BloomBridge / Guides

Cemetery Rules

Fort Bliss National Cemetery: Flower Rules, Height Limits and the 2026 Pick-Up Schedule

What Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso allows at a grave: fresh and artificial flowers in cemetery vases, three per grave, no taller than the 24-inch headstone, the Easter and Christmas windows, and the monthly pick-up dates for 2026.

By Fern2 min read

Fort Bliss National Cemetery sits on the edge of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and serves veterans and families from West Texas and southern New Mexico. Its floral policy is posted on the cemetery's page at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and it answers the question families ask most: how tall can the flowers be?

Where it is and when it is open

  • Address: 5200 Fred Wilson Avenue, El Paso, TX 79906.
  • Phone: 915-564-0201.
  • Grounds: open daily from sunrise to sunset.
  • Office: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, closed on federal holidays except Memorial Day.

Finding a grave

A kiosk in the Public Information Center just inside the main gate is available 24 hours a day and prints a map to the grave. Before you go, the VA's nationwide gravesite locator lists everyone buried at Fort Bliss. Our guide to finding a veteran's grave walks through it.

The height limit

Fort Bliss says arrangements should be no taller than the headstone, which it lists as 24 inches. That matches the national rule: the National Cemetery Administration's floral directive allows fresh and artificial arrangements "no taller than 24 inches, unless otherwise approved by the cemetery director," and they may not cover the headstone or spill onto a neighboring grave. A tall standing spray belongs at the funeral, not the grave.

What is allowed

  • Fresh-cut and artificial flowers, year-round, along with U.S., POW and service branch flags.
  • Cemetery plastic vases only. They are in receptacles throughout the grounds; return them when you are done. No other containers are allowed.
  • Three vases per gravesite, at most.
  • Potted plants only from 10 days before to 10 days after Easter.
  • Wreaths, poinsettias and grave blankets from December 1 through January 20, no larger than 2 feet by 3 feet.

What is not

Nothing may be attached or glued to a headstone, marker or niche cover. Food and alcohol are removed at once. Trees and shrubs may not be decorated. Headstones are federal property, so marking one in any way is treated as vandalism. The national directive adds the list that applies at every VA cemetery: no balloons, pinwheels, shepherd's hooks, wind chimes, lights, statues, stuffed animals, permanent plantings, glass or breakable items, or candles.

The 2026 pick-up schedule

Flowers are collected at the end of each month, and you may take yours home before the pick-up. The remaining 2026 dates: October 28 to 30, November 24 to 27, and as needed in December. The dates are also posted on "Next Flower Pick-Up" signs around the cemetery. Anything that violates the policy, is an eyesore or is unsafe can be removed without notice.

Fort Bliss allows silk flowers all year, so a BloomBridge Runner can place the Red, White & Blue arrangement in a cemetery vase, under the height limit, and send you a photo of it at the headstone. See our Texas cemetery pages.

For how the rules compare at other VA cemeteries, see Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery and our overview of flowers at a national cemetery.

Topics Cemetery Rules Cemetery spotlight Texas National cemeteries Veterans

Placed at the grave by a local Runner

Holiday Arrangement graveside arrangement Holiday Arrangement White Roses & Hydrangeas graveside arrangement White Roses & Hydrangeas Red & White Roses graveside arrangement Red & White Roses Halloween Arrangement graveside arrangement Halloween Arrangement Fall Arrangement graveside arrangement Fall Arrangement Red, White & Blue graveside arrangement Red, White & Blue Pink Roses & Peonies graveside arrangement Pink Roses & Peonies Pastel Multicolor graveside arrangement Pastel Multicolor Hot Pink & White Roses graveside arrangement Hot Pink & White Roses Purple Arrangement graveside arrangement Purple Arrangement Yellow Arrangement graveside arrangement Yellow Arrangement Blue Arrangement graveside arrangement Blue Arrangement Birthday Arrangement graveside arrangement Birthday Arrangement Always My Valentine graveside arrangement Always My Valentine Easter Arrangement graveside arrangement Easter Arrangement Breast Cancer Awareness graveside arrangement Breast Cancer Awareness

Grave flower delivery to any cemetery in all 50 states · find yours by state

Flowers at the grave, wherever it is

A local BloomBridge Runner places a hand-crafted arrangement at any cemetery in all 50 states and sends you a photo of it in place.

Send Flowers

Frequently asked questions

No taller than the headstone, which the cemetery lists as 24 inches. The national VA rule is the same unless the cemetery director approves otherwise.

Yes, year-round, in the plastic vases the cemetery provides. Limit three vases per grave. Wreaths and grave blankets are allowed December 1 through January 20.

At the end of each month on a posted schedule; the last 2026 pick-ups are October 28 to 30 and November 24 to 27. Take home anything you want to keep beforehand.