December

December has the shortest days out of any month of the year in the northern hemisphere and is a month of festivities and celebration, with many holidays and events celebrated during this month. It’s also a great month to find winter flowers.

Below we have a list of the flowers you can find in the UK during December. Despite frost, snow, wind and rain, there are Winter Camellias, hellebores and poinsettias to see.

Acacia (Mimosa) – Tiny petal-less yellow flowers cover the stems
Agapanthus (African Lily) – Long lasting, large striking flowers
Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily) – Very popular and long lasting flowers, often bi-coloured
Amaryllis  (Hippeastrum) – Large very striking trumpet shaped flowers, often grown indoors from bulbs
Ammi (Queen Anne’s Lace) – Masses of delicate white flowers, ideal as a filler
Anemone (Windflower) – Delicate, papery flowers, available in vibrant and pale colours
Anigozanthus (Kangaroo Paw) – Unusual furry buds with insignificant flowers. Ideal for modern arrangements.
Anthurium (Painter’s Palette) – Exotic waxy looking flowers.
Aranthera (Scorpion Orchid) – Long lasting orchid with small flowers on upright stems
Asclepias (Milkweed) – Clusters of tiny flowers, ideal as a filler
Aster (Michaelmas Daisy) – Popular filler with daisy like flowers on upright stems
Arachnis (Spider Orchid) – Long stems with slender petalled and spotted flowers
Banksia (Bottlebrush) – Exotic Protea from Australia, large flower heads made up of masses of tiny flowers
Bouvardia – Clusters of small tubular flowers, use with special flower food. Not all colours are available throughout the year
Bupleurum – Insignificant yellow green flowers. Used more as a foliage and as a filler
Marigold (Calendula) – Popular daisy-like flower with a country garden feel
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia, Arum Lily) – Striking single flowers.The coloured varieties are smaller than the white ones, and not all colours are available all year round
Carnation – Very long lasting. Some new more interesting colours are now available
Carthamus – Safflower  Unusual slightly thistle like flowers
Spray Carnation – Long lasting flowers. Some more interesting colours becoming available
Cattleya orchid – Large brightly coloured orchids, usually 1 or 2 per stem
Cestrum – Dense clusters of flowers at the top of straight stems
Ginger (Alpinia) – Large striking tropical flowers
Waxflower (Chamaelaucium) – Small scented flowers ideal as fillers, sold in bud and in flower
Chrysanthemum – Available as large individual showy blooms, or the spray variety. Very long lasting
Craspedia – Small completely round flower head made up of lots of tiny yellow flowers
Cymbidium orchid – Striking flowers, which flower profusely with up to 12 flowers on each stem
Dendrobium orchid (Singapore orchid) – Long lasting orchids with several blooms on each erect stem
Echinacea – Daisy like flowers with backward sloping petals.
Eryngium (Sea Holly) – Blue thistle like flowers, sometimes the blue is so intense it is hard to believe they are not dyed.
Eucharis (Amazon Lily) – Beautiful slightly downward facing delicate flowerheads on tall straight stems
Eupatorium – Insignificant small flowers, used as a filler
Euphorbia (Spurge) – Graceful curving stems with loads of tiny flowers. Note not all colours are available at the same time, check with your florist
Forsythia – The shrub commonly grown in our gardens for their springtime flowers
Freesia – Highly popular, highly scented flowers
Genista – Masses of tiny flowers all along the straight leafless stems. Popular filler flower
Gerbera – Large daisy like flowers, a smaller ‘Germini’ variety is also available
Gloriosa (Glory Lily) – A very dramatic flower with yellow edged cerise petals. The National Flower of Zimbabwe.
Godetia – Several brightly coloured trumpet shaped flowers open up each stem
Gomphrena (Globe amaranth) – Small globe shaped flowers which can be easily dried.
Gypsophila – Very popular filler flower. New smaller-flowered varieties are now available
Heliconia – Tropical flower with large very dramatic flowerheads. Several different types available
Helleborus (Christmas Rose) – Short lived very delicate and subtle flowers
Hyacinth – Popular as a pot plant hyacinth and increasingly popular as a cut flower
Hypericum (St John’s Wort) – Attractive berries rather than flowers make this a very popular filler
Iris – Very popular but short lived flowers.
Leucadendron (Safari Sunset) – It is the leaves rather than the flowers which make this popular
Leucospermum (Pincushion Protea) – Large flowerheads which resemble a pin cushion. Long lasting
Lily – Available throughout the year, but if you are looking for a particular colour check availability with your florist
Liatris – Tall poker shaped purple flowers.
Lilac – A common shrub and highly popular, strongly scented cut flower
Limonium (Sea Lavender, Statice) -  Popular as a dried flower, all varieties make good fillers, but it can have an unpleasant smell!
Lisianthus (Eustoma) – Popular flowers which open from tightly swirled buds, bi-coloured varieties also available
Lysimachia – Loose Strife  Arching flowerheads on the end of the stems, each made up of a mass of tiny flowers
Moluccella (Bells of Ireland) – Tall stems with a mass of bell shaped flowers.
Muscari (Grape hyacinth) – Very small with short stems and clusters of tiny blue flowers
Narcissus (Daffodil) – Needs no description and evokes spring more than any other cut flower
Nerine – Leafless stems topped with clusters of delicate flowers.
Oncidium orchid (Golden Shower Orchid) – Lots of small yellow flowers along the stem. Miniature hybrids are available in colours other than yellow.
Ornithogalum Chincherinchee – Fantastically long lasting flower, usually white and less commonly available in yellow.
Paphiopedilum orchid (Slipper orchid) – Very large dramatic orchid flowers
Phalaenopsis orchid (Moth Orchid) – Large showy flowers, popular as a pot plant as well as a cut flower especially for weddings
Phlox – English country garden flower. Very popular
Protea – Large exotic flowers with many different varieties
Ranunculus  – Small delicate, papery flowers.
Rose – Needs no description! Almost every colour available except true black or blue
Rudbeckia – Daisy like flower, usually sold without any petals, just the pincushion like centre
Skimmia – Popular shrub, sold as a cut flower when in bud
Solidago – A popular yellow filler flower.
Solidaster – A cross between Solidago and the Aster. Used as a filler.
Stephanotis (Wax flower) – Not generally available as a cut flower, but the individual small, waxy, white flowers are often used in bridal work
Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) – Unmistakable large and exotic flowers with blue and orange flowers.
Sunflower (Helianthus) – Striking, large daisy like flowers, usually yellow but more unusual rusty colours are becoming available
Tanecetum – A type of chrysanthemum with small button shaped flowers.
Trachelium – Masses of tiny flowers create a large flat flowerhead.
Tuberose (Polianthes) – Higly scented flowers on tall stems.
Tulip – One of the most popular cut flowers in the UK with many different varieties
Veronica (Speedwell) -  Delicate flower spikes add contrast to arrangements.
Vanda – Usually 6 – 8 blooms per flower stem, The petals often have a marbled appearance.
Vuylstekeara – A hybrid orchid, with highly patterned petals