Veterans Day Flowers & Gifts

Veterans Day gifts are a chance to thank a parent, grandparent, neighbor or friend who served. These four red, white, blue and yellow bouquets are each made by hand by a local florist.

The guide covers what each color says and how to word the card. Veterans Day is November 11; if it's a Sunday, choose Saturday or earlier.

Choosing Veterans Day gifts and flowers

Colors that honor service

Tie a Yellow Ribbon is the most patriotic of the four: red roses, white daisies and blue carnations, with a yellow ribbon around the vase, long a sign of support for service members and of welcoming someone home. Wonderful Wishes Bouquet keeps to blue and white, the Yellow & White Delight Bouquet mixes roses, alstroemeria and carnations in a sunny pair, and the Classic All White Arrangement is a calm, respectful choice. Some offices close for the federal holiday, so a home address is often the safer pick.

What to write on the card

Specific beats long. Try "Thank you for your service, Dad. We're proud of you every day" or "Grateful for all you gave. From your neighbors on Elm Street." Naming the branch or years served shows you remember. For a red, white and blue florist's choice, see our Fourth of July flowers.

Veterans Day gift questions

What is an appropriate gift for Veterans Day?

Something personal works best: flowers with a short, specific card, a phone call, a visit or a meal together. Many veterans value being thanked by name more than any object, and a bouquet of patriotic flowers keeps that thank-you in view all week.

Do you wear poppies on Memorial Day or Veterans Day?

In the United States the red poppy is most closely tied to Memorial Day, though some people wear one in November too. In Canada and the UK, November 11 is Remembrance Day, when poppies are widely worn. To remember those who died in service, see our Memorial Day flowers.

Do Veterans Day flowers have to be red, white and blue?

No. Red, white and blue is the most familiar choice, but an all-white or yellow and white bouquet reads just as respectful, and a veteran's favorite color or the colors of their branch make it personal. Veterans Day flowers like the Classic All White Arrangement suit a quieter thank-you.