Cut flowers can mean more farm income, and more good bugs

Noah Burley & Mary Rogers

While growing cut flowers (flowers for bouquet use) brings curb appeal to any farm or garden, there is more to their beauty than meets the eye. In addition to profit from bouquet sales or agrotourism, cut flower production can be a great way to bring a diverse range of pollinators to a vegetable or fruit farm. Having more pollinators and other beneficial insects can lead to improved yield, decreased pest pressure, and improved resilience to changes in the environment. Growing different varieties of cut flowers can attract a broader range of pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Sweat bee foraging on ‘Chantilly Light Salmon’ snapdragon. Photo by Noah Burley

In the “Bounty and Blooms” sustainable agriculture demonstration project, Dr. Mary Rogers and Noah Burley, graduate student in the Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture program, are trialing annual cut flower varieties on the St. Paul campus to identify which flowers attract the highest number and most diverse range of beneficial insects. Vigor, bloom phenology, and quality are also being assessed. By combining this data, they are able to determine which varieties have the most appeal to farmers, consumers, and insects.

Top Cut Flowers for Pollinators

The flowers that supported the highest number of pollinators in 2024 included:

• Zinnias ‘Queeny Lime’
• *Ammi ‘White Dill’
• *Salvia ‘Oxford Blue’
• *Ageratum ‘Dondo Blue’
• Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’

Flowers that showed the broadest range of pollinator diversity are marked with a * above. We also saw a significant number of pollinators on Garlic Chives and both varieties of Celosia, ‘Raspberry Lemonade’ and ’Spun Sugar’.

Pollinators that visited these flowers included a broad range of bees, flies, moths, and butterflies. While these insects are attracted to the cut flowers, they also bring their pollination benefits to the vegetables and fruit located on the farm.

Hoverfly foraging on ‘Dondo Blue’ ageratum. Photo by Noah Burley.

While a broad range of pollinators was identified on the cut flowers, we also identified a variety of beneficial predators, such as lacewings, assassin bugs, and wasps, as well as a broad range of pests, including leafhoppers, aphids, and tarnished plant bugs. Predatory insects can improve fruit and vegetable production by suppressing pests. This natural pest reduction can be especially important in organic systems, which rely on preventative pest management. In one day, they observed both ladybugs and damsel bugs consuming aphids within their plot.

Traditionally, pollen production is not valued in cut flower production as pollen can contribute to allergies, stain fabrics, and reduce vase life. However, pollen is also an important protein source for beneficial insects and pollinators. Leaving some blooms unharvested will help support insect diversity and may contribute to flower pollination and biological control services on your farm.

Although every farmer may have a different method for managing their cut flower crop, consider the importance of insects in their system. Small changes can have a big impact on not only the beauty of a bouquet, but also the yield and sustainability of an entire farm production system.

Monarch butterfly foraging on scabiosa. Photo by Noah Burley.

For more information on growing a cut flower farm visit Choosing plants for your cut flower farm.

You may visit the 2025 cut flower demonstration garden at the Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day or by contacting Noah Burley (burle060@umn.edu)

Funding provided by: Bounty and Blooms: Integration of Cut Flowers in Urban Vegetable Farms is funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant (2024)