Flower Spotlight: Freesia

Fragrant, elegant, and full of personality

As spring deepens and the days stretch out a little longer, one of the most enchanting flowers of the season begins to open in the field: Freesia. Its sweet citrusy scent is the first thing you’ll notice—soft, floral, and impossible to ignore. But once you get closer, the graceful arching stems and jewel-toned blooms offer even more to fall in love with.

This month, we’re giving Freesia its moment. It’s a flower with a rich history, a complicated commercial story, and a whole lot of charm.

Freesia Are A Flower With Fragrance and Roots

Native to South Africa, Freesia belongs to the iris family (Iridaceae). It was first classified in the 19th century and named after Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German botanist. In its native habitat, it grows wild during the rainy season, storing energy in underground corms to survive the dry months.

Over time, hybridizers in Europe turned this wildflower into the beloved garden and cut flower we know today—refining its form, boosting its fragrance, and developing a spectrum of soft pastels and vibrant brights. The result is the Freesia we grow now: arching sprays of blooms, each one opening in sequence, and each carrying a rich, citrusy scent that can fill a room.

Few flowers smell as good as Freesia. It’s long been a symbol of trust, friendship, and new beginnings—which makes it a favorite for weddings, spring arrangements, and thoughtful gestures.

How It’s Grown Commercially

Freesia is typically grown from corms (similar to bulbs), and commercial production is concentrated in countries with mild winters and cool summers—primarily the Netherlands, Italy, and Colombia. These regions use heated greenhouses and strict light controls to coax Freesia into bloom at just the right time.

It’s a fussy flower in some ways. It prefers cooler temperatures, needs well-drained soil, and can be sensitive to both light levels and heat spikes. Greenhouse growers often manipulate day length to encourage even, tall stems with strong bloom spacing—goals that are harder to achieve in the field without controlled conditions.

Because of this, most of the Freesia found in stores comes from overseas, grown in vast monocultures and packed tight for shipping. The flowers may arrive looking decent, but they’ve already had a long journey—one that can impact scent, vase life, and bloom quality.

Why Locally-Grown Makes All the Difference

Freesia is one of those flowers that suffers quietly in the global supply chain. It still smells nice—but not as nice. It still looks good—but often a little tired. Shipping delays, rough handling, and days in a box all take a toll.

That’s why we’re so excited to grow it here, in our own climate and soil, with no passport required. Our Freesia are cut at their peak, never refrigerated for days, and arrive to you still full of fragrance and life.

There’s something special about experiencing Freesia fresh from the field. The stems are firm, the scent is richer, and the blooms open one by one over a full week—each new flower just as lovely as the last. It’s a slow unfolding, and it feels like a little celebration every time.

What Else Is Blooming

Freesia may be our current star, but the spring stage is full of supporting players right now:

• Ranunculus – Still pumping out stems in every shade

• Snapdragons – Hitting their stride in bold spring colors

• Godetia – Soft, silky, and beginning its brief, glorious run

• Sweet Peas – Sweet-scented climbers we can’t get enough of

We’re at that moment in the season where every row is buzzing, blooming, and changing by the day.

Come Smell for Yourself

Freesia is fleeting—but while it’s here, it brings something incredibly special to bouquets and arrangements. If you’re planning a wedding, delivering a thank-you, or just want your kitchen to smell like spring, now’s the time to grab a bunch.

Thanks, as always, for following along with what’s blooming and supporting our farm. We love growing these flowers for you.

Until next time,

Emily + Matt

Bird Dog Farm