Everlasting, dried and preserved flowers all last far longer than fresh, but the names get mixed up. Here's how each kind differs (and how they compare with faux flowers), how long they last, and how to look after them so they keep their colour.
Dried Flowers
Dried flowers are real flowers and grasses that have had their moisture removed, usually by hanging them upside down somewhere dark and dry. Ours start as fresh stock that we then dry ourselves. They keep their shape but become papery and a little brittle, and their colours soften over time. Good for: textured arrangements, wreaths and anything that won't be handled much.
Preserved Flowers
Preserved flowers are real flowers that have had their sap replaced with a glycerine-based solution. That keeps them soft and flexible, closer to how they looked fresh, and they're often dyed. Good for: roses, hydrangea and foliage that you want to look fuller and softer than dried.
Everlasting Flowers
"Everlasting" is a loose term with no single meaning. Many people use it to mean preserved flowers, and it's often used for dried flowers too, so think of it as a description rather than one technique. We use it as an umbrella for our long-lasting preserved and dried pieces.
Faux Flowers
Faux flowers are fake or silk flowers: artificial, not real flowers. They need no care, but they don't have the texture of real petals. Our everlasting bouquets and wreaths are made mostly from dried and preserved flowers and foliage.
How Long Do Everlasting Flowers Last?
- Dried and everlasting: months, often a year or more, with colours slowly softening.
- Preserved: often longer than dried, kept out of sun and humidity.
How to Care for Them
- Keep them dry. No water in the vase, and away from steamy bathrooms and kitchens.
- Keep them out of direct sun. Sunlight fades colour fastest.
- Dust gently. A soft brush or a hairdryer on cool and low, held well back.
- Handle as little as possible. Dried stems can snap.
Which Should You Choose?
For a gift that lasts, a dried bouquet is the simplest choice. For the look of fresh roses that won't wilt, choose preserved. For Christmas, a dried or preserved wreath can come out again next year if it's stored dry.
Shop our dried and preserved flowers, including the everlasting dried flower bouquet, mini dried posies, the mini preserved Christmas wreath and the preserved Christmas wreath, which also comes in a dried natives palette.
