How to Keep Flowers Fresh: 10 Hacks to Double How Long Your Buds Last

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Flowers are an easy way to brighten up your home, whether it’s because you’re holding an open house, hosting company, or just because. However, it’s a huge bummer if you’ve bought or arranged a pretty (and possibly pricey) bouquet, only to see the blooms wilt in their vase a day or two later.

But here’s a secret: Yes, flowers won’t last forever, but you can do a lot to extend their life span and get the most bang and beauty for your buck.

Here’s how to keep flowers fresh for the long haul, with hacks to try from the moment you place them in a vase and for the days to come.

Get them in water ASAP

One of the most important steps to long-lasting flower arrangements is fresh water, says Lynne Tischler, floral designer and owner of Your Enchanted Florist, in St. Paul, MN.

You should always start with a clean vase, and have it ready and filled with water to place your stems in immediately. Delaying putting them in water can actually allow air pockets to form in the stem, which will cause droopy flower heads.

Learn the best way to cut flower stems

Whether you’re making your own bouquet or bought one from a store, always recut stems at a 45-degree angle—with a clean, sharp knife or garden clippers only.

“Regular scissors will crush the stems, reducing the water intake,” says Tischler.

Flowers should be cut at an angle for more exposed surface area, which helps increase the amount of water they can take in.

Photo by Dreamy Whites 

Freshen up

Flowers drink more water than you realize. You should add fresh water to the vase daily, says Jessie Thompson, also a floral designer at Your Enchanted Florist.

If you notice the water becoming cloudy, recut the stems and change the water.

Trim extra foliage

Extra leaves floating in the water will increase bacterial growth, which leads to a shorter life span of your flowers, says Tischler.

Remove any excess foliage that falls below the water line in the vase.

Photo by Celia Bedilia 

Protect from the (indoor) elements

As much as bright sunlight helps plants grow outdoors, cut flowers aren’t as much of a fan. Keep them away from direct light indoors as much as possible to avoid their wilting (or opening up too quickly), says Thompson, and also be wary of exposing them to drafts—like a heat vent or a cold door in the winter, or an air-conditioning vent in the summer.

It also helps to make sure your flowers are in a nice, cool room, says Kaylyn Hewitt, a floral designer with The Bouqs Company in Los Angeles.

“The warmer the room, the shorter the vase life,” she says.

Keep their distance

As some fruits ripen (particularly apples and bananas), they produce a lot of ethylene gas—a chemical that can shorten the life span of a nearby bouquet.

“Think about when your bananas start getting brown spots,” says Tischler. “That is due to ethylene, and like your bananas, it will cause your flowers to age and die quicker.”

Angle your stems accordingly

Many flowers, like tulips, have stems that are phototropic—that means they bend toward light. In order to keep your bouquet from becoming lopsided, rotate the vase daily to keep stems more upright.

Meanwhile, certain flowers like snapdragons, gladiolas, and bells of Ireland have stems that are geotropic, meaning they’ll strive to remain completely vertical even if you place the stems at an angle (say, in a wide vase).

“Those flowers should be kept vertically as much as possible to keep a straight, upright shape,” Thompson adds.

Heat things up

Hydrangeas are one of the most beloved bouquet additions, known for their round, full blooms. However, they’re also among the most finicky. The most common cause of wilting for these blooms? Dehydration.

“These bold, blousy blooms are heavy water drinkers,” says Leanne Kesler, president of Floral Design Institute, in Portland, OR.

If they begin to fade and go limp, Kesler shares a surprising trick for reviving them. Replace the water in the vase with very hot water (near boiling) and a splash of bleach. Then recut the stems and stick them back in the vase.

“Within an hour, the limp blooms will be revived,” says Kesler.

You can use a similar trick for longer-lasting dahlias, says Tischler: Simply recut the stems at an angle and place them in about 4 inches of near boiling water in a vase and let them sit at least an hour.

Consider the ends

Certain flowers like poinsettias, asclepias, and euphorbia produce a milky sap when cut. To make them last longer (and prevent them from clouding up your water), dip the ends of the stems in boiling water or even (carefully) sear them with a lighter before adding them to an arrangement, says Thompson.

Stand firm

Tischler has one more trick up her sleeve when it comes to keeping flowers fresh and firm, especially hydrangeas: alum powder. This can be found in the spice aisle of supermarkets.

“It’s typically used in pickling to keep cucumbers firm, and will have the same effect for your hydrangea,” she says.

Give the stems a deep, vertical cut first; then dip the stem in alum before sticking in a vase or floral foam.

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