Winter Flowers & Gifts

Winter flowers carry calm color through the cold months, for birthdays, thank yous, get-well wishes or a January pick-me-up. Expect white roses, lilies, blue delphinium, hydrangeas, lavender blooms and pinecones, hand-arranged by a local florist near the recipient.

A fresh winter bouquet brightens a gray week long after the holidays are packed away. This guide helps you settle on a palette, match a design to the moment and keep cut flowers happy in a heated home.

Choosing winter flower arrangements

Whites and creams

White leads this collection and shows up in almost every design. Winter Whisper sets white lilies and ivory roses with silver dollar eucalyptus and frosted thistles, and Classic All White Arrangement gathers roses, lilies and snapdragons in a glass cylinder vase. For a bigger gesture, Ultimate White Roses comes with one, two or three dozen long stems, eucalyptus and wax flower, arranged about 27 inches tall. White reads calm and clean, so these designs also suit a sympathy visit or a quiet thank you. Find more in our white flowers.

Cool blues, lavender and a little red

Blue echoes the season's sky and snow. Clear Skies Bouquet pairs voluminous hydrangeas with belladonna delphinium, and Winter Wishes Bouquet mixes roses, delphinium, carnations and lilies with rustic pinecones and winter greenery. Lovely Lavender Medley for Winter adds pinecone accents to lavender and white blooms. If you'd still like some holiday warmth, Wintry Wonder and Berry and Bright bring red roses into the mix. For more cool tones, browse our blue flowers.

A plant that lasts the season

The Double White Orchid Plant has two tall phalaenopsis stems potted in bark rather than soil, and in bright, indirect light it can keep blooming for weeks, far longer than a cut bouquet. It's a thoughtful choice for someone stuck indoors by bad weather or an office that wants one easy plant. See all of our orchids.

Winter flower delivery and care

Cold air is hard on cut flowers, so bring the arrangement inside soon after it arrives and keep it away from drafty doors and heating vents. Severe weather can occasionally delay a delivery, so leave a cushion before an important date. For New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, see our New Year flowers.

Winter flower questions

What flowers are in a winter bouquet?

Florists often build winter bouquets around white roses, lilies, delphinium, hydrangeas and snapdragons, with textural touches like eucalyptus, pinecones, wax flower and thistle. Those are the flowers you'll find here. Garden bloomers such as hellebores and snowdrops are lovely outdoors but aren't part of these designs.

Which flowers bloom in winter?

In the garden, hellebores, snowdrops, camellias, witch hazel, pansies and winter jasmine can flower between December and March, depending on your climate. Indoors, orchids and amaryllis bloom happily through the cold months, and cut roses and lilies are available all year.

How do I keep cut flowers fresh in winter?

Heated rooms are dry, so check the water daily and top it up. Recut the stems every few days, keep the vase away from radiators, fireplaces and fruit, and move it to a cooler room overnight if you can. A few blooms may arrive in bud and open over the next days.

Can winter flowers be sent for sympathy?

Yes. Calm white designs such as Alluring Elegance Bouquet, with lilies, Queen Anne's Lace and Veronica, or the Classic All White Arrangement suit a sympathy delivery to the family's home. For tributes at a service, see our sympathy flowers.