What Flowers are Similar to Roses
Photo by Tiffany Nguyen
Roses are gorgeous flowers and a popular mainstay in floral design. Roses work in almost every situation. But what if you are looking for something similar if they are not available, or want to just use something else?
We compiled a list of our favorite flowers that are similar to roses. We hope it helps you in a pinch, or at the very least gives you something to think about for the next time you want to design with flowers.
Photo by Zoe Schaeffer
Ranunculus
The Ranunculus is stunning and a great rose substitute. Ranunculus can stand alone with their petals’ semi uniform circular pattern or be the show stopper in a bouquet or arrangement. They have delicate, almost paper-thin petals which add to their beauty. They come in a variety of colors and sometimes are dyed to create some unique colors not found in nature.
We think they are a great substitute for a rose and are often a cost-effective replacement as well. This is not always the case as some rare varieties can be very expensive.
Photo by Girl With Red Hat
Lisianthus
Lisianthus is a very cost-effective rose substitute. They have a smaller bud, grow in bunches, and are not single stem, like roses. But there are enough buds per stem to cut them down into something that is usable and will fill the space. One thing to keep in mind about lisianthus is that they do not come in a wide range of colors, especially in comparison to roses.
Photo by Liubov Ilchuk
Peony
When it comes to rose replacements, there is nothing that can rival a peony. They are similar in shape to roses, they smell better, they have a great color selection and they are usually larger. Peonies are one of the most popular flowers for good reason.
Peonies do have their downsides. For example, peonies are more fragile than roses, and from time to time you get one that does not want to open. A good trick to get them to open fast is to put their stems in a bucket of warm water. Once you get them to start to open, you can switch them back to cold, or room temp water.
The last thing to take into account is that usually, peonies are much more expensive than roses. They can range from two to four times the price of a rose depending on the variety.
Photo by Melissa Askew
Ball Dahlia
Ball Dahlia is a unique rose substitute. It can fill a similar space in floral design as a rose but offers a much different texture. We think that ball dahlia is better than the normal dahlia that you see around for this substitution because it is smaller than regular dahlia and much stronger. Dahlia is dainty and fragile where ball dahlia is robust and sturdy.
We think that this flower is a great and often unthought-of option when you can’t find a rose, or just want to switch things up.
Photo by Annie Spratt
Double Tulip
The double tulip is an adequate rose substitute. Normally a tulip has too few petals in my opinion to be similar to a rose. But the double tulip has many more petals that make it a much better option when looking for something similar.
Another similarity is the size of the flower bud when it is opened. On average it is very similar in size so it will fill up space in a similar way.
Tulips come in a variety of colors that are similar to roses. That means keeping your arrangement in your desired color palette is easy.
They also look different enough to provide some unique texture if you are going to use them together with roses.
Photo by Tavin Dotson
Camelia
Camelia’s are another great option if you are looking for something similar to a rose. They grow in large shrubs and produce buds that are hearty.
They come in 6 different “forms” which is another way of saying styles. They even have a rose form and a peony form. This means that they look more like those flowers, but are still camelia. Any form would work as a substitute.
One thing that we have noticed is that they are hard to find in commercial settings. In other words, we don’t see them often for sale.