San Diego Wedding Photographer : Willmus Weddings
Roses, orchids, and peonies are perennial favorites for wedding flowers. But if you’re looking to add some California flair to your big day, you should look to native flowers instead of the usual greenhouse flora. Here are seven native flowers perfect for your San Diego wedding. Happy planning!
1. California Poppy
The bright orange California poppy is the quintessential California flower. The native species, which became the state flower in 1903, boasts a bright blossom set on a gray-green stem and fuzzy leaves. You can find this diva in shades of red, orange and yellow. It looks great in bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and dinner. Yep, the California poppy is also edible and often used as an ingredient in some dishes or a garnish.
2. Hummingbird trumpet
Photo credit: Lee012 on Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-ND
The charming hummingbird trumpet has red, trumpet-shaped blossoms clustered at the ends of its branches. It’s a bright, cheerful native species whose nectar does indeed attract hummingbirds, regardless of whether they’re on your invitation list. If you are looking for a pop of scarlet to add visual interest, the hummingbird trumpet should be on your list.
3. Coast Indian Paintbrush
Photo credit: western goblin on Visualhunt / CC BY-NC-SA
Count on the coast Indian paintbrush to bring on the color and the drama to any flower arrangement. This orangey-red native has showy cups on spikes of flowers clustered together. It grows naturally along hillsides and mountains on the West Coast, from Washington State all the way down to Baja California. Don’t confuse this with the Mojave Indian paintbrush, which is listed by the California Native Plant Society as rare or endangered. The coast variety is thriving and would make a bold California statement at your wedding.
4. Lewisia
This flower is named for Meriweather Lewis, of Lewis and Clark expedition fame, who made the 1804-1806 trek to the West Coast. It's native to north-facing cliffs in California and comes in yummy, candy-colored shades of pinks and peaches and corals. It's perfect for brides trying to incorporate Pantone's 2019 color of the year, living coral. These are small blossoms, add a pop of color among bigger flowers, or for small arrangements where color, not size, make the statement.
5. Common thrift
Photo credit: Ken-ichi on VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC
These pink puffs of flowers atop a slender 6-to-10-inch stem are practically begging to be in a bouquet. They come in shades of white to deep pinks and are native to California, Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia.
6. Pacific Coast Iris
Photo credit: terriem on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA
The Pacific Coast iris is a frilly, jewel-colored flower that grows in purples, blues, whites, and yellows. It makes an epic addition to a bouquet or a centerpiece. These showstoppers are native to the woodlands and meadows near the Pacific Ocean and are a perfect representative of a West Coast union.
7. Yarrow
White flowers with yellow centers cluster in bunches, giving off an elegant, lacy vibe that accent a lacy dress when included in a bridal bouquet. The plant itself is native to California and has many medicinal uses. It blooms in the early summer and attracts butterflies.
A San Diego wedding deserves some real southern California flair — and native plants can do the trick. Since they're native, they're easy to find and less expensive than imported flowers. These types of plants are also easy to grow for brides who want to create their own bouquets and centerpieces. These are just seven among hundreds of species of native flowers, and your California wedding florist can help you narrow down the perfect flowers to be a part of your amazing wedding day.
Willmus Weddings is a Wedding Planning company based in San Diego, CA.
Our Team of Wedding Planners offer Day of Coordination & Full Service Wedding Planning.
We also offer Photography & Videography services.