May

 

May Day is thought to symbolise the transition between spring and summer and the celebrations held every year are believed to bless crops and planting with good luck for the coming months. Below we have a list of the flowers you can find during May. Common spotted orchid, broad-leaved hellebore and apple blossoms should all start making an appearance in May and you may even find them growing in your own back garden.

 

Acacia (Mimosa) - Tiny petal-less yellow flowers cover the stems.

Achillea (Yarrow) - Very popular as a dried flower

Aconitum (Monkshood) - Tall spiky flowers, long lasting but poisonous

Agapanthus (African Lily) – Long lasting, large striking flowers

Alchemilla (Lady’s Mantle) – Common as a garden flower, masses of tiny yellow-green flowers, ideal as a filler

Allium (Flowering Onion) – Several types, some have large globe shaped flower, others much smaller bullet shaped flowers

Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily) – Very popular and long lasting flowers, often bi-coloured

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) – Large very striking trumpet shaped flowers, often grown indoors from bulbs

Ammi (Queen Anne’s Lace) – Masses of delicate white flowers, ideal as a filler

Anemone (Windflower) – Delicate, papery flowers, available in vibrant and pale colours

Anethum (Dill) – Masses of tiny yellow flowers and a strong scent, used as a filler

Anigozanthus (Kangaroo Paw) – Unusual furry buds with insignificant flowers. Ideal for modern arrangements

Anthurium (Painter’s Palette) – Exotic waxy looking flowers

Antirrhinum (Snapdragon) – More common as a garden flower
Aranthera (Scorpion Orchid) – Long lasting orchid with small flowers on upright stems

Asclepias (Milkweed) – Clusters of tiny flowers, ideal as a filler

Aster (Michaelmas Daisy) – Popular filler with daisy like flowers on upright stems

Arachnis (Spider Orchid) – Long stems with slender petalled and spotted flowers

Astilbe (False Goat’s Beard) – Common as a garden flower, insignificant flowers used mainly as a filler

Astrantia (Stinkwort) – Grown as a garden flower. Small, round, delicate flowers, ideal as a filler

Banksia (Bottlebrush) – Exotic Protea from Australia, large flower heads made up of masses of tiny flowers

Bouvardia – Clusters of small tubular flowers, use with special flower food. Not all colours are available throughout the year

Bupleurum – Insignificant yellow green flowers. Used more as a foliage and as a filler

Marigold (Calendula) – Popular daisy-like flower with a country garden feel

Calla Lily (Zantedeschia, Arum Lily) – Striking single flowers.The coloured varieties are smaller than the white ones, and not all colours are available all year round

Callistephus – Dense headed flowers with contrasting coloured centres

Campanula (Canterbury Bells) – Quite large bell shaped flowers, several to a stem

Carnation – Very long lasting. Some new more interesting colours are now available

Carthamus (Safflower) – Unusual slightly thistle like flowers

Spray Carnation – Long lasting flowers. Some more interesting colours becoming available

Cattleya Orchid – Large brightly coloured orchids, usually 1 or 2 per stem

Celosia (Cockscomb) – Different varieties, some with crinkled ‘brain-like’ flowers others with feathery upright plumes

Cornflower (Centaurea) – Usually available as the well known blue cornflower, other colours are sometimes available

Cestrum – Dense clusters of flowers at the top of straight stems

Ginger (Alpinia) – Large striking tropical flowers

Waxflower (Chamaelaucium) – Small scented flowers ideal as fillers, sold in bud and in flower

Chrysanthemum – Available as large individual showy blooms, or the spray variety. Very long lasting

Cirsium – Look a bit like pink thistles, which open out into pompom shaped flowers

Craspedia – Small completely round flower head made up of lots of tiny yellow flowers

Crocosmia – Tall spiky flowers generally known as Montbretia when grown as a garden flower

Curcuma – Tropical looking flower on tall straight stems

Cymbidium Orchid – Striking flowers, which flower profusely with up to 12 flowers on each stem

Cynara (Artichoke) – The flower of the artichoke

Delphinium – Tall flower spikes. Also, Larkspur which is a type of delphinium

Dendrobium Orchid (Singapore orchid) – Long lasting orchids with several blooms on each erect stem

Eremurus (Foxtail Lily) – Large dramatic flowers, usually yellow or orange, with other colours less commonly available

Eryngium ( Sea Holly) - Blue thistle like flowers, sometimes the blue is so intense it is hard to believe they are not dyed

Eucharis (Amazon Lily) – Beautiful slightly downward facing delicate flowerheads on tall straight stems

Eupatorium – Insignificant small flowers, used as a filler

Forget-me-not (Myosotis) – Tiny very fragile pastel blue flowers on short stems

Freesia – Highly popular, highly scented flowers

Fritillaria – Exotic looking flowers which hang downwards in a cluster on top of tall straight stems

