Vase Life: Who Has the Edge?
Depending on their place of origin, your cut flowers have already lived a good portion of their lives by the time they make it to the mantle or dining table. So, when you display your lovely arrangement, the clock is ticking. Which flowers last longest, and which grace us with their beauty for only a short time? Let’s take a look!
Of course, your mileage will vary, depending on your location and its climate, and the quality of postharvest care and handling. But one estimate provides the following estimates of vase life:
- King Protea, 14 to 21 days
- Pincushion Protea, 14 to 21 days
- Carnation, 14 to 21 days
- Chrysanthemum, 7 to 14 days
- Daisy, 7 to 14 days
- Roses, 7 to 10 days
- Sunflowers, 7 to 10 days
- Lily, 4 to 8 days
- Tulips, 3 to 7 days
- Iris, 2 to 4 days
Meanwhile, a different source has this to say about vase life:
- Rose, 7 to 10 days
- Orchid, 14 to 21 days
- Carnation, 14 to 21 days
- Chrysanthemum, 25 to 30 days
- Lily, 14 days
- Gladiolus, 14 days
Why does this matter? Because we often buy or receive mixed bouquets instead of a dozen of something. The object is to keep your arrangement as beautiful as you can as long as you can. As the arrangement ages, you will have to separate the spent flowers from the living ones, not only to preserve beauty, but also to eliminate the harmful ethylene emitting from the dying blooms.
So, check out the above links. They include some helpful tips for extending vase life. Of course, one major tip is to keep our flowers fed and happy by keeping them in a flower food solution… and Floralife has you covered there with a range of flower food and finishing sprays that will keep your flowers fresh and looking good!