Why most preserved flowers are stemless?

WHAT IS IT?
Why most preserved flowers are stemless?

Preserved flowers are mainly sold as flower heads. It comes from a technical reason : we do not use the same preservation techniques for the head and the stem. The stem technique does not properly preserve the head : glycerine, too viscous, could not penetrate the flower. Similarly, using the head technique for the stem would cause color issues : the stem and head would have the same color. We are not sure your clients would love a yellow or blue-stemmed rose…

What are the flowers that can be sold with their stem?

Generally speaking, stem-saved flowers are much more expensive, as their much larger volume has a strong impact on transportation and logistics costs. In spite of all this, some varieties, mainly small flowers, are fully preserved : thistle, scabiosa, statice, broom, gypsophila, heather, brunia albiflora, rice flower, craspedia (billy buttons), hydrangea, goldenrod…

How can I work with preserved flower heads?

There are several ways to exploit flower heads:

  • the flowers can be stemmed using the cross wire technique or using flower holders.

  • The stem and head of the flower can also be reassembled, and they can be bought complete, as in the case of roses with stems.

Anyway, preserved flowers are different from the fresh ones. So it works differently. Indeed, some florist techniques cannot be applied to preserved flowers. But its characteristics of flexibility and durability, push back the constraints of floral compositions and allow creations with infinite possibilities.