
Non-fragrant Cut flowers
I worked out earlier than later in my flower career that some people like non-fragrant cut flowers. Strange you may think?
No, it’s actually quite common here in Sydney, Australia because we have a lot of allergy sufferers here and winds from inland stir up pollens and seeds as well as the seeds from Plane Trees.
In fact many of my customers prefer non-fragrant cut flowers, mainly because fragrant cut flowers gave them headaches and runny noses as result of the pollens and/or oils that give the flower its fragrance.
Also, while it may seem odd, not everyone smells the same fragrance. What might smell like roses to you could well smell like dirty, wet socks to someone else.
So why do some flowers smell and others don’t?
The brightest flowers are often fragrance-free because they attract birds, which have no sense of smell.
Fragrance-free flowers are usually bright and attractive in other ways, like having long stamens or ornate petal structures to attract pollinators without an aroma. Think sunflowers, dahlias and hibiscus.

Below is a list I put together to help you select non-fragrant cut flowers.
Ms Gerbera
Mr Calla Lily
Mr Tiger Lily
Ms Bird of Paradise
Ms Calendula
Mr Gladioli
Mr Tulip
Ms Sunflower
Ms Strawflower
Mr Dendrobium Orchid
Mr Vanda Orchid
Mr Cymbidium Orchid
Ms Lisianthus
Ms Chrysanthemum
Ms Daisy
Ms Flannel Flower
Ms Ranunculus
Mr Amaryllis
Ms Anemone
Ms Poppy
Ms Echinacea Ms King Protea
Ms Waratah
Mr Agapanthus
Mr Iris
Ms King Protea

Flowers and hospital
Another situation to be aware of is if you are gifting cut flowers to a loved one in hospital. I know it’s hard to resist sending a fab bunch of flowers to cheer them up and brighten up the room. But you might be surprised to learn that many hospitals ban flowers. Why is this?
Primarily it’s because of the risk of spreading germs, especially on wards where patients are particularly vulnerable to infection, aggravating allergies or creating more work for nurses and hospital staff.
Flowers can also take up precious space around the patient. When undergoing treatment there is a lot of equipment around the bed, and if people are in for a while they have all their own bits and pieces too so everything in an already limited space.
As a result I recommend checking with the hospital first and if they are are OK with flowers gift them non-fragrant cut flowers just to be safe.