Strawflower (Bracteantha bracteata)

Strawflower Plant Features

Strawflowers (Bracteantha) are easy-care and elegant annual plants that offer a long bloom season. At first glance, it might seem like they have a strange common name, but touch the brightly colored blooms and it becomes apparent. An excellent dried flower, the petals have a dry, papery feel. Just cut the blooms and enjoy them in DIY craft projects, such as dried-flower wreaths, swags, etc.

Strawflowers thrive in sunny garden beds and borders. The plants are tidy and mounding, so they're fine choices for planting along pathways or in the middle or front of the border with perennials or other annuals. Their mounding form looks especially nice when paired with ornamental grasses, snapdragons, veronica, or other spiky, upright plants.

You can also enjoy strawflowers in container gardens; the plants thrive in pots, too. This makes strawflowers a fun choice for adding color to sunny decks, patios, porches, and balconies. You can grow them by themselves or combine them with other plants.

Strawflower Growing Instructions

Grow strawflowers in full sun (at least six to eight hours of direct sun per day) and well-drained soil or potting mix. Strawflowers will tolerate part shade, but they don't usually bloom as profusely, and may get a little leggy as they stretch for light. Take care not to overwater these plants; it's better to keep them a little too dry than consistently too wet. If you grow strawflowers in pots, be sure to use a quality potting mix; don't fill the pot with soil from your yard.

While strawflowers don't require fertilizer to bloom well, you will typically enjoy more flowers if you feed them regularly with a general-purpose fertilizer. Or, use a time-release fertilizer at planting time; these types of products slowly release nutrients into the soil over the course of the growing season.

Pruning strawflowers isn't usually necessary, but pinching off flowers as they fade can help encourage a few more blooms.

Note: Strawflower is not intended for human or animal consumption.

Water

Medium water needs
Light

Outside: Sun
Colors

Orange

Pink

Red

White

Yellow
Special Features

Attracts butterflies

Super-easy to grow

Complement your Strawflower

Verbena
Give strawflower a skirt of beautiful verbena for an elegant combination.

Salvia, Annual
Easy-care annual salvia as a perky, upright shape that contrasts well with strawflower.

Celosia
No-fuss celosia is a perfect partner for strawflower; they bloom in similar colors and like the same growing conditions.

Our favorite varieties

Cottage Pink Strawflower

Bracteantha 'Cottage Pink'

Cottage Pink strawflower shows off soft pink flowers nonstop in summer and autumn. It grows only 12 inches tall and wide.

Cottage Bronze Strawflower

Bracteantha 'Cottage Bronze'

Bearing interesting flowers in a fun fall shade, Cottage Bronze strawflower blooms nonstop once planted. It grows 12 inches tall and wide.

Cottage Yellow Strawflower

Bracteantha 'Cottage Yellow'

Fresh and fun, Cottage Yellow strawflower is a top performer in our Miami, Florida, Trial Garden. It grows 12 inches tall and wide.

Cottage White strawflower

Bracteantha 'Cottage White'

A top performer in our Trial Garden, it holds up well to rough weather with a steady supply of blooms. Cottage White strawflower grows 12 inches tall and wide.