Flowers by Type

Flowers by Type: A Simple Guide to the Types of Flowers We Deliver

There is a quiet moment when someone reads the card, then looks up at the flowers and knows exactly what you meant. Choosing the right type of flower is how you get to that moment. Roses say one thing, proteas say another, and a jar of sunny gerberas says something different again.

This page brings together every type of flower we grow and deliver, so you can shop by the bloom you have in mind rather than scrolling endlessly. Browse the full range above, or read on to find the flower that fits the person and the occasion. When you would rather see everything in one place, you can always shop all our fresh flowers or explore our hand-tied flower bouquets.

Understanding Different Flower Types

Every type of flower carries its own quiet meaning, and knowing it turns a nice gift into the right one. Roses speak of love and passion, lilies of purity and refined beauty, and proteas, born here in South Africa, of change and hope. Choosing by what a flower means, not by colour alone, is how you say exactly what you feel. If you are just starting out, our flowers ideas are an easy place to begin, our beginner flowers are the simple, hard-to-get-wrong choices, and our advanced flowers examples show how far a single type can go in the right hands.

The Most Popular Types of Flowers in South Africa

Some flowers earn their place season after season. Roses lead, for the simple reason that they carry feeling better than almost anything else. Our red roses are the classic declaration, and if you want to understand why they never date, our florists wrote a guide to red roses worth a read.

After roses come the cheerful ones. Sunflowers turn a room toward the light, and the Sunflower Garden Bouquet is the one people buy when they want to make someone smile from the doorway. Gerberas do the same in a dozen colours, which is why we call the gerbera daisy the vibrant blossom of joy. Between them, these few types cover most of what South Africans send all year.

The Best Types of Flowers for Bouquets

Not every flower makes a good bouquet, and the ones that do tend to share three things: a strong stem, a long vase life, and a shape that sits well beside others. Roses, lilies, proteas, gerberas and chrysanthemums are the workhorses, with seasonal blooms folded in for movement and scent.

If you are choosing for someone else, our flower bouquets are arranged around exactly these pairings. The Mixed Rose Bouquet is a safe, generous choice, while our rose bouquets range covers everything from a single colour to a full garden mix. Stuck for a starting point? We pulled together 100 bouquet ideas to get you going.

Indigenous South African Flowers: Proteas and Fynbos

This is where we have something the rest of the world does not. The Cape Floral Kingdom on our doorstep gives us proteas, pincushions and fynbos that grow nowhere else, and they make arrangements with real character. A protea lasts beautifully, dries well, and feels unmistakably local.

The Cape Town Protea Bouquet is our love letter to the Western Cape, sturdy enough to travel and striking enough to stand alone. If you want the story behind the bloom, read the beauty of proteas. For anyone sending flowers home from abroad, indigenous types are the ones that say South Africa loudest.

Flowers by Season in South Africa

Flowers are happiest, and last longest, when you buy them in season. Our seasons run opposite to the northern hemisphere, so our spring arrives from September. That is when you will find the freshest peonies, tulips and ranunculus, and we wrote everything you need to know about peonies in South Africa for the short window they are here.

Spring also brings the brightest mixed blooms, covered in our guide to spring flowers in South Africa. Through the cooler months, proteas, chrysanthemums and roses carry the load, while tulips and sunflower bouquets lift the grey days. Our florists arrange with what is freshest each week, so a seasonal choice is always the best value.

Kinds of Flowers and What They Mean

Half the pleasure of choosing flowers by type is the quiet meaning behind each one. Red roses mean love, pink roses mean grace and gratitude, and our guide to what flowers symbolise covers the softer messages. White roses speak of new beginnings and remembrance, which is why they suit both weddings and sympathy.

Lilies carry devotion and majesty, and our stargazer lilies bring scent to match. The Lush Lily Bouquet is the one to send when words feel too small. You do not need to memorise any of this, but knowing a little turns a nice gift into the right one.

How to Choose Flowers by Type for Any Occasion

Start with the person, not the flower. For a birthday, reach for colour and energy, which is why our birthday flowers lean bright and generous, and the Brilliantly Happy Bouquet rarely misses. For an anniversary, roses and lilies say what you mean without a word.

For funeral and sympathy flowers, gentle whites and greens, lilies and proteas, carry dignity and calm. And when you simply want to brighten a home, hydrangeas bring softness by the armful, with plenty more ideas in our hydrangea arrangement guide. When in doubt, our florists are happy to choose the freshest type for the day.

Shop Fresh Flowers by Type

Whatever you have in mind, you can shop it by type. Beyond the favourites, our orchids bring quiet luxury that lasts for weeks, and the elegant Luxury Peony Bouquet and blue Bubbles and Blue hydrangea show how far a single type can go.

Order before midday for same-day flower delivery in Cape Town and Johannesburg, hand-arranged in our studio and delivered with care. With thousands of five-star reviews behind us and our florists arranging since 1999, you can choose any type with confidence. Keeping them lovely is easy too, with our flower care guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four main types of flowers?

Florists usually group flowers by how they grow: annuals, perennials, biennials and bulbs. Annuals bloom for one season, perennials return year after year, biennials flower in their second year, and bulbs like tulips and lilies grow from an underground store. Most cut flowers you send are a mix of these.

What are the most popular types of flowers in South Africa?

Roses are the most popular by a distance, followed by lilies, sunflowers, gerberas and chrysanthemums. Indigenous proteas are a firm local favourite, especially for anyone who wants an arrangement that feels distinctly South African.

How many types of flowers are there?

There are more than 400,000 flowering plant species worldwide. A florist works with a far smaller, carefully chosen group of cut-flower types, a few dozen blooms that travel well, last in a vase and arrange beautifully, which are the ones you will find across this page.

What are the best flowers for a bouquet?

Roses, lilies, proteas, gerberas and chrysanthemums make the best bouquets because they have strong stems and a long vase life. Florists then add seasonal blooms for scent and movement. If you want help pairing them, browse our flower bouquets or our 100 bouquet ideas guide.

What is South Africa's national flower?

The king protea is South Africa's national flower. It is hardy, dramatic and long-lasting, dries well for keeping, and is one of the reasons our indigenous arrangements are so loved both here and by South Africans sending flowers home from overseas.

Which flowers last longest in a vase?

Proteas, chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemeria and orchids are among the longest lasting, often staying fresh for two to three weeks with clean water and a cool spot. Roses and lilies last around a week to ten days. Our flower care guide explains how to get the most from every type.

What flowers are in season in South Africa right now?

Our florists arrange with whatever is freshest that week, so the range shifts through the year. In the cooler months you will often see proteas, chrysanthemums, carnations and roses, while spring from September brings tulips, ranunculus and the much-loved peony. Seasonal flowers are always the freshest and best value.