Interflora flowers

Flowers and names

We’re often asked about getting a plant or flower named after a loved one. It’s a very thoughtful and romantic gesture, but can be an expensive one too.

To commission a grower to develop and breed a new variety of a rose (or any plant) will take years and cost thousands and even millions of pounds. This is because only successful plants are bred together so each one must be grown from seed to maturity before you can tell if a hybridisation has been successful. If the flower is a particularly expensive or rare variety, many will be needed to be grown in order to test the various types of hybrids that can be created.

However, the good news is, there are lots of plants that have already been grown and named after people. You can find garden plants that have a particular variety that’s named after a Sarah, Claire, Emily or David. Quite often, the flower has been named after a famous person, such as the Nepenthes ‘Helen’ named after Helen Mirren, the Elizabeth Taylor pink petal tea rose or the Marilyn Monroe rose. The Royal Horticultural Society has a service on their website which will help you find flowers with the name you’re looking for.

Don’t forget that many flower names are also popular names, so you can usually find the perfect flower for baby girl, along with a few for the boys. Here’s a list of our top 10 favourites:

  • Poppy
  • Rose
  • Lily
  • Basil
  • Aster
  • Willow
  • Heather
  • Daisy
  • Fuchsia
  • Hazel