Yay, it’s Spring! A perfect time to share with you the 12 best flowers for drying. It was very hard to narrow this list down to twelve. However, I think it’s a good place to start if you are new to drying flowers or want to expand your repertoire of craft options. Dried flowers can be used for bouquets, wreaths, wedding/holiday decor, magnets, flower domes and flower drops. The awesome part of working with dried flowers is you can create decor way before the celebration, and it will last. I chose this list based on: ease to grow, variety of colors and textures, ease to dry, durability once dried and just because I really love them! 

Almost all of the 12 best flowers for drying are usually easy to grow from seed, potentially saving you lots of money.

However, for people without the space to grow flowers, you can always find different fresh flowers to buy at retail locations. So, this list can help you pick the ones you want for drying. If you do choose to grow from seed, I highly recommend you invest in heating pads for your seed trays/packs. They are inexpensive and have greatly increased my germinating success this year compared to last year without them. I also recommend getting your seeds locally because local varieties are more likely to prosper. I get my flower seeds from: The Thyme Garden, Everlastings! Lastly, always follow the care instructions on the seed packets for best results.

In this list of the 12 best flowers for drying,

I have included the Latin name to reduce confusion among plants that sometimes share a common name. The flowers are listed alphabetically because they are all equally great! Also, please note that I live in a moderate climate in the Pacific NW, and my observations and advice might not apply if your climate is more extreme.

Bachelor buttons/aka Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) A reseeding annual in colors of white, pink, red, blue, purple and black. In order for reseeding to occur, remember to leave some flowers on the plant so they can turn to seed. I try to pick my bachelor buttons as soon as they open. The older the flower when picked, the more fragile it will be when dried. The colors are muted but deep when dried, and the petals provide a perky presence in arrangements.

Blue salvia/ Woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa) What I love best about this perennial is that the flowers have the same effect as lavender in designs, without the fragility of lavender. Offering a dark purple and green in arrangements. Mine are growing in a less than ideal spot (red, clay soil and partial sun), and they come back every year. It is so reliable and easy to work with! Woodland sage is also very important for pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. It can also attract bats, songbirds and hummingbirds.

English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) There are so many varieties of lavender to choose from! However, English lavender is my favorite because of the rich, purple color and the compact shape of the flower stem. Just know, there are different varieties of English lavender too so try to pick one that grows best in your area. Personally, I prefer purchasing baby lavender plants over sowing seeds. It is a hardy perennial that grows fast. In just two years, mine have tripled in size! Just know that lavender breaks easily when dried, so be real careful when working with it. It is definitely a fan favorite though.

Flamingo feather (Celosia argentea, Spicata group) The rosy, pink plumes fade into silver, giving a soft and feathery appearance. Don’t be in a hurry to sow these annual seeds outside. They seem to really like the heat, and I plant mine in the sunniest spot I have. However, they are considered easy to grow in almost any location. I love the soft spikes of pink in my designs! Notice the silky and romantic texture they add to these bouquets pictured below.

Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) This annual loves the sun and comes in white, soft pink, vibrant plum and strawberry (which when dry is more orange than red). My globe amaranth flowers never seem to get as large as the ones I’ve seen for sale, but the smaller globes are super cute and incredibly versatile in arrangements. If you wait too long to cut these, though, they can fall apart easily as dried flowers.

Love in a mist (Nigella damascena) A reseeding annual that I grow for the flowers and unique seed pods. The starburst-shaped flowers come in white, light and dark blue, rose and indigo-violet. They offer a wispy and ethereal addition to bouquets. The seed pods are dramatic, with purple stripes and long spikes. The spikes do break off easily, but the seed pods are super cool even without them. Just like the spikes, dried nigella flowers can be fragile, but the sooner you harvest them, the more compact and protected the dried petals will be. To encourage reseeding, let some flowers go to seed, then shake seeds from seed pods while harvesting.

Paper daisies (Helipterum roseum) These cheery annuals are simply amazing! White, pink and rose with bright, yellow centers. The stems get real thin when dried, but the flowers hardly change at all in appearance after being harvested. Their petals are papery yet durable, making these flowers great for crafts. They add a bright and happy vibe to arrangements. I’ve had the most success when I directly sowed the seeds outside in late spring in a super, sunny spot. 

Roses (Rosa species) I’ve been telling my boyfriend for a while that a bouquet of miniature roses would make a great gift for me, and he finally got me one this past Valentine’s day! They were dark pink and dried a beautiful fuchsia color. We currently only have a few rose bushes, so I usually buy discounted bundles of roses (regular and miniature) from grocery stores to dry. Removing leaves and partially separating first really helps these large and thick flowers to dry faster, which means more vibrant colors. I have never tried sowing rose seeds. However, I did plant a mini, potted rose that was gifted to me, and it has done well in the yard. The ones you buy in stores can be stressed from lack of proper care, so the sooner you plant them the better.

Statice (Limonium sinuatum) If I had to choose a top 3, statice would be in it! A hardy, annual with many colors and sturdy green stems, adding a bold and beautiful presence to any dried arrangement. A warning, though, flowers can break off easily once dried. I always use these smaller pieces to put in little bottles that become mini flower domes, ornaments and pendants for hemp necklaces. I save and use almost all of my broken flower pieces. Some do end up in the compost but most get eternal life through my art! I have a few potted statice in my greenhouse that stayed green all winter. Once in the ground, add mulch in the fall to help them through the winter.

Strawflowers (Helichrysum monstrosum) These flowers dry so well and perfect, they almost look fake. Blooming in white, yellow, peach, pink, orange, dark red and purple, strawflowers are essential and timeless classics! Their stems become very thin and fragile while drying, so I usually lay these guys flat to dry. The flower heads are perfect for wreaths, indestructible and very captivating. These are also in my top 3 for dried flowers. Not considered a hardy annual though, so be ready to propagate from seed or plant every year. You won’t be disappointed.

Winged everlasting (Ammobium alatum) After working with dried flowers for a few years now, I have learned that you can never have enough white flowers. While creating, I am always wanting to add some white. I love baby’s breath, but it breaks very easily. Winged everlasting are like tiny, white strawflowers, yet their stems are wider and stronger. This makes them very easy to work with. Considered a tender perennial or hardy annual depending on the zone. The ones I have planted in a half barrel survived the winter, but the ones in the garden did not. Maybe the better soil in the half barrel is the reason? Still learning over here!

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Again, one of my top 3. I use yarrow all the time as filler because of its wide and full spread of little, individual flowers, in shades of white, pink, peach, yellow and red. My favorite color of yarrow is paprika, clusters of red flowers with yellow centers. Once dried, the colors are more subtle and can compliment more bolder colors extremely well. Yarrow is a very hardy, low maintenance perennial that just needs room to spread. I dug up a few plants from the side of the road last year, put them in my garden, and right now they are looking very happy. Also, drought tolerant and deer resistant make it a no brainer.

Well, there you have it. The 12 best flowers for drying, in my opinion.

Other flowers/plants that I dry and frequently use include: carnations, columbine, coneflower (echinacea), dahlias, eucalyptus, hellebore, hydrangea, oregano, silver sagebrush, sword ferns, xeranthemum and zinnias. To learn more about flowers that dry well, check out this site: The 30 best flowers for drying and preserving. Also, to learn more about how to dry flowers, check out my last blog: Drying flowers, 3 helpful tips to get started! Thank you for reading, and may this Spring bring you much joy!