A shop-bought bunch of dried flowers is expensive. A packet of seed is not, and the flowers that dry best are among the easiest annuals you can grow. A single sunny bed sown in spring gives enough stems for wreaths, jars and bouquets through the whole winter, and most of these plants keep flowering the more you cut them.
Below are fifteen everlasting flowers that dry reliably at home, grouped by how they grow, with sowing times and the moment to cut. When you have your harvest, our step-by-step guide on how to dry flowers covers air-drying, silica gel and pressing.
- Easiest start statice, strawflowers and globe amaranth
- Sow most annuals March–April indoors; biennials in summer
- Site full sun, well-drained soil, room to cut
- Harvest July to the first frost, cutting every few days
Papery annuals: the true everlastings
These flowers have stiff, papery petals or bracts that are already half-dry on the plant. They keep their colour best and are the backbone of any drying bed.
- Statice (Limonium sinuatum). Clusters of papery flowers in blue, purple, pink, apricot and white. Sow indoors in March; cut when most of the flowers on a stem are open. See growing sea lavender and drying statice, or browse statice seeds.
- Strawflower (Helichrysum bracteatum). Glossy, daisy-like heads in bright and warm colours. Cut when the outer bracts open but the centre is still closed. Our strawflower guide covers sowing; seeds are under helichrysum.
- Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). Round, clover-like heads that look the same dried as fresh. Needs warmth to germinate. Read how to grow globe amaranth.
- Helipterum (Helipterum roseum, also sold as acroclinium). Pink and white paper daisies with a golden eye. Cut before the centres show. Helipterum seeds.
- Xeranthemum (Xeranthemum annuum). Silvery-purple immortelles on wiry stems; one of the easiest to direct-sow in April. Xeranthemum seeds.
- Drumsticks (Craspedia globosa). Perfect yellow spheres on bare stems, loved by florists. Cut when the ball is fully yellow. Drumstick seeds.
Spikes, clouds and fillers
- Larkspur (Consolida). Tall spikes in blue, pink and white that dry with excellent colour. Sow direct in autumn or early spring; it dislikes transplanting. Browse larkspur seeds.
- Gypsophila (baby's breath). Airy white clouds that soften any arrangement. Cut when about half the tiny flowers are open. See gypsophila seeds.
- Yarrow (Achillea). Flat heads in gold, cerise and cream; a perennial that comes back every year. Cut when the heads feel firm. Achillea seeds.
- Celosia. Plumes and crested heads in hot colours. Needs warmth; plant out in June. Celosia seeds.
- Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus). Long, dangling tassels that dry well hung upright. Amaranthus seeds.
Seed heads and pods
- Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena). Grown as much for its striped, balloon-like pods as for its flowers. See how to grow nigella.
- Honesty (Lunaria annua). A biennial with silver, coin-shaped pods. Sow in summer for pods the year after. Read how to grow honesty.
- Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi). Bright orange lanterns on bare stems in autumn. See growing and drying Chinese lanterns.
- Globe thistle (Echinops ritro). Steel-blue spheres from a tough perennial. Cut before the flowers open fully. Globe thistle seeds.
Add poppy seed heads and a few ornamental grasses and you have everything for a full arrangement.
How to plan a drying bed
- Pick the sunniest spot Almost every everlasting comes from dry, sunny places. Six hours of sun and free-draining soil matter more than rich compost.
- Sow in two waves Start half-hardy annuals (statice, strawflowers, gomphrena, celosia) indoors in March–April. Direct-sow hardy ones (larkspur, nigella, xeranthemum) in autumn or April.
- Plant in rows you can reach Rows or blocks with a path between make cutting quick. Group tall spikes at the back so they do not shade the short ones.
- Cut little and often From July, cut every few days. Regular picking keeps annuals producing new stems until the first frost.
- Add biennials in summer Sow honesty in June–July for next year's pods. Our flower sowing calendar has the timings month by month.
Annuals
Sow every year; flower the same summer.
- Statice, strawflowers, globe amaranth, helipterum
- Larkspur, xeranthemum, nigella, celosia, amaranthus
- Biggest harvest per square metre
Biennials and perennials
Sow once; harvest for years.
- Honesty (self-seeds), yarrow, globe thistle
- Chinese lanterns and gypsophila come back each year
- Give them a permanent corner of the bed
Common mistakes
- Growing in shade. Everlastings flower poorly and their colours stay dull without full sun.
- Cutting too late. Fully open flowers keep opening as they dry and drop petals.
- Sowing everything at once. Half-hardy annuals need warmth indoors; hardy ones prefer to be sown direct.
- Forgetting the biennials. Honesty sown in spring will not pod until the year after next.
Frequently asked questions
Which flowers dry best?
Flowers with papery petals or bracts: statice, strawflowers, globe amaranth, helipterum and xeranthemum. They keep their shape and most of their colour with almost no effort.
What is the difference between everlasting and dried flowers?
"Everlasting flowers" are the plants whose flowers are naturally papery and dry well. "Dried flowers" can be any flower that has been dried, including roses and hydrangeas.
When should I sow flowers for drying?
Most half-hardy annuals go in indoors in March and April. Hardy annuals can be sown direct in autumn or April, and honesty in June or July.
How many plants do I need for a wreath?
A row of five or six plants each of three or four types gives enough stems for a wreath and several jars by late summer.
Fifteen flowers, one sunny bed, and a winter of colour. Browse all dried flower seeds and everlasting flowers, add cut flower seeds for the vase, see the full seed shop, or explore the rest of our growing guides.
