Native Cut Flower Trial Update
Shaping the Future of Sustainable Floristry
It has been a brutal summer here in the Arizona desert. Triple digits for weeks, and some days I'm dragging myself out to the garden beds running on fumes. But these natives? They don't seem to have gotten the memo that it's all about struggle. While many plants are limping along, the desert marigold, gaillardia, and prairie sage are thriving — wild, stubborn, unbothered. Their toughness has been genuinely inspiring to work alongside this summer.
Back in March, we introduced our USDA SARE grant project to test 25 Western native perennials as cut flowers and foliage — testing which species can hold their own in floral designs, not just in the wild. If you joined that presentation, thank you for your interest. This is an update for how you can help shape the future of sustainable floristry.
Getting the plants in the ground
The first hurdle was sourcing these natives at all — many aren't available through typical wholesale growers, so we had to track down seed and starts from Sonoran desert nurseries such as Borderlands and Nighthawks Nursery in southern Arizona, and grow much of our stock ourselves. [Our final species list is here.]
The newest native garden planted in May and June has weathered the hottest time of year and is flourishing.
The second challenge was designing and establishing two new garden areas built on permaculture principles, so the plants would thrive with minimal inputs. As of this update, we've gotten 329 plants established across those two areas, plus three other garden areas. The gardens are filling out, blooming and attracting pollinators.
First harvests are in:
May through July we brought in our first round of harvests, many from plants established last year. Total stem count as of August 28, 2026: 521 stems.
Our early top performers:
Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata): 186 stems - Average stem length 16-24”
Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata): 108 stems - Average stem length 12-16”
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): 101 stems - Average stem length 16-24”
Prairie sage (Artemisia ludoviciana): 54 stems - Average stem length 24-36”
These are continuing to be distributed out to florists to test — through the Arizona Flower Collective's Wednesday market at Baseline Flowers, and through other local Verde Valley florists.
What florists are saying
Prairie sage, sacaton and blanketflower with lisianthus and goldenrod going to a wedding
I've been designing with these natives all season — in bouquets, in bucket sales, at farm events — and watching customers light up over their subtle color and unique textures has been one of the best parts of this project. Now I want to get them into the hands of more of you. Am I crazy or could this be something?
Response from florists has been genuinely encouraging: 13 survey responses so far, with another round of plants ready to harvest and test in the next few weeks. On our end, we've also been running preliminary tests on vase life and post-harvest handling, with promising results. 92% of respondents would be willing to substitute native flowers for some imported flowers in their designs. The chart below rates the qualities of the flowers in designs.
A petite bridal bouquet with globe mallow, sabayon grass, yarrow, blue gramma grass and 4 wing saltbush.
Species available for testing this fall
Desert marigold
Blue gramma grass
Blanket flower
Four-wing saltbush
Sacaton grass
Butterfly milkweed
Sonoran hyssop
Mojave buckwheat
Prairie sage
I even painted my own background for photography and now it is looking a little to Sea of Cortez.
Want to test stems? [Sign up here with a google form] — we'll get you plant material and a short survey to fill out.
One ask: please complete the survey within two weeks of receiving stems. This trial only works if we get consistent feedback back, so testers who haven't completed a prior survey will be lower priority for future rounds of stems. Here is the survey.
Customers are asking for natives
Customer found us via web search for a celebration of life in Grand Canyon
This isn't just a research question — it's a market one. Our flower team is using these natives in wedding bouquets and DIY wedding buckets for clients specifically requesting natives, in Mother's Day bouquet bars, and at farm events, where customers keep gravitating toward them for their unusual forms and textures.
Come see the plants in person
Garden tour field trip — part of the Friends of the Verde River's State of the Verde River watershed conference, September 17, 2026. Register here.
Yavapai College Horticulture Symposium talk — October 7, 2026. [Link to come.]
If you'd like to sign up to test stems, follow along with the trial, or come see the gardens in person at one of these events, [Sign up here with a google form] to get started.
Reach out to Kate directly with questions hello@wildheartfarmaz.com