Strawflower Growing Guide
Growing Strawflower is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Tender
Cold Hardiness
Survives to 2°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Surface-sow after frost where it's to grow (the seed needs light); thin the seedlings. Easy and quick in warm soil.
The quintessential 'everlasting' flower: its petals are actually stiff, papery bracts that hold their colour for years when dried, making strawflower the star of dried bouquets and wreaths. It's an easy, drought-tolerant, sun-loving annual that blooms all summer and the more you cut, the more it makes. The trick to drying is timing the cut — take the flowers just before they're fully open, because they keep opening as they dry.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
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Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Strawflower?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Strawflower Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Strawflower's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Full sun, free-draining soil, and not too much water or feed give the sturdiest stems and best colour — it's a tough, heat-loving plant that dislikes rich, wet conditions.
- 2Tall types may need support for straight drying stems.
- 3The whole craft is cutting at the right bud stage for drying; cut too late and the dried flowers blow open and fade.
- 4Wonderful for everlasting arrangements.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
90 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Blooms all summer to frost; cut for fresh or (especially) drying
How to Harvest
- 1For drying, cut the stems when the flowers are only half to two-thirds open — they continue opening as they dry, and fully-open blooms dry past their best.
- 2Strip the leaves, bundle the stems, and hang them upside down somewhere warm, dark and airy for a couple of weeks.
- 3For the garden, just deadhead or keep cutting to fuel more flowers all season.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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