Gerbera – Large daisy like flowers, a smaller ‘Germini’ variety is also available

Gladiolus – Fairly traditional flower used in large arrangements. Miniature varieties are becoming increasingly popular

Gloriosa (Glory Lily) – A very dramatic flower with yellow edged cerise petals. The National Flower of Zimbabwe

Godetia – Several brightly coloured trumpet shaped flowers open up each stem

Gomphrena (Globe amaranth) – Small globe shaped flowers which can be easily dried

Gypsophila – Very popular filler flower. New smaller-flowered varieties are now available

Heliconia – Tropical flower with large very dramatic flowerheads. Several different types available

Hydrangea – A popular garden shrub with enormous flowerheads. Cultivated hydrangea come in interesting colours

Hypericum (St John’s Wort) – Attractive berries rather than flowers make this a very popular fillerIris – Very popular but short lived flowers

Ixia (African Corn Lily) – Delicate flowers which belong to the same family as gladioli

Kniphofia (Red hot poker) – Large dramatic upright flowerspikes

Leucadendron (Safari Sunset) – It is the leaves rather than the flowers which make this 

Leucanthemum – Large daisy like flower

Leucospermum (Pincushion Protea) – Large flowerheads which resemble a pin cushion. Long lasting

Lily – Available throughout the year, but if you are looking for a particular colour check availability with your florist

Liatris – Tall poker shaped purple flowers

Lilac – A common shrub and highly popular, strongly scented cut flower

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria) – Tiny bell shaped flowers on short stems. Very popular in wedding flowers

Limonium (Sea Lavender, Statice) – Popular as a dried flower, all varieties make good fillers, but it can have an unpleasant smell!

Lisianthus (Eustoma) – Popular flowers which open from tightly swirled buds, bi-coloured varieties also available

Lysimachia (Loose Strife) – Arching flowerheads on the end of the stems, each made up of a mass of tiny flowers

Matthiola (Stock) – Fantastic vibrant colours and an incredible scent

Moluccella (Bells of Ireland) – Tall stems with a mass of bell shaped flowers

Muscari (Grape hyacinth) – Very small with short stems and clusters of tiny blue flowers

Nigella (Love-in-the-Mist) – Delicate papery flowers common in the garden. Also attractive as seed heads

Oncidium Orchid (Golden Shower Orchid) – Lots of small yellow flowers along the stem. Miniature hybrids are available in colours other than yellow

Ornithogalum Chincherinchee – Fantastically long lasting flower, usually white and less commonly available in yellow

Paphiopedilum Orchid (Slipper orchid) – Very large dramatic orchid flowers

Peony – Enormous and extravagant flowers only available for a short season

Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid) – Large showy flowers, popular as a pot plant as well as a cut flower especially for weddings

Phlox – English country garden flower. Very popular

Papaver (Poppy) – Fantastic papery flowers in great colours. Short lived but worth it. The seed heads are also popular

Protea – Large exotic flowers with many different varieties

Ranunculus – Small delicate, papery flowers

Rose – Needs no description! Almost every colour available except true black or blue 

Rudbeckia – Daisy like flower, usually sold without any petals, just the pincushion like centre

Saponaria – A good filler flower, a bit like gypsophila but the flowers are bigger

Scilla – Masses of blue flowers on short stems, a bit like bluebells

Solidago – A popular yellow filler flower

Solidaster – A cross between Solidago and the Aster. Used as a filler

Stephanotis (Wax flower) – Not generally available as a cut flower, but the individual small, waxy, white flowers are often used in bridal work

Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) – Unmistakable large and exotic flowers with blue and orange flowers

Sunflower (Helianthus) – Striking, large daisy like flowers, usually yellow but more unusual rusty colours are becoming available

Sweet pea (Lathyrus) – Wonderful colours and scents, short lived but stunning en masse and well worth it

Sweet William – A country garden flower, with dense clusters of flowers on each stem

Tanecetum – A type of chrysanthemum with small button shaped flowers

Trachelium – Masses of tiny flowers create a large flat flowerhead

Triteleia Brodiaea – Loose clusters of delicate blue flowers on erect leafless stems

Tuberose (Polianthes) – Higly scented flowers on tall stems

Veronica (Speedwell) – Delicate flower spikes add contrast to arrangements

Viburnum – Short lived but increasingly popular. Each flowerhead is made up of a mass of tiny flowers

Vanda – Usually 6 – 8 blooms per flower stem, The petals often have a marbled appearance

Vuylstekeara – A hybrid orchid, with highly patterned petals

 

 

(In the left hand column there are a few examples of the flowers in season for the month of May)