TOP 5 NATIVE FLOWERS
Posted on 29 September 2020
Natives are beautiful plants, and are extremely hardy and long-lasting. Whilst Australia has a plethora of exquisite native plants on offer, what not a lot of people know is that plants that are often all referred to as ‘natives’ within Australia are not even from the country!
Below are just a few of the most commonly used and sought-after native plants for floral arrangements.
WAX FLOWERS:
The wax flower comes in a number of naturally occurring varieties. As most natives do, they last quite a decent while in vases, and wax flowers are also a popular choice for their multicoloured addition to a floral arrangement. However, despite being able to provide that pop of colour, wax flowers are considered a filler, and are typically not used as the main focus in an arrangement of flowers. The colours that they come in include: white, pink, and purple, sometimes even with a mix of different coloured centres and outer rims of the petals.
PROTEA AND KING PROTEA:
Proteas are beautiful native flowers, and are traditionally used to signify change and/hope, and are sometimes referred to as ‘sugarbushes’. Proteas have large flowering buds which remain fairly closed. However, there is a sub-type of protea called King Protea, which have much more open buds which look almost like red suns. Their leaves are pointed, and King Proteas are commonly very sought after in native themed weddings, however these are only available from September to March, with peak season around October to December. These too are actually native to South Africa.
SEAHOLLY:
Sea holly are a strikingly different flower, with thin, spiked leaves sprouting from a silvery blue stem, in a halo at the base of small blue or green cones. They are extremely tolerant to harsh, hot weather conditions, and are popular in both their fresh or dried forms. As with most native plants, they thrive the best in areas of full sun, and are fairly hassle free once they have settled into a location.
BLUSHING BRIDE:
As is suggested from the name, Blushing Brides are primarily used as a wedding flower, and are truly unique in design. They thrive in the cooler months, and are a member of the protea family. Protea are a type of native, and are considered to be a premium flower. They have pointed petals, which come in shades of white and ivory, which deepen to pale pinks and greens inwards towards their yellow/pink centres.
BANKSIA:
Banksia flowers are very large, and are most commonly a light orange or peach colour, bright yellow, or a mix of orange at the base and red at the top. These flowers are different shapes based on their colours – plain yellow and plain orange flowers are shaped like what I would describe as similar to the bottle brush but where the tip is more rounded or dome-shaped (the yellow ones especially look very much like corn on the cob). Banksia that are duel coloured (red and orange) can be best described as if you imagine a very large acorn that has been stretched length ways. This plant is native to Australia.
So, if you are thinking of going with a native themed wedding or event of any sort, you absolutely can’t go wrong if you consider these beautiful native options. Mixed with any sort of gum/eucalyptus foliage, you’ll have yourself an eye-catching assortment of native arrangements in no time!
- Hailey Paige Flowers xx
