Flower dictionary

A quick, plain-language guide to the flowers your local florist works with — what each one symbolizes, the colors and seasons to expect, how to keep it fresh, and the moments it suits. Use it to pick the perfect stem, then find a florist to arrange it.

Rose arrangement

Rose

Rosa

The flower florists reach for first — layered, fragrant, and available in nearly every color a message could ask for.

Year-round

Tulip arrangement

Tulip

Tulipa

A clean, cup-shaped bloom that keeps growing after it is cut — the unmistakable signal that spring has arrived.

Spring

Lily arrangement

Lily

Lilium

Large, sculptural trumpets — often fragrant — that lend instant presence and grace to any arrangement.

Summer

Sunflower arrangement

Sunflower

Helianthus annuus

The big, sunny face of summer — sturdy, long-lasting, and impossible to look at without smiling.

Summer–Autumn

Peony arrangement

Peony

Paeonia

Cloud-soft, teacup-sized blooms with a short, coveted season and a romance no other flower quite matches.

Spring–Summer

Orchid arrangement

Orchid

Phalaenopsis

Elegant, architectural blooms marching up an arching spike — long-lasting as a plant, exotic as a cut stem.

Year-round

Carnation arrangement

Carnation

Dianthus caryophyllus

The hardest-working flower in the cooler — ruffled, long-lasting, and available in every shade imaginable.

Year-round

Gerbera Daisy arrangement

Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera jamesonii

The cheerful, saturated daisy in candy colors that reads pure celebration.

Year-round

Hydrangea arrangement

Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

A single stem that fills a vase — full clouds of tiny florets in soft, painterly colors.

Summer–Autumn

Ranunculus arrangement

Ranunculus

Ranunculus asiaticus

Tissue-paper petals wound into a perfect swirl — delicate to look at, surprisingly long-lasting in the vase.

Spring

Chrysanthemum arrangement

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum morifolium

The dependable backbone of autumn design — dense, durable, and available in countless forms.

Autumn

Alstroemeria arrangement

Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria

The Peruvian lily — clusters of speckled, lily-like blooms that outlast nearly everything beside them.

Year-round

Freesia arrangement

Freesia

Freesia

A slender stem of buds that open in a curving row, carrying one of the sweetest scents in the cooler.

Spring

Iris arrangement

Iris

Iris

A striking architectural bloom with upright standards and falling petals in deep, jewel-like blues and purples.

Spring

Anemone arrangement

Anemone

Anemone coronaria

A crisp, poppy-like bloom with an inky dark center that gives modern arrangements graphic punch.

Winter–Spring

Calla Lily arrangement

Calla Lily

Zantedeschia

A single smooth, curling trumpet on a bare stem — the essence of understated modern elegance.

Spring–Summer

Dahlia arrangement

Dahlia

Dahlia

A geometric showpiece ranging from tidy pompons to dinner-plate blooms wider than a hand.

Summer–Autumn

Snapdragon arrangement

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus

Tall spires of pouched blooms that add height, movement, and a playful pinch-and-snap for children.

Spring–Summer

Stock arrangement

Stock

Matthiola incana

Dense columns of ruffled florets carrying a warm, spicy-sweet clove fragrance.

Spring

Lisianthus arrangement

Lisianthus

Eustoma grandiflorum

A rose-like bloom with a delicate, crepe-paper ruffle and a graceful, long-lasting habit.

Summer

Baby's Breath arrangement

Baby's Breath

Gypsophila paniculata

A cloud of tiny white blooms that softens and connects everything around it — now a star in its own right.

Year-round

Eucalyptus arrangement

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Silvery-green foliage with a fresh, clean scent — the greenery that makes modern bouquets feel effortless.

Year-round

Gardenia arrangement

Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides

A creamy, waxy white bloom with a heady perfume, reserved for the most special corsages and bouquets.

Summer

Protea arrangement

Protea

Protea

A bold, otherworldly bloom the size of a fist that turns any arrangement into a conversation piece.

Autumn–Winter

Delphinium arrangement

Delphinium

Delphinium

Towering spires of true-blue florets that bring rare height and cool color to grand arrangements.

Summer

Aster arrangement

Aster

Symphyotrichum

A star-shaped, daisy-like bloom that scatters cheerful color and fine texture through mixed bouquets.

Autumn

Marigold arrangement

Marigold

Tagetes

Dense, ruffled pompons in fiery gold and orange, rich with cultural meaning and warm color.

Summer–Autumn

Poppy arrangement

Poppy

Papaver

Silky, cupped petals that unfurl from a fuzzy bud into a fleeting, luminous bloom.

Spring

Camellia arrangement

Camellia

Camellia japonica

A formal, symmetrical bloom set against glossy evergreen leaves — refined elegance for cool-season design.

Winter

Amaryllis arrangement

Amaryllis

Hippeastrum

Enormous trumpet blooms atop a tall, bold stem — the dramatic star of the winter and holiday season.

Winter

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