10+ Best Cut Flowers for Farmer Florists

If you flower farm in a short season like I do in Zone 3, you might already have some favourite cut flowers that you grow. While it can be difficult for cold climate flower farmers to grow all the flowers they love most, the ten flowers in the list below are some of my favourites for bouquets. These are versatile flowers that I return to again and again, season after season.

Keep reading for the ten best cut flowers for flower farmers, or watch below, if you prefer videos:

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BEST CUT FLOWERS for Zone 3 flower farmers

1. Amaranth

I use amaranth in so many arrangments and wish I’d planted more of it every season. I love the Coral Fountain, Love Lies Bleeding, and Green Tails drooping varieties for the drama they bring to bouquets, the Hot Biscuits variety for its gorgeous burnt orange colour, and, of course, the gorgeous Burgundy Organic amaranth from West Coast Seeds pictured below. I love it all!

A close-up of tall, vibrant amaranth plants with deep red stems and leaves growing in a garden. The background shows other plants and blurred greenery, with a white greenhouse structure partially visible. The scene is bright, indicating a sunny day.

Related: 25+ Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements

2. Asters

Asters are a beautiful, late-season cut flower. I especially love to make arrangments with the Valkyrie series pictured below for its unique spindly blooms. You also can’t go wrong with the King Size Apricot series of China asters.

Close-up of a light yellow aster flower with long, thin petals blooming. The background consists of green leaves and dark soil, slightly blurred to emphasize the flower in focus.

Related: The 40 Best Cut Flowers to Feed Your Floral Arranging Habit All Summer Long

3. Bells of Ireland

I am getting so close to cracking the code of growing these gorgeous cut flowers well. My bouquet subscribers love Bells of Ireland and always want them in their bouquets. Whenever I grow these in my cut flower garden, I just have to use them. My bouquets that feature Bells of Ireland always get picked first!

Bright green flowering spikes of Bells of Ireland plants (Moluccella laevis) in a garden. The tall, upright stalks have bell-shaped calyces, surrounded by lush green foliage and accompanied by darker purple and green vegetation in the background.

Related: 4 Foolproof Ways to Germinate Bells of Ireland

4. Dahlias

Even though these heroes are so much work and there is so much room for failure, they still make the list. Dealing with dahlia tubers and bug pressure is not fun, but the reward is so worth it! I mean, just look at them!

A hand holding a bouquet of three pink and yellow dahlias with layered petals against a white textured background. The flowers are in full bloom and have green leaves attached to their stems.

Related: Swoon-Worthy Dahlia Varieties for your Cut Flower Garden, How to Overwinter Dahlias in Cold Climates, How to Get More Dahlias for Free with Cuttings, How to Grow Dahlias in a Short Growing Season and Cold Climate

5. Lady’s Mantle

Lady’s Mantle is an earlier season cut flower ready in a short growing season when not much else is. Its wonderful chartreuse colour adds intrigue to bouquets and is a staple in my flower-farming business.

A woman with long brown hair wearing a pink shirt and light blue apron is arranging flowers in a vase on a table outdoors. A wooden fence and greenery are visible in the background. She is smiling and holding a stem of Lady's Mantle in one hand and scissors in the other.

6. Lisianthus

Lisianthus are late-season cut flowers that are a big commitment to grow. Not everyone is willing to work on starting seeds in December for a flower that blooms from late August to early October. But these rose-like flowers are gorgeous, and I will always have them growing in my cutting garden.

A person's hand holding a bouquet of delicate white and pale yellow lisianthus flowers against a rustic, white wooden background. The flowers are likely a mix of roses and lisianthus with some green buds visible. The person is wearing a dark-colored sleeve.

Related: How to Grow Lisianthus from Seed

7. Queen Lime Zinnias

I wasn’t initially sold on Queen Lime zinnias, but I was in love once I started using them in bouquets! They are magical flowers that pull in all the colours from the other flowers in your arrangement that might not otherwise go together as perfectly.

A hand holding a bouquet of colorful zinnia flowers with pink, green, and orange blooms against a light gray, textured wooden background. The flowers have layered petals and leafy green stems.

Related: 10 Best Cut and Come Again Flowers

8. Snapdragons

Some of my favourite snapdragon varieties include Madame Butterfly and Potomac. I use these two varieties in countless bouquets and always make sure to have an early succession, a regular succession, and a late succession, so I have snapdragons throughout the entire flower farming season.

Close-up of pink and orange snapdragon flowers in a garden, with a blurred background of similar flowers and green foliage.

9. Statice

I use statice in everything. I use it fresh in bouquets and other arrangments for weddings, subscribers, and markets and dried in wreaths and other features during the holidays. It’s a cut-and-come-again flower with decent stem length even after the third cutting. Statice is a must-grow flower for every short-season cut flower garden!

A close-up of a garden featuring a variety of small statice flowers in shades of pink, yellow, and purple. The background is slightly blurred, highlighting the colorful blooms and the green foliage surrounding them.

10. Strawflowers

Strawflowers are another cut flower that work well in both fresh and dried arrangements. They are a core flower in my cut flower business, and I couldn’t arrange without them!

A single stem with two blooming pink strawflowers stands tall among blurred green foliage in the background. The flowers have multiple layers of petals and appear vibrant against the muted tones of the surrounding greenery.

11. Sunflowers

Sunflowers come in a wide variety of colours and are dependable cut flowers all summer long. You can grow early or late successions, and as long as you have them going every two weeks, you will always have hero flowers!

A colorful bouquet of sunflowers with vibrant yellow petals and dark centers lies on a green grassy lawn. The arrangement is lush and includes various greenery and other small flowers, with sunlight casting gentle shadows.

Curious about early-season cut flowers? Check out this post: 10 Best Early Season Cut Flowers for Zone 3

If you liked this blog post, find me on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to follow more of my farmer florist journey and join in the cut flower conversation! I also make weekly videos on my YouTube channel. You can also sign up for bouquet-making events and buy my flowers at my sister site Shifting Blooms. I hope to see you there!

EAGER TO MAKE BOUQUETS WITH YOUR HOMEGROWN CUT FLOWERS?

Bouquets Made Beautiful is a collection of my best bouquets of all sizes, throughout all seasons, including a flower-by-flower list with pictures for every single one! I also share my favourite colour palettes that I return to over and over again. Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a farmer florist, this highly visual ebook will help you create better-looking bouquets and give you more confidence that you’re growing the right things.

If you’re planning for an event and ready to take your flower farming to the next level, this ebook is also available in the DIY Wedding Bundle alongside Cut Flowers Made Simple and the Flower Farmer Garden Planner.