Dried flowers need no water and very little attention. What they do need is the right spot: dry, out of the sun and away from anything that might knock them.
Here is how to care for dried flowers so they hold their colour and shape, whether they are in your studio, on a client’s table or boxed as stock.
What dried flowers actually are
Dried flowers are real flowers with the moisture taken out of them. That is the whole process, and it is what separates them from preserved flowers, which are treated to stay soft.
Most dried material stiffens as it ages and grows more brittle, though how quickly depends on the product. Preserved stems keep more of their give. Neither is still growing, so neither needs water. The difference shows up in how you handle them.
Do dried flowers need water?
No. Not in the vase, not misted, not a splash to lift them.
Water is the one thing that will genuinely ruin dried flowers rather than just tire them. Moisture softens the stems, and left long enough it brings on mould.
If you are mixing dried stems into an arrangement with living ones, keep them clear of the water line or use a separate vessel.
Can dried flowers sit in sunlight?
Bright indirect light is fine. Direct sun is not.
If you are holding stock for a job weeks away, keep it protected from direct sunlight and dust rather than on display.
Can dried flowers handle humidity?
Not well. Keep them out of bathrooms, laundries and kitchens, and away from anywhere that steams up.
Humidity works slowly, so the damage is easy to miss until it is done. Stems soften, heads droop and mould can take hold in still damp air. This matters more through a humid coastal summer than a dry inland one, and most of all for stock you are holding rather than stock on display.
Dusting dried flowers
Dust dulls dried flowers before you notice it has happened.
Use a soft brush, a feather duster or a hairdryer on its coolest setting held well back. Work from the top down, and go gently: dried stems break where preserved ones bend.
Never use water, a damp cloth or cleaning sprays.
Shedding, and whether hairspray helps
You will see hairspray recommended for this, and it does work. A light mist over grasses like pampas locks loose pieces in place and cuts the mess.
It is worth knowing what you are trading. Hairspray is one way only. It can dull the colour slightly, stiffen the plume and you cannot take it off once it is on. Test a single stem before you do a whole order, hold the can well back and use the lightest pass that does the job.
How much a product sheds varies, so this is not something every dried stem needs. It earns its place on grasses, and on anything going somewhere shedding would be a problem, like a client’s dining table.
Worth separating from that: perfume and household cleaning sprays still mark petals, and neither belongs near dried flowers.
Keep dried grasses away from open flame
Dried grasses catch alight easily. Keep them well clear of candles and open flame.
This matters most in event styling, where a table setting can put a dried arrangement and a lit candle within a few centimetres of each other.
How long do dried flowers last?
You will find confident numbers online. One year. Two to three. Five.
The number on its own tells you very little. Kept away from direct sunlight, high humidity and heat, dried flowers can retain their appearance for years. Kept on a sunny sill in a damp room, the same stems can look tired inside a few months.
What affects how long they last:
- Light: Direct sunlight can fade colour and shorten the life of dried flowers.
- Humidity: High humidity can soften dried flowers and affect their shape over time.
- Handling: Dried stems grow more brittle with age, so move them only when you need to.
Storing and moving stock
Brittleness is why dried stock needs extra care during storage and transport.
Keep it in its original box until you need it, somewhere dry and out of the light. Store flat where you can, so heads are not carrying the weight of the stems, and do not stack heavy boxes on top.
Moving an arrangement to a venue, support the heads rather than the stems. Dried material does not spring back.
Dried flowers are easy to keep. Dry, out of the sun and handled lightly, they will hold their look for years.
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