Daisies work well as cut flowers for Texas arrangements.
The choice of flowers matters when sending them to a loved one for a special occasion. Every flower has a symbolic value, and not all cut flowers hold up to various environmental conditions. Texas has two basic climates. The western part has semi-arid weather, while the eastern part has humid subtropical conditions. That means the best cut flowers for Texas are those that also grow there and withstand heat, humidity and sun. Does this Spark an idea?
Sages
Sage (Salvia) comes in an incredible range of colors including fuchsia, red, blue and purple. Sage plants that thrive in Texas include autumn sage (Salvia greggii), Victoria blue sage (Salvia farinacea) and pineapple sage (Salvia elegans). Sage flowers add height to a gathering of fresh-cut flowers, and they have enough diversity in hues to match nearly any occasion. Sage also provides an aromatic profile for cut-flower arrangements.
Daisy
Daisies are seemingly simple flowers, but they create fetching diversity in a cut-flower assembly. Some of the native daisies for Texas include the blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) with tiny white flowers and yellow centers. This particular flower fills gaps in your arrangement similar to baby's breath. African daisies come in orange, red, pink, yellow and white, so choose one that fits your arrangement's overall theme. There's also the oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) with larger flowers than that of the modest blackfoot. Remember that fresh-cut daisies accept food coloring readily too, so you can vary the hues beyond those found in nature.
Lantana
Lantana is a genius of floral bushes that grow well in Texas. They come in various colors, gold being the most hardy. Lantana comes from the vervain family, comprising more than 150 showy species native to warm, tropical environments. That means immense variety from which to choose for cutting, including shades of red, yellow, orange, pink and purple. One word of caution: Lantana flowers typically have prickly stems. Be careful when you harvest them. The leaves provide another potential aromatic element, releasing the vervain smell when you rub them. In an arrangement, each cut Lantana flower is like a small bouquet to itself, being a gathering or tinier buds. They make a good centerpiece or filler, depending on your design.
Cosmos
Spanish priests raised cosmos in Mexican missions. This incredibly dramatic flower grows very well in Texas, too. The appeal comes from the harmonious arrangements of petals around the center of the composite flower. The vast species of cosmos include Cosmos sulphureus and Cosmos bipinnatus. The sulphureus yield yellow, orange or red flowers for cutting, with narrow leaves. The bipinnatus leaves, by comparison, look fern-like and the colors range from white to dark-rose. As part of a fresh-cut centerpiece, cosmos create an airy feeling.
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