What Should I Do with My Flowers in Animal Crossing?
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If you’ve been playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced the explosion of flowers that can quickly overtake your island. They’re beautiful, sure, but what do you actually do with them all? The short answer is: a lot! Flowers in Animal Crossing are far more versatile than just pretty decorations. You can sell them for profit, use them for crafting, breed them for rare colors, and even give them away. This guide will walk you through all the options so you can manage your floral abundance effectively and make the most of your island’s botanical bounty.
The Basics of Flower Management
Before diving into the specifics, let’s get the fundamentals down. Flowers in Animal Crossing come in a variety of species (roses, tulips, lilies, etc.) and colors. They can be obtained from Nook’s Cranny, from Leif when he visits, or by crossbreeding existing flowers. They propagate and spread when watered, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your goals. Understanding these core mechanics will help you make informed decisions about what to do with your floral friends.
Options for Your Flowers
Here’s a comprehensive look at what you can do with your flowers:
- Selling for Bells: You can sell both picked flowers and whole dug-up flower plants at Nook’s Cranny. Surprisingly, they sell for the same price. This makes selling a great way to earn some extra Bells when you have an excess of flowers, especially common varieties. An optimal method for maximizing your bell gains is to pick the flower first then dig up the plant and sell both.
- Crafting: Flowers are ingredients in a number of DIY crafting recipes. Wreaths, crowns, and other decorative items can be made using specific flowers. You’ll unlock these recipes over time, but it’s a good idea to start stocking up now so you’re prepared when you need them.
- Breeding for Hybrids: This is where flower management can become a strategic game. By planting two flowers of the same species side-by-side, you can breed hybrid flowers with new and often rarer colors. This is how to obtain coveted shades like blue roses, purple tulips, and black lilies. Experimentation and patience are key to mastering hybrid breeding.
- Island Decoration: Of course, one of the primary purposes of flowers is to make your island look beautiful! Use them to create gardens, borders, pathways, and other landscaping features. The possibilities are endless and this is a fundamental part of what makes Animal Crossing so much fun.
- Giving to Villagers: While not the most lucrative use, giving flowers to your villagers can be a nice gesture. It can help to boost your friendship levels with them. While they may not use them for anything in particular, the gesture itself is usually appreciated, giving you positive feedback.
- Disposal: Sometimes you just have too many! If you’re not interested in selling, crafting or breeding, the trash can becomes your best friend. Dig up the flowers and dispose of them. This is a tedious task but necessary for managing the overwhelming number of unwanted plants.
Strategies for Specific Situations
Now that you know the basic options, let’s explore some specific scenarios and the best ways to handle them:
Overabundance of Flowers
This is one of the most common challenges faced by Animal Crossing players. Here’s a strategy:
- Assess your needs: Decide which flowers you want to keep for crafting, breeding, and decoration.
- Pick the Flowers: Sell the excess picked flowers at Nook’s Cranny.
- Dig up and Dispose of the Rest: Dig up all the plants you don’t want and throw them in a trash can or sell them at Nook’s Cranny.
- Control Spreading: Use custom design tiles as a preventative measure. Place the invisible design around areas where you don’t want flowers to grow, such as around trees and other key locations on your island.
Breeding for Rare Hybrids
Breeding for hybrids, especially blue roses, can be challenging. Here are some tips:
- Start with the Basics: Understand the breeding color combinations. For example, to get a blue rose you need a specific chain of breeding starting with the creation of special hybrid red roses.
- Plant in a Grid: Place flowers strategically, leaving a single space around them for new plants to spawn. This maximizes the efficiency of the breeding process.
- Water Every Day: Daily watering is crucial for breeding. Use a golden watering can for an increased chance of producing hybrids.
- Patience: Hybrid breeding can take time and is often heavily reliant on luck. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away!
Maintaining a Five-Star Island
If your goal is a five-star rating for your island, flowers are an important part of that. You need a decent number of flowers but not too many that it makes your island cluttered and disorganized. The general rule of thumb is that there should be at least three flowers per acre. The Lily of the Valley is a special flower that spawns once your island achieves a five-star rating, and it will continue to appear as you maintain this ranking.
FAQs About Flower Management in Animal Crossing
Here are some frequently asked questions to further guide your flower management:
1. Is it worth selling flowers in Animal Crossing?
Yes, it is! Selling flowers can be a consistent way to earn Bells, especially if you have a large surplus of common flowers. Remember to pick the flower first and then dig up the plant to maximize profit.
2. Do picked flowers and whole plants sell for the same price?
Yes, they do! This makes selling a great way to earn some extra Bells when you have an excess of flowers, especially common varieties. It is always best to pick flowers first then dig up the plant and sell both to double the value.
3. What is the best way to get rid of flowers I don’t want?
The most efficient way is to dig up the unwanted flowers and throw them away using a trash can. It’s tedious but it’s the best method.
4. What is the prettiest flower in Animal Crossing?
That’s subjective, but many players consider the Gold Roses and the Lily of the Valley to be among the most beautiful.
5. What is the hardest flower to grow in Animal Crossing?
The Blue Rose is notoriously difficult to obtain because it requires a specific breeding chain and an element of luck.
6. Does Nook’s Cranny change its flowers?
Yes, the non-native flower species available change approximately every two weeks. The colors are randomly selected at the beginning of each day.
7. Is there a limit on how many flowers can grow in Animal Crossing?
No, there is no limit to the number of new flowers that can grow each day. This means that your island can easily become overrun if you are not carefully monitoring them.
8. How many flowers do I need for a perfect town?
A good rule of thumb is to have at least three flowers per acre, along with an adequate number of trees.
9. What are the rarest flowers in Animal Crossing?
The Lily of the Valley is a very rare flower because it doesn’t require crossbreeding and only appears once you have reached a 5-star rating. The blue rose is also considered extremely rare because it is notoriously difficult to obtain.
10. What is the most expensive flower in Animal Crossing?
The Blue Rose and Gold Rose are tied as the most expensive, selling for 2,500 Bells each.
11. Do flowers multiply in Animal Crossing?
Yes, flowers can multiply and spread by crossbreeding as well as by self-propagation, making it important to manage where you plant them and to water them daily.
12. How do you crossbreed flowers in Animal Crossing?
Place two flowers of the same species next to each other. Water them, and with some luck, a hybrid might appear.
13. How do I get blue roses?
Blue roses are achieved by breeding special hybrid red roses. It requires patience, trial, and error to get the required parent roses for the breeding process.
14. Does Leif always sell the same flowers?
No, Leif’s inventory rotates based on the season and what he has in stock. The flowers he sells on Harv’s Island are different and refresh weekly.
15. What is the rarest flower color in Animal Crossing?
The blue rose is arguably the rarest color as it is the most difficult to obtain via breeding.
Conclusion
Managing flowers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons can seem overwhelming at first, but understanding their different uses and breeding patterns makes the process more rewarding. Whether you’re aiming for a beautiful, flower-filled island, a lucrative business, or a collection of rare hybrids, you have many great options. Start experimenting, be patient, and most of all, enjoy the beauty of your floral creations!