Florist’s Guide To Keeping Peonies Fresh In A Vase

Peonies have a way of making a room feel softer, prettier, more special. But they’re also known for how quickly they fade if you don’t treat them right. 

We’ve spent years working with Peonies, watching them shine on tables at weddings and celebrity events, then droop if someone misses a key detail. It’s frustrating, especially when they were bought as a thoughtful gift. 

So we put this guide together based on what we’ve learned firsthand. If you want to know how to care for peonies in a vase and help them stay full and beautiful, we’ll walk you through every step.

6 Steps To Keeping Cut Peonies Fresh In A Vase Of Water

1. Prepping Your Peonies For Vase Life

Proper Peony care begins as soon as you get your floral arrangement home. Before you even think about putting your Peonies into a vase, you need to prep them in order to give them the best chance of thriving.

Take them out of their cellophane carrier and lay each Peony out on your floral station (AKA the kitchen counter) - then carefully follow these steps:

1. Gently rinse any dirt or sap from the stems

2. Remove any leaves that will sit beneath the waterline inside the vase

3. Remove any guard petals (the outermost layer of petals)

These steps will mitigate any bacteria breeding that happens when Peonies are left to wilt in the water! Leaves, for example, left sitting in water will rot quickly and shorten the vase life of your flowers.

Trust us on this one!

2. Give Each Stem A Fresh Cut To Help Absorption

It's a florist top-secret to always give your flowers a fresh cut at the base of the stem before placing them in a vase. Even if they were already cut when purchased.

Doing this allows your Peonies to absorb more water over the duration of their lifetime. And the more water they drink, the longer they stay healthy.

PRO-TIP: always cut your flower stems diagonally and never horizontally straight across. Cutting them diagonally enables the flower to absorb more water. 

Need to rearrange your Peonies or take out a stem or two? No worries, this is your opportunity to do so! Simply figure out its new placement, give it another small and quick cut, and put it in its new place before entering them into the vase.

3. Only Use Room Temperature Water When Filling Your Vase

Fill your vase with lukewarm water. If you use hot water, you'll risk destroying the stem tissue of your flowers, as this causes bacterial growth.

In the floral industry we call this the Bouquet Killer™.

Additionally, heat typically causes flowers to shed their petals more quickly! What a bummer that would be!

Keep your flowers safe by storing them in lukewarm water, and if you can, refresh the water every one or two days.

4. Use Flower Food To Purify The Vase’s Water

Here's a fun fact you may not know: flower food does NOT help flowers grow! Weird that it's been marketed that way, right?

Flower food is designed to create clean water that is free from harmful bacteria, which in turn helps the flowers last longer and bloom in a more natural way. 

Head down to Trader Joes and pick up some flower food for your Peonies. Read the directions carefully and don't use the full pack all in one vase. You'll want to use about half now and half when you refresh your water.

PRO-TIP: If you don't have the time to go grab flower food, you can use a drop of bleach to replace it. This will keep your vase and water clean and help your Peony bouquet last longer. Truly just a drop is all that's needed!

5. Keep Your Peonies Out Of Direct Sunlight

We know how tempting it is to show off your Peonies to every passerby. They’re beautiful and you want people to see them!

However, placing them on windowsills or anywhere else they will get direct sunlight will damage the petals and make them fade faster.

Peonies are beautiful but fragile. Find a spot for them that’s cool and shaded to keep them fresh for as long as possible.

6. Stash Them In The Fridge During Night Time  

Like most fresh flowers, stashing Peonies in the fridge or outside at night is a guaranteed way to help them last longer. The cool air acts as a natural preservative. 

But you can take the trick a step further. 

Try cutting fresh Peony buds while they're soft, wrapping them in newspaper, and storing them in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them. They won't open up in the fridge, but you can preserve them for an extra day or two if you need them to last.

How Long Should Cut Peonies Last?

Cut peonies will last around five to seven days with a basic level of care. By following our advice, you can prolong that for as much as an extra week!

Clean water, sharp snips, and avoiding direct sun can stretch their beauty well past what most people expect. The tips we’ve shared earlier in this guide are the same ones we follow ourselves at our flower shop in LA.

Where Can I Buy Fresh Cut Peony Bouquets?

Finding peonies that feel fresh, full, and worth the splurge can be difficult. We’re picky about quality because we know how special these blooms are. 

If you’re looking for peony delivery in Los Angeles, follow the link to see our full collection of Peony floral arrangements. Each peony is sourced from our trusted growers and each arrangement is handcraft by our expert team inside our studio. 

For something extra romantic, you’ll love our peony and roses bouquet - one of our most requested items. It’s the kind of gift people remember. 

We pour our passion and experience into each bouquet, and we’d be honored to create one just for you if you’d like something custom. Reach out to us and start the conversation.