5 Long-Lasting Flowers for BIG Impact

When it comes to designing flower arrangements I tend to gravitate towards the funkier of flowers that are often longer-lasting. Weirdly-shaped, unexpected flowers are interesting because they add so much shape and personality to a project! Flower arrangements and installations are art pieces, and every shape and line of a flower is a streak of paint in the overall masterpiece. Nature is incredibly diverse, and as as a flower explorer, I like to create floral experiences that makes people pause, wonder, and go, “Wow, I didn’t know flowers existed like that before.”

So, here’s my top favorite weird and WONDERFUL flowers:

1

Protea

Protea – which I also call the dinosaur flower because it’s one of the oldest flowering plants that you would have seen 300 millions years ago with a stegosaurus posing in the backdrop. There are 1500 species of protea! A few of my favorites include:

  1. King Protea

  2. Limestone Sugarbush Protea

  3. Pincushion Protea

2

Craspedia

Craspedia – also known as Billy Balls are native to New Zealand, Australia, and Tasmania with 23 different species! They dry very well and maintain their bright yellow color for over a year and symbolize good health. They also are fun to paint once dried like these blue balls pictured!

Two varieties I like to use:

  1. Silver Moon (oval-shaped)

  2. Globosa (large globe shaped)

3

Allium

Allium – what if I told you this purple lollipop of a flower was related to onions, garlic, and chives!? But don’t be so fast to put these in your next soup. Allium is the Latin name for garlic and there are over 500 species of them!

Some of my favorite varieties include:

  1. Mt. Everest

  2. Goliath

  3. Drumstick

  4. Firework

4

Eremurus

Eremurus – also known as foxtail lilies or desert candles can grow to 9 feet tall! They are native to Afghanistan and Iran and come in colors ranging through white, pink, peach, and yellow. There are 40+ species.

My favorite varieties include:

  1. Cleopatra

  2. Tap Dance

  3. Line Dance

5

Gomphocarpus

Gomphocarpus – also called “hairy balls” or the “balloon plant.” They are often a bright neon color and part of the milkweed species which makes them an excellent nectar source for Monarch butterflies. They are native to South Africa but now grow all across the U.S.

Colleen Monroe