Our editors have selected their favorite wedding flowers, with special insight into their meaning, the availability of shades, and what season they’re most likely to be available.
Acacia (mimosa)
Season: Late winter, spring.
Meaning: Purity, immortality or hidden love.
Shades: Bright yellow.
Agapanthus
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Good weather, love or patience.
Shades: Blue, white, violet-blue.
Amaryllis
Season: Naturally spring, but blooms can be propagated anytime.
Meaning: Determination, passionate desire or radiant beauty.
Shades: Red, pink, white, lavender or variegated.
Amaranthus
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Unfading and immortal.
Shades: Golden, yellow, orange, copper (foliage). Pink, orange or dark purple (blossoms).
Anemone
Season: Spring, summer or fall.
Meaning: Anticipation and undying love.
Shades: White, red, blue, pale yellow or purple.
Apple blossom
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Good fortune, health and youth.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.
Asiatic lilies
Season: Summer, but can be propagated anytime.
Meaning: Flirtaciousness, innocence and beauty.
Shades: White, yellow, peach, pink, orange, red, or variegated.
Aster
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Love, gentleness and hope.
Shades: Light blue, blue, purple, pink or white.
Baby’s breath
Season: Late spring, summer, fall.
Meaning: Purity of heart.
Shades: White.
Bachelor’s button (cornflower)
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Bravery, blessings or felicity.
Shades: Usually bright blue or violet-blue, but also white, pink or dark maroon (black).
Bells of Ireland
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Luck, fanciful hopes or tranquility.
Shades: Light green to green.
Bird of paradise
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Joy and faithfulness.
Shades: Yellow, orange or red.
Caladium
Season: Any.
Meaning: Great joy and delight.
Shades: Green, white, cream, pink, and red combinations (foliage).
Calla lily
Season: Spring, summer (but like many other bulbs, they can be brought to bloom at any time).
Meaning: Magnificent beauty, marriage, or transformation and rebirth.
Shades: White, green, pink, yellow, orange and purple.
Camellia
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Longing, adoration or devotion (Chinese).
Shades: Pink, red, white, lavender or variegated.
Carnation
Season: Any.
Meaning: Fascination, love, yearning, admiration, health and energy.
Shades: Pink, red, white, yellow, purple, orange, peach, green or variegated.
Casablanca lily
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Celebration.
Shades: White, cream or yellow.
Cherokee rose
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Love, beauty, desire, hope and regeneration.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.
Cherry blossom
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Good fortune, love or springtime.
Shades: White, light pink or pink.
Chrysanthemum
Season: Any.
Meaning: Happiness, honesty or encouragement (Japan).
Shades: White, yellow, pink, green, orange or red.
Coreopsis
Season: Early summer, fall.
Meaning: Eternal cheerfulness.
Shades: Yellow.
Cosmos
Season: Spring, fall.
Meaning: Balance and peace.
Shades: White, pink, orange, yellow and red.
Dahlia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Dignity, elegance and good taste.
Shades: Yellow, white, pink, orange, lavender or variegated.
Daisy
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Innocence, loyalty or new beginnings.
Shades: White, lavender or pink around a yellow disk.
Delphinium
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Heavenly, beautiful spirit or lightness.
Shades: Blue, purple or white.
Dogwood blossom
Season: Spring
Meaning: Generosity, trust or regeneration.
Shades: White, cream or pink.
Dusty miller
Season: Any.
Meaning: Calmness.
Shades: Silver (foliage).
Eskimo rose
Season: Late summer, fall, winter.
Meaning: Purity or reverence.
Shades: White and ivory.
Fern
Season: Varied.
Meaning: Fascination, grace, sincerity or confidence.
Shades: Greens (foliage).
Forget-me-not
Season: Spring.
Meaning: True love, memories and unflinching devotion.
Shades: Bright blue.
Forsythia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Anticipation and hope.
Shade: Yellow.
Freesia
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Trust, innocence or closeness.
Shades: White, lavender, purple, yellow, pink, orange and red.
Gardenia
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Beauty, admiration, good luck and hidden love.
Shades: Cream or white.
Gerber daisy
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Strength, purity, beauty and cheerfulness.
Shades: Pink, red, yellow, white, orange, peach or salmon.
Gloxinia
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Love at first sight.
Shades: Purple, lavender, white or maroon.
Heather
Season: Late summer, fall.
Meaning: Protection, granted wishes and guidance.
Shades: Purple, mauve, white, pink, lavender, magenta, red, copper, silver and green.
Heliotrope
Season: Spring, summer or fall, depending on the climate.
Meaning: Search for truth, honor, hope or devotion.
Shades: Purple, lavender, white, blue and mauve.
Hibiscus
Season: Spring through fall (any if warm).
Meaning: Desire, love, feminine power or delicate beauty (Hawaii).
Shades: Pink, lavender, red, yellow, white, blue, peach, orange or variegated.
Holly
Season: Winter (berries).
Meaning: Domestic bliss or protection.
Shades: Red (berries), green (foliage), white (flowers).
Hyacinth (see also Muscari)
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Playfulness, constancy and sincere affection.
Shades: Purple, red, blue, orange, white, pink, mauve and yellow.
Hydrangea
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Understanding, enlightenment or unabashed love.
Shades: Blue, pink, green, red, lavender, yellow, maroon, white or variegated.
Hypericum berry
Season: Any.
Meaning: Protection, clarity and good health.
Shades: Red, orange, green, purple or brown.
Iris
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Wisdom, devotion or strength, vitality and boldness (Japan).
Shades: White, yellow, pink, magenta, blue, purple and variegated.
Ivy
Season: Any.
