How Long Do Dried Flowers Last? [Preservation Tips]

Watching the fresh flower bouquet from your loved ones change color, wilt, and lose its beauty could be heartbreaking. But you can preserve it to last long as dried flowers.

You’ll need to follow certain preservation tips for the dried flowers to retain their color, shape, and texture better.

Do Dried Flowers Last Forever?

If you are wondering if dried flowers are the latest trends, the use of dried flowers has a long history dating back to ancient times.

While it now has a resurgence in popularity as a decorating material and bouquet of dried flowers, drying a flower is the best way to preserve them to last longer.

Different colored flowers like Roses, Lavender, Baby’s Breath, Hydrangeas, and Pampas grass last for a long and are better when dried.

And they retain their color, shape, and texture by any method like silica or air drying. 

1. Air Drying Method 

You simply gather a bunch of flowers, rope them jointly, and hang them upside down in a warm, dry place with good air circulation.

Keep rotating the flower, and it should be dry in about 15 to 25 days.

But you can quicken the drying process using desiccants like sand or silica gel.

2. Desiccant Method

For the desiccant method, fill a container with a desiccant layer, place the flowers on top, and gently cover them with more sand or silica gel.

After you seal the container, your flower should take about a week to dry, according to its thickness.

Regardless of the method, dried flowers do not last forever, but you can still preserve them for over a decade in resin.

Place the flowers in a container and pour the epoxy resin mixture to cover the flower completely.

Further, resin creates a durable and glossy finish that encapsulates the flowers, preserving them for an extended period. 

You can shape it and use it as a home decoration, earrings, or a pendant. 

Not only is resin art visually appealing, but it also protects the dried flowers from the bugs like beetles that they attract.

How Long Can Dried Flowers Last? 

Here is a table indicating the life span of different flowers when dried.

How Do You Make Dried Flowers Last Longer?

Drying a flower may not be overly difficult, but certain factors must be considered during preservation. 

The flower’s health, maturity, moisture content, and storage play a huge role in increasing the lifespan of a flower after drying.

So, here is how you care for dried flowers.

• Avoid fragile flowers: Prevent using delicate and moisture-sensitive flowers like Tulips, Lilies, and Daffodils prone to wilting and discoloration. They may lose their original form during the process of drying.
• Harvest at the right time: Pick the flowers at their peak freshness but not overly mature for a better chance at preservation. The best time to harvest is in the morning after the dew has evaporated.
• Remove unwanted stems or thorns: As stems and thorns take a long time to dry, remove them. Further, cut the stems to the desired length, typically a few inches below the blooms.
• Proper storage: Store the flowers in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, humidity, or extreme temperature change. Use airtight containers, glass jars, or shadow boxes to help dried flowers last longer.
• Regular maintenance: Monitor the flowers periodically and remove any deteriorating blooms or foliage. You must discard the mold-affected or decaying flower to avoid its spread.