If you’ve recently lost someone you care about, you likely want to help their family and loved ones as much as possible. This may be a way to help soothe your grief, and the departed loved ones may need the support. (They may also simply need your presence; remember the saying about grief, “Don’t just do something, stand there.”.) A classic way to send love and care to the bereaved is to send or bring flowers. Bringing flowers to a cremation service or an ash scattering ceremony is a lovely way to show honor for the one who passed and offer comfort to those they’ve left behind. Please keep reading for more about choosing flowers to bring to a cremation service or ash scattering.

How to Choose Flowers to Bring to the Cremation Service

The deceased’s favorite flower is the most appropriate one to bring to a cremation service. This flower is uniquely associated with the dearly departed and is a way to remember them and perhaps help you feel closer to them. The cremation ceremony is about the departed, so their favorite flower is the best choice, even if it’s not a traditional “funeral” flower.

There are other ways to choose cremation service flowers. You can choose flowers based on color meaning or flower meaning, or both. Different colors have different emotional associations, as do types of flowers. We’ll go into the meaning behind popular cremation service flowers in the next section. One final note: Bring completed arrangements or a cut bouquet in a vase. A loose bouquet means a chore for the receiver.

Popular Flowers for a Cremation Service

• Roses

One of the most popular flowers for a cremation service is roses. All the rose colors are associated with love and respect, which is appropriate for your deceased loved one and their family and friends. Yellow roses celebrate the life your loved one lived; pink roses represent grace and honor. Red roses symbolize the eternal love you have for the one who passed.

• Lilies

White lilies are a classic flower for grief and the most popular cremation service flower. They represent peace, grace, and dignity, making them a good choice for a cremation service. You can mix them with other flowers or use them on their own.

• Carnations

Carnations are small, lovely flowers that come in various colors. This makes them perfect for using the meaning of colors to create a bouquet. White is the classic color for grief flowers, and pink is also very popular.

• Orchids

With orchids, you can use them cut in a bouquet or arrangement or present a live plant to the family. A live plant may make a loving, comforting gift to someone who is a plant person; otherwise, opt for cut orchids. Live orchids are notoriously hard to keep alive, and the last thing a grieving, non-plant person needs is a fussy flower. White orchids represent purity and reverence, yellow orchids show friendship, and purple orchids show respect.

How to Choose Flowers to Scatter in an Ash Scattering Ceremony

As a quick aside, since we touched on this in a previous section, you can only make the right choice if you choose your departed loved one’s favorite flower. You can also choose based on color or flower meaning, and we’ll look at the meaning behind some of the popular flowers for ash-scattering.

If you are attending an ash scattering on the water, it’s essential that you only scatter biodegradable items. This keeps our oceans and lakes healthy, and it’s the law for ocean ash scattering. Many florists can construct arrangements with biodegradable materials if you want a wreath or other arrangement to place on the water. Otherwise, loose flowers without wires or ribbons are safe to scatter on the water. Flower petals are also ideal for a land scattering. They may catch the wind and float around. Otherwise, they will degrade faster than a whole flower.  

Popular Flowers for Scattering

• Daisies

Daisies are bright, cheerful flowers often used in ash scattering arrangements. They are commonly used for the funerals of infants or children. They make wonderful flowers to scatter along with your loved one’s ashes.

• Gladiolus

These long-stemmed beauties with multiple blossoms represent strength and integrity. This makes them perfect for the strong, whole person who has passed or for a grieving family. Another common name for gladiolus is the “sword lily.”

• Chrysanthemums

Often called “mums” for short, you can often find these beautiful flowers at an ash scattering. These flowers represent death in some European cultures, making them an appropriate flower to honor someone who has passed.

• Irises

Blue and purple irises are commonly used for ash scattering and ash scattering arrangements. They represent respect, hope, and faith, which are valuable qualities in a time of grief. These are commonly used in arrangements when memorializing the passing of a person who served in the military.