From billy buttons to banksias, waratahs to wattle, kangaroo paw to Christmas bush—Australian native flowers are some of the most unique and beautiful blooms in the world. With their striking shapes and textures, they make absolutely stunning additions to floral bouquets.
You’ll find beautiful Australian native flowers and foliage in our best-selling Seasonal Natives bouquet and our Natives Posy. Their rustic beauty makes them a really thoughtful gift for many occasions, from Mother’s Day to birthdays, for saying thank you or for wishing someone well. We even offer same-day delivery on our natives in Sydney & Melbourne metro areas.
Many of Australia's native flowers have drought-resistant properties and will also survive well after being cut. This means you can enjoy their beauty in a bouquet long after you receive it. But did you know that you can preserve the beauty of your Aussie natives for even longer by drying them?
Australian native flowers dry really beautifully, which is why they feature regularly in luxurious dried flower arrangements. Keep reading to discover how to dry kangaroo paw, wattle flowers and other native blooms.
Dry Australian natives in a vase
Lots of Australian natives grow on shrubs and trees, including banksia and bottlebrush. This gives them really sturdy stems that won’t sag under the weight of the flower head as they dry, making them ideal for air-drying upright in a vase.
Simply cut the part of the stem that's been submerged in water and strip away any lower leaves. Then, place your native flowers in an empty vase and leave them to dry in a dark, dry but well ventilated area.
This drying method works well with kangaroo paw, banksia, protea, wattle, waxflower and billy buttons. If they do start to sag a bit in the vase, you can always hang them upside down and air dry them in the traditional way. Speaking of which…
Hang your natives upside down to air dry
Like other flower varieties, your Australian native blooms can be dried really easily simply by being hung upside down.
Once again, start by cutting off any parts of the stem that have been sitting in water. Strip the stems of any leaves, then hang them upside down in a dry, dark room with good airflow for three to six weeks.
If you’re drying large quantities at a time, you can group them together into bunches using twine. You can always use a clothes drying rack if you don’t have any available wall hooks or railings. Make sure to leave a few centimetres of space between each bunch; if the bunches are placed too closely together, airflow will be reduced and they won’t be able to dry out completely.
Preserve your Aussie natives with glycerin
This method is slightly more complex than the previous two and is really more of a method of preservation than drying. Glycerin replaces the water content of the flowers, which helps retain their colour and texture. Other methods result in a degree of natural browning and brittleness of petals and leaves, while glycerin keeps them soft and supple.
Don’t be put off by the chemical-sounding name of “glycerin”. It’s actually a naturally-occurring substance that’s used in many food, drink and even skincare products! It’s colourless, odourless and used mainly to keep things moist and hydrated.
If you’d like to preserve your Australian native flowers in a more professional way, simply mix one third of glycerin with two thirds of water to create a glycerin solution, then pour it into a large container.
Cut the stems and strip them of all foliage as usual, then place the flowers into the glycerin solution for up to three weeks. Once you spot tiny beads of glycerin on the leaves, remove them from the solution and hang them upside down to dry.
***
Send seasonal natives with Floraly
There’s nothing more beautiful than a bunch of seasonal native flowers, and this is definitely still the case when they’re dried.
We offer same-day delivery on our Seasonal Natives bouquet and our Natives Posy in Sydney & Melbourne Metro areas, and next-day delivery to the rest of Australia.
Send someone you care about some sensational seasonal natives today. Now that you know how to dry Australian native flowers, maybe you can share these drying tips with your recipient so that they can enjoy their blooms for even longer!
Don’t forget to check out our guide on how to care for dried flowers, so you can give your dried natives the care they deserve. And if you’re keen to learn more about all the different ways you can dry other fresh flowers, head on over to our guide on how to dry flowers.
