How to Grow Strawflower
Strawflower 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
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Strawflower is tender, so sow it about 1 week after your last frost, once the soil is warm. Press the seeds onto damp soil and barely cover them, or leave them uncovered, since they need light to sprout. They come up in 7 to 14 days: thin them (pull the extras) so each plant has 30 cm of room.
Strawflower is the classic flower for drying: its stiff, papery petals keep their colour for years. It is an easy, heat-loving annual that blooms from summer until frost, and the more you cut, the more it makes. In a short summer, starting it indoors brings the flowers weeks earlier.
When To Start
Strawflower needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
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
Your Strawflower Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow strawflower outdoors, pressed onto the soil surface
1 week after your last frost· every year
Optional: start strawflower indoors, sown on the surface
6 weeks before your last frost· every year· optional
Plant indoor strawflower seedlings out in full sun
1 week after your last frost· every year· optional
Cut strawflowers half open for drying, hang upside down
75 days after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your strawflower seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
How is your strawflower doing? Give it full sun and water when the top of the soil is dry.
About 30 days after you plant it
Checking in on your strawflower. Cut the blooms often to keep new ones coming.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Strawflower's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 7–14 days
Growing Tips
- 1Give strawflower full sun, in your sunniest spot.
- 2Plant it in soil that drains well, with just a little compost, since rich, wet soil gives weak, floppy stems.
- 3Water deeply when the top few cm of soil are dry, and let it dry out between waterings.
- 4Skip extra feeding, since too much food gives leaves instead of flowers.
- 5Pinch the tips of young plants once to make them bushier, and stake tall types so the stems grow straight.
- 6Leave space between plants so air flows, and spray any aphids off with water.
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 flowers when they are only half to two thirds open, since they keep opening as they dry.
- 2Cut long stems early in the day, once the dew has dried.
- 3Strip the leaves, tie small bundles, and hang them upside down somewhere warm, dark and airy for about 2 weeks.
- 4For fresh bouquets, cut them when fully open.
- 5Keep cutting all summer, since every cut makes the plant send out more flowers.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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