds at least once. Gourds are fun to dry and can be used in many a project. Your imagination is the limit.
Lichens, mosses etc...
There's something magical about bryophytes. If could I go back to school I'd get a Ph. D in bryology. Which means I could sing their praises for hours, but I will spare you. If you (prudently!) collect them and dry them, it is entirely likely that even years later it will still be alive if kept attached to the growing medium.
Mushrooms
Most fungus is difficult to preserve but shelf types are easy. They are already dry and leathery. Scratch drawings into the white of the large ones. The coloring on smaller ones is easily overlooked but not to be ignored. They can be found on old firewood, just pluck them off.
Seaweed
If you are fortunate enough to live along the coast, seaweed is a great find. I personally like the small bubble ones. Larger ones are nice too. I've seen people make shakers out of them. It is less stinky if you can track down pieces already dried in the sun.
Supplies
Did I inspire you?
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Papier Oct 11, 2011 @ 12:53 am | delete
- yes, it's great to see all these flowering plants up close. I can almost smell the juniper
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1SquidAddict
Sep 3, 2011 @ 8:21 am | delete
- Wow! Such a huge range of plants and flowers. I love the dried seed pods of lunaria.
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Philippians468
Jan 10, 2011 @ 6:01 am | delete
- of coz you did my friend! with such lovely pictures, one can only be inspired. cheers!
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nyfamily5
Sep 5, 2010 @ 9:44 pm | delete
- Lots of information and great photos.
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My Lenses
Planting Seeds
- Planting seeds demystified
- Article I wrote for planting seeds.
Silvanegardens.com/blog
