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Tulipanna
Bondi NSW · est. 1992
A Bondi Road florist since 1992, with seasonal bouquets, arrangements, roses and potted orchids, and a weekly note on what's at market.
Seasonal cut flowerEustoma grandiflorum
Lisianthus: when they're in season in Australia
In season now (November 2026): No
Lisianthus are outside the listed Australian season in November. The national season is December to May. Local growing conditions and supply can change the timing. Check the state guide below and ask your florist about locally grown stems before ordering, especially near the beginning or end of the season.
- Right now
- Out of season in November
- Season
- December to May
- Vase life
- 7 to 14 days
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Written by Dan d'Auvergne
Season by state
Flowers and pets: check before bringing a bunch home
Season months drafted from koch.com.au, abc.net.au, livingflowersmelbourne.com.au, figandbloom.com, flowersforeveryone.com.au and 1 more. Availability varies by grower and region. See sources
Lisianthus is a summer and autumn flower in Australia, most plentiful from December to May. Growers in hot inland areas like Sunraysia in north-west Victoria raise them in hothouses under shade cloth, and glasshouse crops mean you can find some stems most of the year, with supply thinnest in winter and early spring. They look like a soft, ruffled rose, come in whites, creams, pinks, apricot, green and purples, and are one of the longest-lasting cut flowers you can buy.
Where to buy lisianthus
In summer
Lisianthus is one of the few cut flowers that is grown for Australian heat. Much of it comes from hothouses in Sunraysia, in north-west Victoria, where growers run shade cloth because harsh summer sun can bleach the colour, fading purples and turning pinks close to white. That toughness makes it a good flower for a hot January house. Summer is the middle of its run, from December right through to autumn, so stems are plentiful and good value. At home, use a clean vase, cool water and flower food, and keep it off sunny windowsills and away from the air-con vent. If you are collecting a bunch, take it straight home rather than leaving it in a parked car.
Summer flower guideFor Valentine's Day
Lisianthus is the best rose substitute in February because it looks the part. The ruffled, layered flowers read as a soft rose from across the room, and February sits in the middle of its season, so stems are plentiful while roses are at their dearest. It comes in white, cream, pinks, apricot, green and purple, and some types are edged in a second colour. Each stem carries several flowers and buds, so a bunch keeps opening for a week or more and copes with a warm house better than most. Ask for a mix of pinks and white for a romantic look, or deep purple if red feels too obvious. Snip off spent flowers and the buds behind them will open.
Valentine's flower guideSold by the bunch. Good value in summer and autumn, dearer and scarcer in winter.
How to choose good lisianthus
Look at the petals first. They should be crisp, with no brown edges, water spots or see-through patches, which point to bruising or cold damage. Leaves should be firm and green right down the stem, not yellowing or slimy. Doubles look the most like roses, while singles are lighter and more delicate, so choose the style before the colour. Each stem branches into several flowers, so one bunch usually fills a medium vase. Summer and autumn bunches are fuller and cheaper, while winter stems tend to be thinner and dearer, so stock up when supply is high.
Grown here or imported?
Lisianthus are not native to Australia, but they're grown here commercially.
Where they're grown
Lisianthus is native to grasslands in the southern United States and Mexico, and in Australia it is mostly grown under cover. Much of the summer supply comes from hot inland districts such as Sunraysia around Mildura, where growers raise it in hothouses under shade cloth. Plants start from dust-fine seed or plugs and take several months to reach flowering, so growers plant in waves to keep stems coming. Glasshouse growers fill in the cooler months, which is why stems still turn up in winter, just fewer of them. Some small flower farms also grow it outdoors as a summer field crop.
Stems at Australian markets are mostly grown here, so when they are out of season they are hard to find.
Colours, varieties and care
Colours
- white
- cream
- pink
- apricot
- green
- lavender
- purple
- picotee
Varieties to ask for
- Rosita
- ABC
- Double
- Single
Vase life
7 to 14 days
Making them last
- Buy stems with two or three open flowers and some buds showing colour
- Recut stems and strip leaves below the waterline
- Use flower food so the buds keep opening
- Keep away from fruit, as lisianthus is sensitive to ethylene
- Snip off spent flowers so the buds behind them open
Using them at home
Lisianthus has soft, flexible stems, so it works in almost any shape of vase. For a loose summer jar, mix white or green lisianthus with hydrangea heads, or put apricot and mauve stems with dahlias in late summer and autumn. A few stems of tuberose add scent, since lisianthus has little of its own. As the days go on, the buds keep opening and the bunch changes shape. Cut the stems shorter every few days and move them into a smaller vase as the bunch thins out.
Meaning
Traditionally associated with appreciation and gratitude.
Where to see them growing
Bloom Into You Flower Farm
Flowerdale
Usual season: January to April
Sydney Flower Market
Flemington
Best months: all year
Melbourne Market flower market (National Flower Centre)
Epping
Best months: all year
Questions people ask
When is lisianthus in season in Australia?
Lisianthus is most plentiful from December to May. Because it is also grown under glass you can find stems for much of the year, but supply is limited in winter and early spring.
What flowers can I give instead of roses on Valentine's Day?
Lisianthus is the closest look-alike and is in season in February. Tuberose gives you scent, lilies give you size and a long vase life, and gerberas come in bright reds and pinks. All of these are in season or grown locally all year, so their prices don't jump the way roses do in the week before the 14th.
Does lisianthus last in the heat?
Better than most summer flowers. Keep it in cool water with flower food, change the water every day or two during a heatwave, and keep the vase out of direct sun. Snip off spent flowers so the buds behind them keep opening, which is how a bunch keeps going for a week or more in summer.
Why is my lisianthus paler than usual?
Strong summer sun drains colour from lisianthus while it is growing. Sunraysia growers have told the ABC that heat can fade purples and turn pinks almost white, and that the colour comes back with cooler, overcast weather. It is not a sign of an old or poor bunch.
Is lisianthus in season at Christmas?
Yes. December is the start of its main run, which carries on to about May. It is one of the better Christmas choices because stems last seven to fourteen days, so flowers bought the week before Christmas usually last to New Year with fresh water and flower food.
Related flowers
All flowers
Where this season information comes from
- koch.com.au/blog/the-essential-guide-to-the-lisianthus
- abc.net.au/news/rural/2021-01-24/searing-temperatures-a-part-of-lisianthus-flower-farming/13081538
- livingflowersmelbourne.com.au/blogs/news/seasonal-flowers-by-month-in-australia
- figandbloom.com/blogs/journal/australian-flower-calendar
- flowersforeveryone.com.au/blogs/news/seasonal-flowers-guide-in-australia
- bloomintoyou.com.au/summer-flower-farm-victoria