Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and if you are looking for an alternative to the traditional cut flowers, University of Florida experts at the Institute of Food of Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have several options.

“Consider an orchid, a small flowering UF/IFAS breed placed in an elegant pot and that can be transferred to a garden. You can start with a small tree that will provide years of blooms, and let’s not forget our pollinator plants,” suggests Lorna Bravo, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County director and urban horticulture agent.

Ornamental plants, varieties of small fruit trees, and pollinators possess a long shelf life, growing well after Valentine’s Day and offer up some great options with gardening solutions in mind. Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ perennials, those plants that come back every year, are a gardener’s dream. Not only are they pretty fixtures for your backyard, patio, or garden bed, but once planted, you can look forward to their gorgeous blooms for years to come without needing to replace. Pollinators grow all year long and will attract butterflies for you to enjoy. If you and your partner enjoy cooking together, why not start with a set of herbs you can grow together and work with for those romantic dinner dates at home.

Finally, you also might be interested to know if you give a plant to your loved one for Valentine’s Day, it might originate from University of Florida research. UF/IFAS has 31 researchers across the state who breed and trial test plants.