Perennial Herb Plugs for Flower Farmers

Applemint in flower on the farm, Summer 2023.

March 21, 2024

One of my joys of growing a 1-acre cut flower farm is including a ton of herbs in the field. Believe it or not, all herbs produce a flower during the season, and a lot of those flowers are fragrant and absolutely lovely for cutting.

A few years ago, a friend recommended Richters Herbs to me when I was on the hunt for Applemint (which is now one of my top cut flowers in the entire field, in terms of productivity and direct-to-florist revenue).

Richters Herbs is an herb plug supplier located in Ontario, Canada, right across the border from the United States. Their prices and quality of plants are fantastic. I’ve been ordering plug trays from them for a few years now and wanted to share some of my favorites with you here.

Why grow herbs on the flower farm?

I grow herbs as cut flowers and foliage for many lovely reasons, including…

Herbs add wonderful scent to bouquets and floral arrangements. Many of the most impressive-looking cut flowers and foliages in the field do not have any scent: Dahlias, Zinnias, Cosmos, Celosia/Cockscomb, Ninebark in flower, Hydrangea, Delphinium (I could go on and on). By adding herbs into bouquets and arrangements as filler material, I’m able to bring incredible smells that are unlike anything most people are accustomed to smelling.
Most herbs are perennial and do not require replanting (or re-buying!) Over half of the cut flower crops on my farm are perennials in our Zone 6b. The perennial plants on my farm are, hands down, my favorite plants in the field and have been carefully curated for drought resistance, low fertility needs. Many herbs I grow are native to the United States, which provides habitat and a nectar source for native bees and predatory insects to naturally keep bug populations in check.
Herbs are unsuspecting and add uniqueness to floral arrangements. People are delighted when they realize there is flowering basil or oregano in their wedding centerpieces. Additionally, many herbs are not readily available on the global market for florists to buy wholesale, so it makes my offerings more desirable to them.
I always have a plethora of herbs on hand for cooking with! Yes, I eat out of my flower farm, wouldn’t you!? Click here to read about growing my favorite edible, culinary herbs.

best smelling herbs for flower farmers

These herbs are unmatched when it comes to amazing scent. I tuck these into bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres, and other floral pieces that might have a nose stuck into them.

Scented Geranium, Attar of Roses — Scented geraniums are the cream of the crop for scented foliage, best grown under cover in a low tunnel, high tunnel or heated tunnel in cold climates. Other favorite varieties are: Orange Fizz and Chocolate-Mint.
Lavender, Grosso — ‘Grosso’ has been my favorite French lavender variety for years. The flowers are huge and stems stretch up to 16” in length. Grosso is a supreme lavender variety for cut flower growers, as opposed to shorter English varieties.
Basil, African Blue — This specialty variety of basil has been my secret weapon in amazing-smelling centerpieces going on seven years as a farmer-florist. The scent is a spicy, musky passionfruit unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before, and it is the quintessential smell of my flower farm. It is a short-growing basil only appropriate for short centerpieces with water. The soft purple flowers blend well with any color palette.
Rosemary — If you’re lucky enough to live in a warm growing zone (8+), then I would highly recommend planting a ton of Rosemary for the most gorgeous, fragrant cut foliage. I can’t grow rosemary as a perennial in my Zone 6b, so I don’t bother planting it because it is slow-growing, but I have major rosemary envy of those who can!
Lemon Verbena — Lemon Verbena is fast-growing and even in cold zones will grow into big, bushy plants with tons of the most fragrant stems of foliage.

productive herbs for flower farmers (low scent)

These herbs are some of the most productive plants on my flower farm, chugging out stems the entire growing season. These herbs have a faint scent and I grow them more because of their impressive productivity.

Sage, Tricolor — Tricolor sage is so uniquely patterned that I couldn’t resist planting a huge swath of it on my flower farm. I also grow Berggarten Sage and Purple Sage, all incredibly useful green filler for centerpieces and small bouquets. Florists also love buying it.
Applemint — Applemint is the #1 cut foliage I sell on my flower farm! This type of mint grows exceptionally tall with large velvety leaves perfect for using in floral arrangements and bouquets. Cut regularly to keep it under control.
Lemon Balm — Lemon Balm is an amazing green filler with small white flowers on it. It grows in an open, airy shape. It’s prone to wilting but will hold up if harvested before the sun hits it. Harvest once flowers have opened.
Silver King Wormwood — Wormwood is my answer to no longer bothering to grow dusty miller. This variety of wormwood is so prolific and satisfies the need for a silvery-toned foliage. I love it so much! Give it space because it spreads.
Feverfew — Adorable feverfew looks similar to Chamomile but grows on longer stems more appropriate for floral design work. I love Feverfew as a productive filler in bouquets!

native herbs for flower farmers

These herbs are all native to the United States and will support native insect populations. As an ecologically-minded flower farmer, I have tons of native plants on my farm that support this function and also make wonderful cut flowers.

Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) — By far, Yarrow is my favorite plant in the field. This variety of white Yarrow is the native species variety and belongs in every cut flower farm.
Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower) — I grow echinacea for a few reasons: 1) Cause it’s native and supports lots of wonderful native pollinators; 2) I absolutely love the dusty mauve color; 3) Echinacea is perennial; and 4) Echinacea is a trap crop for Japanese beetles that may otherwise chomp on annual flowers like Dahlias and Zinnias.
Pycnanthemum pilosum (Mountain Mint) — This plant is one of the most productive plants on my entire farm, producing masses of white flowers atop long, thin stems that faintly smell of mint. This plant in particular attracts more predatory wasps and interesting bugs than any other plant on my farm. I love using it as a white filler flower for weddings.
Red Monarda (Bee Balm) — Gorgeous, bright red flowers are unique in shape and attract tons of native pollinators.
Anise Hyssop — Adorable purple flowers with a spicy licorice scent are highly productive on our farm. I can always count on this one as a great filler flower!

I hope this shed some light on where to buy herb plugs if you’re a flower farmer, and which are the best choices!