How to Dry Hydrangeas
Enjoy your hydrangeas long after summer has gone.
One of the loveliest things about hydrangeas is that their season doesn’t have to end when the fresh flowers fade. As the blooms mature, their colours soften into beautiful antique shades of green, rose, burgundy, cream and parchment. Cut at the right stage, they can dry beautifully and be enjoyed indoors for months.
Here at Curriott Hill Flower Farm in Somerset, we grow hydrangeas for fresh flowers as well as their wonderful late-season character. Drying them at home is surprisingly simple.
QUICK GUIDE
Wait until the petals feel papery → cut a mature bloom → remove the leaves → stand the stems in around 2.5–5cm of water → keep them cool and out of direct sun → allow the water to disappear naturally → enjoy them dried.
The secret is knowing when to cut hydrangeas for drying
Don’t cut a hydrangea for drying when the flower is newly opened and very soft. Younger blooms contain more moisture and are more likely to wilt or shrivel as they dry.
Instead, allow the flower to mature on the plant. Look for blooms where the colour has begun to soften or change and the florets feel firm and slightly papery rather than fresh and silky. Avoid flower heads that still have unopened florets.
The Curriott Hill paper test
Gently feel a few florets between your fingers:
- Soft and fresh? Leave it a little longer.
- Firm and slightly papery? It is usually ready to try drying.
- Brown, damaged or very brittle? The bloom may be past its best.
Timing makes a bigger difference than any special drying product.
How to dry hydrangeas in a vase
- Choose a mature flower head. Look for good colour, papery florets and as little damage or browning as possible.
- Cut a useful length of stem. Use clean, sharp secateurs.
- Remove the leaves. This helps the stem and flower head dry cleanly.
- Add a little water. Stand the stems in a clean vase with around 2.5–5cm of water.
- Leave them to dry gradually. Put the vase somewhere cool and dry, out of strong direct sunlight. Do not keep topping up the water. Allow it to disappear naturally as the flowers dry.
Don’t rush them
Hydrangeas generally keep their shape well when they dry gradually. Avoid a hot sunny windowsill, steamy kitchen or damp bathroom. A cool, dry position with reasonable airflow is ideal.
Once the stems and flower heads feel completely dry, they no longer need water.
What colour will dried hydrangeas become?
That is part of their charm. Hydrangea flowers often develop new tones as they mature on the plant. Panicle hydrangeas can move through cream, green, pink and burgundy, while blue, purple and pink mopheads can take on beautifully muted, antique shades.
The stage at which you cut the flower has a big influence on the colour you preserve, so if you love a particular late-season shade, start using the paper test.
Which hydrangeas are best for drying?
Many hydrangeas can be dried successfully. Panicle hydrangeas and classic mophead hydrangeas are particularly popular for dried arrangements, but variety, weather and the maturity of the individual bloom all affect the finished result.
Rather than relying only on the variety name, use the feel of the bloom as your guide: mature, papery flowers are the ones to choose.
Why did my hydrangea shrivel?
The most common reason is that the bloom was cut too young. If the florets still feel soft and fresh, leave the next flower on the plant for longer before trying again.
If a flower develops mould, check that the heads are not packed tightly together and move them somewhere drier with better airflow.
Don’t be disheartened if every flower is not perfect. Hydrangeas are natural flowers, and variety, maturity and growing conditions all influence how an individual stem dries.
How to look after dried hydrangeas
Keep completely dried hydrangeas away from water, damp rooms and prolonged direct sunlight. Handle the flower heads gently because the florets become more delicate as they age.
For dust, use a very gentle puff of cool air or a soft brush rather than wiping the flower head.
Over time the colours will continue to soften, which is part of the character of a naturally dried hydrangea.
Ways to use dried hydrangeas
Dried hydrangeas are beautiful in a simple vase, but they can also be used in autumn arrangements, wreaths, Christmas decorations, table displays and mixed dried-flower arrangements.
One good flower head brings a wonderful amount of shape and texture — and unlike a fresh bunch, its story can continue long after the growing season has finished.
From our field to your home
Hydrangeas are becoming an important part of what we grow at Curriott Hill Flower Farm in Crewkerne, Somerset. We’re building our collection for beautiful fresh stems, changing antique colour and dried flowers, and we’ll keep sharing what we learn as each variety matures.