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15 Cut flowers that last

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Fresh cut flowers make for one of the most beautiful and best appreciated gifts, although sadly, they can’t last forever. But while this may be true, it's important to remember that not all flowers are cut from the same cloth.

Where some flowers may bloom at their best for only a few days (there are some that only last a few hours like the night-blooming cereus!), others have a life span of a couple of weeks! When considering which blooms to gift, it’s important to think about your recipients preferences and what you’re trying to communicate (different flowers say very different things), but it can also be useful to think about which flowers will keep your loved one smiling for longer.

To give you the low down on cut flower life spans, we’ve listed these top cut flowers that last in order of shortest to longest lasting beauty. Scroll through for tips and tricks on how to keep them lasting even longer!

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Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies come in a vibrant variety of summery colours (anything from yellow and orange to hot pink), so they’re the perfect flower to brighten up someone’s day as well as their home. These beautiful blooms can last between four and five days if properly taken care of, but will last even longer if buds are closed when first delivered. 

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The Rose

The darling rose can bloom beautifully for 7 to 10 days! To keep them lively, replenish with clean cold water and flower food. To ensure longer life, request closed buds; the flower will slowly open, giving you a few extra days to enjoy this stunning beauty. 

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Tulips

This bulb beauty is a renowned favourite in the flower world and, when properly cared for, can stay fresh for seven to ten days. Standard flower care procedures apply, so tend to your tulips lovingly to see the best results.

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Freesia

These fragrant stunners look as good as they smell and can bloom in your vase (under proper conditions, of course) from between seven and ten days! That means, if you change the water and chop the stems every two days, you’ll have a bouquet of these beauties perfuming your home for up to a week and a half!

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Strelitzia

The Strelitzia is more commonly known as "birds of paradise”, and beautifully accompany tropical flower arrangements for a more eccentric and unique look. Take good care of these pretty blooms and they’ll stay fresh for up to 14 days! Being tropical flowers, they require more particular care (see below for more details).

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Delphiniums

These stunning blue-violet, funnel-shaped blooms can keep their vibrant colour and their liveliness for up to 14 days, assuming you care for them properly. To keep them at their absolute freshest for longer, trim the stems every 2 to 3 days and display your flowers away from your fruit bowl as fruit and vegetables produce ethylene gas as they ripen, which can cause cut flowers to deteriorate more rapidly. 

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Limonium

These pretty little flowers are often used as filler flowers in floral arrangements to give bouquets more fullness and to help feature blooms really shine. With fresh water and regular trimming these flowers can last up to 14 days in your vase! 

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Alstroemeria

These blooms are also known as alstro, Peruvian lily, Inca lily and lily of the Incas. These vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers are often used in bouquets and have an excellent shelf-life. These petite flowers can last as long as 14 days when well kept!

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The Gladiola

These immensely pretty flowers come in a variety of bright colours, are allergy friendly and, when well taken care of, can last in a vase for up to 14 days!  

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The Orchid

Orchids are naturally elegant flowers that display classic beauty through prefect symmetry. Obvious favourites for their slender stems and unique beauty, the orchid can add another favourable attribute to its list – longevity! When properly taken care of the orchid can last for the extraordinary length of between 14 and 21 days! With strong meanings behind the beautiful orchid flower, there are so many reasons to send an arrangement of these beauties!

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Gerberas

These vibrant bursts of sunshine can brighten any old bouquet! Not only are they available in an extensive range of bright colours but gerberas can also last between 14 and 21 days if properly taken care of!

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Carnation

There are many reasons that carnations are a popular choice. They‘re available in hundreds of colours, they’re relatively inexpensive and they can bloom beautifully for between 14 and 21 days!

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Zinnia

Would you believe that this beautiful bloom has been known to stay fresh in a vase for up to 24 days?  Some flower species are naturally long lasting, but a little tender loving care (in the form of fresh water and regular trimmings), goes a long way.

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The Chrysanthemum

Believe it or not the Chrysanthemum can survive for as long as from 25 to 30 days! These flowers are common features in many arrangements and come in any number of bright colours, so even after your other flowers have wilted and drooped, simply remove them and allow your chrysanthemums to keep on blooming! 

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Anthuriums

This bold, expressive bloom, with its heart-shaped flowers and prominent ‘tail’, is one of the most popular tropical flowers and its vase life is near unbelievable. Conditional of only the variety and the season, these blooms have been known to last for up to 42 days!

Flower Care Tips

  1. Cut the stems of your flowers on an angle to aid hydration. Sharp knives are preferable to scissors as scissors can cause damage to the stem with excessive pressure.  
  2. Many advocate cutting the stems under water or under running water to reduce the amount of air that enters the stems.  
  3. Ensure your vase is sparkling clean to avoid bacteria build up.  
  4. Use plant food to aid longevity.  
  5. Remove any leaves that will dip below the water line; again, this reduces that chance of bacteria build up.  
  6. Keep away from direct sunlight and household items that emit heat. An excess of heat can cause premature wilting. NB. This rule of sunlight need not apply to certain tropical flowers.
  7. Misting your flowers daily with a spray bottle will also give them fresh life.  
  8. If your bouquet has a combination of flowers with different life spans, don’t despair! Simply removed the full stem of the flower or chop the spent flower head to ensure decay doesn’t impact your other blooms.  
  9. Martha Stewart tells us that daffodils release a substance that is harmful to other flowers. It’s best to keep them in a vase on their own but if you prefer them in a mixed bouquet then try this trick; place the cut daffodils in a container of cool, clean water to soak overnight before adding them in with other blooms.  
  10. Sunflowers, hydrangeas, and other tropical flowers (including Birds of Paradise) prefer more temperate water.  Birds of Paradise and sunflowers like lukewarm water, while hydrangeas need a 30 second dip into boiling water when first cut and a vase of warm water to keep wilting petals at bay.

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Interflora Australia has been operating across our country since 1954. Originally based in Adelaide, South Australia, we now operate out of Interflora House in Melbourne, Victoria. Interflora Australia is 100% Australian owned - via a licensing agreement, issued to us from Interflora in the United Kingdom...