Glossary
Florist Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential florist terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key florist vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in florist training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Boutonniere
- A small flower for a lapel.
- Centerpiece
- An arrangement for a table.
- Conditioning
- Hydrating flowers.
- Cooler
- Refrigerated flower storage.
- Corsage
- A small arrangement worn by a person.
- Ethylene
- A gas that ages flowers.
- Filler
- Smaller flowers that fill space.
- Floral foam
- A material that holds stems.
- Focal flower
- The main flower in an arrangement.
- Greenery
- Leaves and foliage.
- Hand-tied bouquet
- A bouquet held together by wrapping stems.
- Processing
- Preparing flowers to last.
- Sympathy spray
- A funeral arrangement.
- Vase life
- How long flowers last.
- Wire service
- Networks that relay flower orders.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Florist practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Florist training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.