Martha Keehner Engelke NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County
I have always enjoyed drying flowers and in my opinion the queen of dried flowers is the Strawflower. They are easy to dry and they maintain their shape and color better than any other flower. I used to buy plants each spring at a local nursery but when the price rose to $15 for an 8 inch pot, I decided to grow my own from seed.
Strawflowers have an expansive color palette including deep purples and reds, sunny yellow, rich gold, and creamy white. A single stem can have different colors of flowers. (Image credit: Martha Engelke)
The Symbolism of Strawflowers
Strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum) are in the Asteraceae family and originated in Australia. The common name, strawflower, comes from the straw-like texture of the bracts. Because of the texture, deer and rabbits don’t like them but pollinators such as bees and butterflies are regular visitors.
Strawflowers have come to symbolize immortality, resilience and everlasting love. They were used in Victorian courtship bouquets to symbolize undying love and devotion when expressing such feelings in words was discouraged. Thomas Jefferson planted strawflowers along his West Lawn Winding Flower Walk as a part of his desire to explore global flora and variations among different plants.
In the Hispanic and Latin American culture, strawflowers are often referred to as siemprevivas, meaning always alive. While marigolds are the primary flower used during the celebration of Día de los Muertos, the siemprevivas is an important secondary flower because their long lasting vibrant colors are symbolic of eternity, remembrance and resilience. They can be woven into garlands, crosses and wreaths to decorate church altars during religious services.
Growing Strawflowers
Strawflowers are considered a tender perennial but are mostly grown as an annual in our region (although I am going to see if I can get mine to come back after the winter). Sow the seeds inside at least 6-8 weeks before the average last frost date or 2-4 weeks before the last frost date if you want to sow outside. The seeds need light to germinate so press them into the soil but don’t cover them. Water daily. They should begin to emerge in 7-14 days. I started my seeds a bit early and used grow lights for germination. I planted them in the ground in late March. I did cover them during one cold spell but they were resilient and endured (as is their nature!).
Strawflowers like direct sunlight (6-8 hours) but can be grown in light shade. They can range in height from a foot to five feet and the taller varieties might need to be staked. I grew a Swiss Giants Blend and they grew to 5 feet tall. Fortunately they were planted in front of some larger shrubs which blocked the wind but I did have to stake a few of them. We were in a drought this summer so I watered them every few days for the first 2 weeks but for the rest of the summer I never watered them.
Although the package said that these flowers would 36-40 inches tall, they were taller. As I cut stems of 12-18 inches, they became bushier and shorter and the blooms kept coming! (Image credit: Martha Engelke)
Once they reached about 3 feet tall, during mid June, they began to bloom, and bloom and bloom. Every week I harvest the blooms. By cutting them regularly, they should continue to bloom until early fall. If you make deep cuts, about 12-18 inches, the plant will become bushier and continue to bloom.
Deciding when to cut the blooms is a bit tricky. If you want to use them in dry flower arrangements, they need to be cut before they are fully open because they will continue to open after they are dried.
The blooms on the left are at a good stage for picking. The one’s in the middle might work but they might also continue to open and turn brown in the center. The flowers on the right are too far gone to look good in a dried arrangement but you might want to harvest the seeds. (Image credit: Martha Engelke)
Drying Strawflowers
Once you have harvested your blooms, strip the leaves and hang them upside down in bunches in a cool place. They will dry in a few days. The stems will become brittle which may make them difficult to use in a standing bouquet so some people string them with flower wire so that they appear to be standing up.
These flowers are drying under my house which is temperature controlled and dry. Because the stems shrink when drying, it is important to tie them together tightly with string. As an alternative, some people use rubber bands. (Image credit: Martha Engelke)
Making Stuff
Now that I have an abundance of strawflowers (all for a $2.69 pack of seeds!), I have been challenged to use them. There are many You Tube videos on how to make things with strawflowers. If you want to stand them up in a flower arrangement, you will probably need to wire them because the stems become brittle.
You can also cut the stems and use a glue gun to arrange them into wreaths, flower arrangements, garlands, a pinata, or greeting cards. They can be combined with other types of dried flowers and provide a pop of sunshine in winter. They are very low maintenance with no watering or light requirements although putting them in direct sunlight will likely cause fading.
These are my two projects so far: A small container with strawflowers on top and a mosaic bottom (the top comes off for storage of small items): and a colorful wreath for our front door. (Image credit: Martha Engelke)
Overall, this has been a rewarding project for me and definitely worth the price of the seeds!
Additional Reading and Resources
NC State Extension Plant Tool Box
Shortlink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-83O