Meaning: Wedded love or fidelity.
Shades: Greens (foliage).
Jasmine
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Love, vision and affluence.
Shades: White, light yellow or golden.
Lavender
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Romance, peace or LGBTQ+.
Shades: Purple, light purple or blue.
Lilac
Season: Spring.
Meaning: First love (purple) or youthfulness (white).
Shades: Purple, white or light pink.
Lily of the valley
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Sweetness, a return to happiness or fulfillment.
Shades: White.
Lisianthus
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Heartfelt desire, boldness and communication.
Shades: White, pink, lavender, deep purple and bicolors (like violet-blue).
Marigold
Season: Summer, fall and sometimes winter.
Meaning: Passion, creativity, harmony, truth and good cheer.
Shades: Yellow, orange, red, rusty red or bicolored.
Modern garden rose
Season: Primarily fall and spring, but available continuously.
Meaning: Love, sensuality, passion and immortal union (varies with color).
Shades: Cream, white, peach, coral, red, maroon, pink, lavender, yellow, bi-color or even brown (Pernetiana).
Muscari (grape hyacinth)
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Forgiveness, loveliness or lasting love.
Shades: Light and dark blue contrast, cobalt blue, white, or mauve.
Narcissus (daffodils, paperwhite, jonquil)
Season: Winter, early spring.
Meaning: Beauty, sweetness or high self-esteem.
Shades: Golden yellow, light yellow, white or a contrast of these.
Old garden rose
Season: Usually fall, but any season for ever-blooming varieties. Some bloom mainly in summer (damask).
Meaning: Love, devotion, timelessness, honor and beauty (also varies with color).
Shades: White or cream (alba, Tea, Portland), yellow (moss), maroon or red (gallica), pink (gallica, damask, China, bourbon).
Orange blossom
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Eternal love, marriage or fruitfulness.
Shades: Yellow-white or cream.
Orchid
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Love, beauty, refinement, maturity or fertility (Chinese)
Shades: Pink, lavender, purple, red, orange, yellow, salmon, variegated or white.
Palm
Season: Summer, fall.
Meaning: Victory, success, wisdom or long life (Egyptian).
Shades: Bright to dark green (foliage).
Pansy
Season: Early spring and summer, fall and winter in warm climates.
Meaning: Merriment, deep love or thoughtfulness.
Shades: Blue, yellow, red, orange, copper, bronze, lavender, purple, white or mixed.
Parrot tulip
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Light, hope, beauty or avowed love.
Shades: Peach, red, white, orange, yellow, pink, mauve, lavender, black, or rainbow (these are frequently variegated).
Peony
Season: Spring.
Meaning: Happiness, desire, wedded bliss or prosperity.
Shades: Pink, light pink, white, lavender, purple, magenta or blue.
Poinsettia
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Purity, beauty, hope or celebration.
Shades: Red, light green, white, pink or variegated (foliage).
Poppy
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Pleasure, imagination, rejuvenation or eternal life (Egyptian).
Shades: Gold, yellow, orange, red, blue, lavender or pink.
Queen’s Anne’s lace
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Sanctuary, grace or elegance.
Shades: White, ivory, pink and light purple.
Ranunculus (buttercup)
Season: Spring, early summer.
Meaning: Radiance, beauty or fascination.
Shades: White, yellow-gold, peach, bronze, orange, deep red, bright green, pink or hot pink.
Rose
Season: Any, but easiest to find in fall and spring.
Meaning: Beauty, beginnings, desire, unity and eternal love.
Shades: Bright red, deep red, pink, white, cream, orange, yellow, mauve and lavender.
Snowberry
Season: Fall, winter.
Meaning: Destined or fated.
Shades: White or light pink (fruit).
Spider flower
Season: Spring, summer and fall.
Meaning: Eloping and adventure.
Shades: Pink, lavender, purple, yellow, blue or white.
Statice
Season: Spring, summer or fall (depending on variety and climate).
Meaning: Fond thoughts or remembrance.
Shades: White, lavender, pink, deep blue or purple.
Stephanotis (waxflower)
Season: Naturally spring and summer, but available anytime.
Meaning: Happiness, safe travels or good luck.
Shades: White.
Stock
Season: Late spring, summer.
Meaning: Undying love and affection.
Shades: Pink, lavender, mauve, white or variegated.
Sunflower
Season: Late summer, fall.
Meaning: Pure thoughts, longevity or happiness.
Shades: Yellow or gold around a darker center.
Sweet pea
Season: Late spring, early summer.
Meaning: Bliss, departure, adventure or fresh starts.
Shades: Purple, bright pink, white, blue, lavendar, mauve, variegated or mixed.
Sweet william
Season: Summer.
Meaning: Gallantry or cheer.
Shades: Pink, lavender, white, deep red or variegated.
Tulip
Season: Late winter, spring.
Meaning: Passion and perfect love.
Shades: Red, yellow, pink, purple, orange, maroon, white, salmon, lavender, deep purple or mixed.
Viburnum
Season: Late winter, spring and summer.
Meaning: Eternal beauty, strength or interconnectedness.
Shades: White, pink or pale green.
Violet
Season: Late winter, spring and year-round.
Meaning: Modesty, faithfulness, affection or taking chances (white).
Shades: Periwinkle, purple, blue, lavender, pink, mauve or white.
Wisteria
Season: Spring, summer.
Meaning: Closeness, affection and spontaneity.
Shades: Lavender or purple.
Zinnia
Season: Late spring, summer, early fall.
Meaning: Lasting affection, constancy or goodness.
Shades: Orange, purple, red, golden yellow, pale yellow, green, white or variegated.
