Best Flowers for Drying

Dried flowers are insanely popular, with thousands of people in Australia alone searching them each month.

Whilst there are numerous dried flower suppliers online, sometimes it can be quite enjoyable to learn how to dry flowers yourself. Between school holidays, long weekends and lockdowns - finding a craft project or doing a little home DIY is at the top of a lot of lists (besides finding new shows to watch on Netflix).

Drying flowers may be your next project that will add a pop of colour and elegance to your home. Then, you can enjoy decorating with flowers and enjoying your own beautiful creation!

Dried flower arrangements not only look amazing but they can be everlasting if you dry them properly and look after them. While many flowers are great for drying, not all flowers dry well.

The best flowers for drying include gypsophila, strawflowers, hydrangea, lavender, globe thistle, eucalyptus & proteas. Drying flowers is a fun and easy project and a great way to add some new decor to your home.

Dry flowers are the base for some stunning dried wreaths, bouquets, flower arrangements, pressed flower frames, Christmas ornaments, wedding confetti and so much more. For a variety of colours and textures, we recommend drying a variety of flowers and foliage.

If you are after some native flowers, our best native flowers for drying guide is for you.

So what are you waiting for? (apart from the 2-3 weeks it takes to dry out the flowers).

7 Best Flowers for Drying:

  1. Globe Thistle
  2. Strawflowers
  3. Gypsophila
  4. Hydrangea
  5. Lavender
  6. Eucalyptus
  7. Protea

1. Globe Thistle (Echinops)

Echinops - the botanical name for the striking globe thistle. Globe Thistle has large spiky flowers that tend to appear in early summer and can last up to 8 weeks. These flowers tend to stand out with their blooms growing up to 5 cm!

These flowers are truly stunning, with deep, dark blue petals and a spiky exterior. They are stunning flowers with deep dark blue petals set in a spiky frame. These blooms make for excellent dried flower displays and will last for years. Be cautious when handling these flowers as they contain prickly thistles.

How to dry globe thistle:

Simply cut the stems from these plants in the morning, just before the flower buds completely open or before the flowers are mature. These buds tend to open after being cut. Tie the stems together with twine and hang them upside to air dry in a dark and dry spot. Check on these in 2-3 weeks.

2. Strawflowers

The stunning strawflower appears similar to daisies in form, but unlike daisies, their petals are stiff and almost feel like paper to the touch. These beauties will bring vibrant and stunning colours to both craft projects and your garden if planting them.

Strawflowers members of the Xerochrysum genus family. This Australian native is a part of the Asteraceae family, known for its daisy-like flowers. If you’re growing these beauties at home, we recommend cutting these stems before the centers of the flowers open as they tend to open up more after picking.

My father in law currently grows and dries strawflowers for us at his farm in Warrandyte. We love incorporating them in our arrangements like our native dried banksia arrangement.

How to dry strawflowers:

To dry strawflowers, we recommend removing all of the leaves on the stems, then tying the ends with string or tying with a rubber band. Then, hang them up to dry, upside down in a dark and dry room that gets good circulation. These flowers will be ready to use and dried out in 2-3 weeks.

Dried strawflowers look amazing in dried flower arrangements, as no waste confetti or as petal confetti for weddings. These flowers tend to keep their stunning shape and colour when drying, even without using glycerin which is a common flower preserving method.

3. Gypsophila (Baby's Breath)

The stunning Baby's Breath (Gypsophila) is known for its reoccurring appearances in bridal bouquets, rose bouquets and many craft projects. These stunning, small and delicate white flowers are the perfect filler for larger floral arrangements or look amazing in some product photography shoots we've seen.

Whether you're buying baby's breath from a florist or finding it in a garden, these gorgeous flowers are perfect for drying. These are easy to grow in your garden which is a low budget way to add to some bouquets, or craft projects. This plant may be annual or perennial, with a variety of white, rose and pink flowers available and either have single or double blooms.

How to dry baby's breath:

We recommend waiting until the morning dew dries, then cutting a bunch of the stems just as the flower buds have begun to open for the day. Bunch the stems together and tie with string or a rubber band, then hang them upside down in a closet or dry and dark room with good air circulation. Wait for a couple of weeks until they feel dry and almost brittle to the touch.

