Drying flowers is one of the most important steps in floral preservation. Whether you’re creating resin flower keepsakes, pressed flower art, or long-lasting memorial pieces, understanding how flowers dry—and why they change during the process—helps set the right expectations. Flowers are living organisms, and the moment preservation begins, they naturally transform in color, texture, and shape.
In this guide, we break down how we dry flowers, what happens during the drying phase, why white flowers turn brown, and how long proper flower drying really takes.
Our Flower Drying Methods for Preservation
There are many ways to dry flowers, but we focus on the three most effective and reliable methods for long-term keepsakes:
Pressed Flower Drying
Pressed flowers are dried using our specially designed custom flower presses that remove moisture slowly and evenly. This technique creates thin, flat blooms ideal for:
Pressed flower frames, Botanical art, Floral wall displays
Pressed drying helps maintain delicate detail while preventing curling and discoloration.
Silica Gel Flower Drying
Silica gel is one of the most popular methods for preserving flowers for resin or three-dimensional displays. Silica pulls moisture from the petals quickly, helping retain:
Shape, Color, Structure
This method is best for roses, peonies, ranunculus, and other thicker flowers used in resin blocks or keepsake pieces.
Air-Drying or Natural Drying
Some blooms dry best by simply hanging or resting in a controlled environment. Natural drying works well for:
Dried bouquet arrangements, Rustic vintage pieces, flowers that hold their shape without added support
Why Flowers Change Color During the Drying Process
Color change is one of the most common questions in flower preservation. As flowers dry, they lose water and oxygen—essentially “suffocating” the petals to preserve as much color as possible.
During this process, blooms may shift to: softer darker tones, deeper reds or purples, earthier, vintage style colors
Why White Flowers Turn Brown When Drying
Don't mind me while I nerd out, this is my favorite part!
White flowers often change color the most. The reasons include:
Enzymatic browning (polyphenol oxidase reacting with oxygen)
Natural breakdown of cell structure
Moisture loss that exposes underlying pigments
Because white petals contain minimal pigment, even small chemical changes can turn them ivory, beige, or brown. This is a normal part of flower preservation along with other colors showing underlying pigment ie: pink/peach turns gold, hotpink turns purple, pastels can turn grey.
How Long Does It Take to Dry Flowers for Preservation?
Every flower dries differently. Thicker flowers like roses or dahlias take significantly longer than delicate blooms such as lisianthus or daisies.
We keep flowers in the drying stage for approximately 2 months to ensure:
All moisture is fully removed, no mold develops and flowers remain stable inside resin or their frames
If a flower contains even a small amount of moisture, issues can appear later—so extended drying time is essential for high-quality, long-lasting keepsakes.
Final Thoughts on Drying Flowers for Keepsakes
Proper flower drying is the key to creating beautiful, lasting memorial pieces. By using three specialized methods—pressed drying, silica drying, and natural air-drying—we ensure each bloom is preserved in the way that suits it best.