Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world, with over 110 million stems sold in the UK each year. They are available in a wide variety of colours including yellows, red, pinks and white, and they are sweetly scented. They belong to the Iridaceae family. Although available all year their peak period is spring. One of the nicest varieties is "Ballerina", which look like elegant dancers.

The freesia flower is full of warmth when it comes to symbolism. These lovely flowers are thought to be representative of friendship, trust and innocence in general; however, as is that case with many flowers, each color means its own thing. For instance, yellow flowers symbolize renewed energy, while white commonly means purity. Freesias make great gifts, as their message of friendship is universal. They have become very popular as both part of a bridal bouquet, and as part of wedding decorations. Given their fantastic scent and beautiful appearance, these flowers also make great gift baskets. For this you can include the flowers themselves, alongside bottles of perfume, soap and lotion.

Flower Availability

Most freesias are available all year round although their peak period is spring, depending on their variety. Their average vase life is 4-7 days.

Care and Handling

Buy them with at least one flower open on the stem. Make sure they have plenty of water and never let the stems dry out. Avoid using fluoridated water throughout the care-and-handling process, and do not mix freesias with freshly cut narcissuses or daffodils, which emit a substance that can shorten freesias' vase life.