4. Hydrangea

One of our favourite flowers, hydrangeas have been popular in homes and bridal bouquets over the years. If you have the garden for it, we recommend growing these stunning, clustered flowers.

Hydrangeas are quite reliable and are known for producing stunning garden displays each summer. They come in a variety of shades such as white, pink, blue and many others. Their large leaves and colourful heads will attract people to your garden when these beauties are in all of their glory.

Dried hydrangea looks amazing when styled in a gorgeous vase in your home. We currently have some white hydrangea in our baby's nursery.

How to dry hydrangea:

Unlike these other best flowers for drying, hydrangeas should be cut for drying and arrangements when they are mature. Simply stand the hydrangeas upright in an empty vase to dry them out. For more natural colours, cut these fresh flowers and dry them in silica gel. Our blog on how to dry flowers will give you the steps on preserving flowers with silica gel.

5. Lavender

The famous lavender is so versatile and can be used in cooking, floral arrangements, bath salts, draw inserts, wedding confetti, soap, tea, oil and so much more. The gorgeous foliage has a scent that is known as one of the most recognised scents in the world. Lavender is a small shrub with either sort or longer stems, dependant on the variety. The flowers can be a beautiful shade of purple but can also be pink, white or green.

How to dry lavender:

We recommended cutting lavender stems in the morning after the dew has subsided. Simply bunch the stems together and hand them upside down in an airy and dark room or space. If you'll be using the lavender in crafts or as confetti, gently remove the stems and let the flower buds dry out on a flat surface. Lavender is one of the best flowers to dry as it tends to maintain its colour and soothing scent. Lavender makes for great dried arrangements, additions to infused oils or into drawer sachets.

6. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus or (genus Eucalyptus), has over 660 species and is part of the myrtle, native to Australia & Tasmania. Eucalyptus is known for its rapid growth with many species soaring to great heights. The giant gum tree or mountain ash is one of the largest of its species, sitting around 90 metres tall, with a circumference of 7.5 metres.

In Australia the eucalypti are commonly known as gum trees. Whilst eucalyptus may not strictly be a flower, this foliage is easy to dry and looks amazing in a dried flower arrangement. The eucalyptus tends to hold its luscious green colour and shape whilst drying, it even maintains its fresh scent too.

We love collecting fresh eucalyptus and drying it ourselves. Dried eucalyptus looks amazing paired with other native flowers such as the stunning protea.

How to dry eucalyptus:

You can either dry it upright in a vase or hang it upside.

To dry upside down, simply remove any excess foliage from the bottom inch of the eucalyptus stems - usually the leaves that have been fully submerged in water. Then, cut the stems to your desired length or leave as is. Tie the eucalyptus stems together with a string or rubber band. Then, find a dark and dry room or closet that has good circulation. Secure the stems upside down to a hanger, hook or stick, and leave the foliage to dry for 2-3 weeks.

7. Proteas

The stunning, bright protea is native to South Africa and is part of the Proteacaea family. The Proteacaea family is also home to Australia's native banksia and Waratahs. With over 1,600 species, it is one of the major plant groups found in the Southern Hemisphere.

How to dry proteas:

Proteas make gorgeous dried flowers. We recommend leaving the stems as long as possible. Although these don't necessarily need to be hung upside down to dry, it never hurts to do so. Ensure that each protea is hung individually and has enough room to dry out without being overcrowded or touched by other flowers. Hang these beauties upside down in a cool and dark room, ensuring they have enough circulation to dry out and hopefully maintain that gorgeous colour.

Conclusion

Have fun with arranging your very own dried flower arrangement - or simply let us take the work off your hands by purchasing one of our ready made dried bouquets. To prolong the beauty of these dried florals, ensure they are kept out of direct sunlight, wind and humidity. Once the flowers have been dried, be careful when you handle them as they can be quite delicate.

We would love to hear about your very own craft and DIY projects! We are always looking for fun projects to do on a rainy day here in Melbourne.