Where does the name daisy come from?

It comes from the old English for day's eye, because the flower opens in daylight and closes at night.

Which flowers in the default puzzle grow from bulbs?

Tulip and lily grow from bulbs. The sunflower and marigold grow from seed.

Are violet and lilac flowers or colors?

Both. Violet is in this puzzle as a flower and in the color page's challenge as a color name.

Can I make a puzzle from my garden plants?

Yes. Type the plant names, one per line, and press Generate puzzle. A 12 x 12 grid fits most flower names.

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Flower Word Search

A flower word search with 10 flowers, from tulip to marigold, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight short garden words for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge of 16 more flowers.

Words (one per line, or comma separated)

Or start from a topic:

Grid size

Difficulty

Puzzle title

Subtitle (optional)

Two printable flower puzzles

These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)

Flower Word Search 1: In the Garden

Easy 10 x 10 grid · 8 words · 3 to 5 letters

A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

TCEIAEBNCOJZMXIKSHZAELOODMIETLGBGMUBUDEGIRIOEIVSIDXRASFRQCCFWPIQCPOPPYNTCSNOASIHPETALXSTEMENVLOTUSIK

BUDIRISLOTUSPETALPOPPYROSESEEDSTEM

Flower Word Search 1: In the Garden: answer key

TCEIAEBNCOJZMXIKSHZAELOODMIETLGBGMUBUDEGIRIOEIVSIDXRASFRQCCFWPIQCPOPPYNTCSNOASIHPETALXSTEMENVLOTUSIK

BUD: row 4, column 6, across to the right
IRIS: row 5, column 1, diagonally down and to the right
LOTUS: row 10, column 4, across to the right
PETAL: row 9, column 1, across to the right
POPPY: row 7, column 6, across to the right
ROSE: row 6, column 6, diagonally down and to the right
SEED: row 2, column 7, diagonally down and to the right
STEM: row 9, column 7, across to the right

Flower Word Search 2: Flower Challenge

Hard 15 x 15 grid · 16 words · 6 to 13 letters · 10 hidden backwards or upwards

A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

TMLCOSEAARAAZPDQAEAFBNVONVMCIFSNAPDRAGONEHLGOEBPEPSJABLRMKPPSEIQGIELDYGIOTIOGNWINUCSACXPNAROATPEAAIOBLOHEMNADBSNRELJFMFHIINEUTENDELLUEIRALCHTEARYDYIYBPLOESIUTRYHANLIRRMIBPAINEDRAGSCUWMAGNOLIAKRVCMTEICIENTSBZECUSTCLIDOFFADPGBS

ANEMONEBEGONIABLUEBELLCARNATIONCHRYSANTHEMUMCROCUSDAFFODILFOXGLOVEGARDENIAGERANIUMHIBISCUSHYDRANGEAMAGNOLIAPRIMROSESNAPDRAGONWISTERIA

Flower Word Search 2: Flower Challenge: answer key

ANEMONE: row 1, column 9, diagonally down and to the right
BEGONIA: row 4, column 2, down
BLUEBELL: row 4, column 9, diagonally down and to the left
CARNATION: row 6, column 8, down
CHRYSANTHEMUM: row 2, column 13, diagonally down and to the left
CROCUS: row 13, column 1, diagonally up and to the right
DAFFODIL: row 15, column 11, across to the left
FOXGLOVE: row 8, column 14, diagonally up and to the left
GARDENIA: row 12, column 14, across to the left
GERANIUM: row 15, column 13, up
HIBISCUS: row 8, column 15, down
HYDRANGEA: row 11, column 11, diagonally up and to the left
MAGNOLIA: row 13, column 4, across to the right
PRIMROSE: row 11, column 1, up
SNAPDRAGON: row 3, column 1, across to the right
WISTERIA: row 13, column 3, diagonally up and to the right

About this flower word search

Flowers are a pleasant, gentle topic that suits all ages, from young children who know a daisy to gardeners who enjoy peony and lavender. The default list contains ten flowers: tulip, daisy, orchid, sunflower, lavender, jasmine, peony, lily, violet and marigold. Some are known for their color, some for their scent and some, like the sunflower, for their size.

The easy puzzle uses simple garden words, rose, iris, poppy, lotus, petal, stem, seed and bud, which includes two plant parts alongside the flowers. The challenge puzzle moves to longer flower names, chrysanthemum, hydrangea, snapdragon, wisteria and gardenia, and is a good vocabulary stretch for gardeners and older students.

This is a useful puzzle for a spring unit. Ask students to sort the flowers by when they bloom, by color or by whether they grow from bulbs or seeds. A tulip grows from a bulb, a sunflower from a seed. Teachers can make a puzzle from the flowers in the school garden with the generator, and gardeners can make one from the seed packets they have bought.

Word notes

Tulip: a spring flower that grows from a bulb; strongly associated with the Netherlands.
Daisy: a small flower with white petals around a yellow center; the name comes from day's eye.
Orchid: a member of one of the largest families of flowering plants, often grown for its showy blooms.
Lavender: a purple flower grown for its scent and used in oils and sachets.
Jasmine: a climbing plant with sweet-smelling flowers, used in perfume and tea.
Peony: a large, ruffled flower that blooms in late spring.
Marigold: a bright orange or yellow flower often planted in vegetable gardens.

Vocabulary tip

Violet and lilac are both flowers and color names. If you also use the color word search, ask students which words appear on both pages.

Difficulty guide

Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 4 letters (lily) to 9 letters (sunflower), 6.3 letters on average and 63 letters in all, which fills about 32% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
Easy puzzle. 8 words of 3 to 5 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 6 to 13 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 10 of them hidden backwards or upwards. Chrysanthemum is the longest word in the challenge at 13 letters, and several names (geranium, begonia, magnolia and gardenia) end in similar vowel patterns.

Ways to use it

Sort the ten flowers by color, then by whether they grow from a bulb or a seed.
Ask students to draw one of the flowers and label its petals, stem and leaves.
To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.

Where does the name daisy come from?: It comes from the old English for day's eye, because the flower opens in daylight and closes at night.
Which flowers in the default puzzle grow from bulbs?: Tulip and lily grow from bulbs. The sunflower and marigold grow from seed.
Are violet and lilac flowers or colors?: Both. Violet is in this puzzle as a flower and in the color page's challenge as a color name.
Can I make a puzzle from my garden plants?: Yes. Type the plant names, one per line, and press Generate puzzle. A 12 x 12 grid fits most flower names.