Sympathy flowers and plants are a traditional and appropriate way of expressing sympathy for a friend or loved one. Most funeral homes have a visitation, where family and friends come to pay their respects to the family. Proper sympathy flower etiquette is to send flowers or plants to the funeral home, church or mortuary prior to the first visitation hours. If you are late in sending flowers and can not have flowers arrive in time for the first visitation it is still appropriate to send flowers as long as they arrive prior to any additional visitations. If you have not sent flowers in time for them to arrive prior to the last visitation you may want to consider sending flowers or a plant to the family of the deceased at their residence.

If you have missed the visitations and the funeral service it is considered very proper etiquette to send flowers or a plant to the family of the deceased at their residence. In fact, it is considered appropriate etiquette to send flowers or plants to the family of the deceased up to a month after the funeral service. Some people even prefer to send flowers and plants at a later date because it is a great way to let the family of the deceased know that people are still thinking of them even after the funeral service has passed. Many people who have lost a loved one find this very comforting.

Co-workers will generally send flowers as a group or as a representative of their company. Appropriate flowers from an individual co-worker or friend would be a funeral basket arrangement or plant. A standing funeral spray or wreath would be the more appropriate representation for a group of individuals or a company.

Appropriate flowers from immediate family members will normally be larger pieces such as funeral sprays, heart and cross arrangements. Casket sprays are normally ordered by the spouse or adult child for a parent. Often family members may send one large piece from several siblings or cousins to represent their immediate family’s condolences.