What Flowers Can Be Cut & Grow Back?
Cutting gardens can provide fresh-cut flowers all season long, if the right plants are included. Choose flowering plants that thrive in the amount of sunlight available and continue to produce new flowers after cutting. Combine a variety of plants with different flower types, colors and bloom seasons for interesting, colorful fresh flowers nearly all year.
Checkerblooms (Sidalcea malviflora), also known as false mallows, prairie mallows and miniature hollyhocks, and dame’s rockets (Hesperis matronalis), also known as sweet rocket, dame’s violet and wild phlox, are wildflower-type perennials. The flowers are good for cutting and will grow back while the plants are in bloom during the spring and summer. Checkerblooms range in height from 2 to 6 feet and bloom in pink, purple, red or white, depending on the hybrid. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9 where they grow best with a full-sun exposure. Dame’s rockets grow to a height of 2 to 3 feet and bloom in purple or white. They are hardy in USDA zones 3 to 10, although this varies among species and hybrids, and can be grown in full sun or partial shade. Dame’s rockets are considered invasive in some areas.
Bright, Cheery Daisies
African daisies (Arctotis hybrid) and New England asters (Aster novi-angliae) provide daisy-type flowers in a variety of colors from spring through fall. Both of them produce good cut flowers and will continue to provide new flowers throughout the season. African daisies bloom in orange, pink, purple, red, yellow and white, depending on the hybrid. The plants grow to a height of 8 to 18 inches. They are hardy in USDA zones 9 and 10. New England asters bloom in blue, pink, purple, red and white, depending on the hybrid. The plants grow to a height of 3 to 6 feet. They are generally hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, although this varies from hybrid to hybrid. African daisies require a full-sun exposure while New England asters can be grown in full sun or partial shade.
Fragrance and Texture
Lavender (Lavendula spp.) and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) produce spikes of flowers in the spring, summer or fall. Lavender has fragrant pink, purple or white flowers, while Russian sage blooms in purple-blue. Both plants will continue to grow new flowers throughout the season. They both require a full-sun exposure. Lavender grows to a height of 1 to 3 feet and is good for fresh-cut flowers that can be dried for use in potpourri. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. Russian sage produces good fresh-cut flowers and grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9.
Hybrid tea and floribunda roses (Rosa spp. and hybrids) produce excellent cut flowers and most will continue to provide new flowers from spring to first frost. In mild-winter climates, they often continue to produce flowers year-round. The flowers can be single-form with fewer than 12 petals, semi-double or fully double with up to 60 petals. Flower colors can be various shades of gray, orange, pink, purple, tan or coffee, red or yellow and many are two-toned or have multiple colors. They require at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Hybrid teas produce larger flowers with one flower per stem while floribundas usually produce multiple flowers or sprays on each stem. They are generally hardy in USDA zones 2 to 10 and grow to 2 1/2 to 6 feet tall depending on the hybrid or species.
- University of California: Sonoma County Master Gardeners: Top Plants for Sonoma County: Sidalcea spp.
- Cornell University: Growing Guide: Prairie Mallow
- Cornell University: Growing Guide: Dame’s Rocket
- University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Tulare-Kings Co: Companion Plants for Roses
- Plant Lust: Hesperis Matronalis “Violet”
- Invasive Plant Atlas: Dames Rocket
- Cornell University: Growing Guide: African Daisy
- San Marcos Growers: Arctotis Sun Spot Orange [“Archley”] PP14,667 – Orange African Daisy
- Plant Lust: Arctotis Gumbletonii
- Cornell University: Growing Guide: Aster, New England