How to Revive Hydrangeas and Prolong Their Beautiful Blooms

When hydrangeas burst into glorious bloom, it’s easy to understand why we want to capture that beauty and bring it into our homes. Unfortunately, hydrangeas are notorious for wilting quickly once cut, and keeping them looking fresh can prove difficult. Here, we asked hydrangea experts to share their best tips for reviving cut hydrangeas and prolonging their blooms.

Why Hydrangeas Droop So Quickly 

Some types of cut flowers seem to last forever in vases—like coneflowers, cosmos, and zinnias—but hydrangeas usually start drooping quickly. Why?

“It’s all in the name,” says Jennifer Petritz, horticulturist and president of The American Hydrangea Society. She explains the scientific name for hydrangea is Hydrangea macrophylla. Hydra is Greek for "water" and macrophylla means "big leaves." Therefore, "Hydrangea macrophylla equals big-leaved water hog!"

She says that water is abundant throughout the hydrangea's plant tissue, including the leaves, the stems, and all the florets that make up the large flower heads. “They are quick to dry out,” says Petritz. Another reason hydrangeas droop is the presence of the sap inside the plant’s stem, which can prevent water flow to the hydrangea blossoms after they are cut.

How to Revive Your Hydrangeas

If you’ve taken multiple hydrangea blossoms indoors and they have already begun to look sad and wilted, you can still revive them. Here are a few tricks to try:

Keep the Water Fresh

You’ll be surprised by the effect of clean water on tired blooms. “Change out the water frequently, every day is best,” says Petritz. “After every other water change, re-cut the flower stems.” It only takes a minute but gives you extra hours to enjoy the flowers.

Remove the Foliage

Hydrangea leaves might seem to make a fine addition to the bouquet, but your blooms may suffer if you leave the foliage intact. If the goal is to keep the blooms looking fresh as long as possible, plan on snipping away the leaves. This way the water goes directly to the blooms rather than being divided between blooms and leaves.

Cut the Stems Diagonally

You don't want to inhibit the stem’s ability to collect water, so use sharp scissors and make a clean diagonal cut when you harvest your hydrangea blossoms. Continue making these cuts when you change the water.

Give Them an Ice Bath

“Fill your sink with ice cold water and submerge the entire flower stem, flower head and all,” says Petritz. “Leave at least a couple of hours or even overnight. Most of the time they will perk back up after an extended bath!”

How to Prevent Wilted Hydrangea Blooms

You can increase your chances for excellent results by prepping your hydrangeas before cutting so they stay fresh from the start. 

Grow Ideal Varieties

Some hydrangeas are naturally better suited to producing wilt-resistant flowers than others, so you can put more in your favor by planting these types. “Some versions like lacecaps are less likely to last,” says Lorraine Ballato, a garden and hydrangea expert. “The best staying power comes with bigleaf, oakleaf, and panicle hydrangeas if cut when they are fresh.”

Cut Early in the Morning

As the day goes on, the flowers are naturally drying out, so cutting in the morning retains maximum moisture from the beginning.

Re-Cut the Flower Stems

You can do this just before you put them in water. “I like to make an extra vertical slit in the bottom of the stem to help the flower stems take up even more water,” says Petritz. 

Neutralize the Natural Sap

According to Ballato, hydrangea stems contain a sap similar to pine trees that can deter water flow. If you dip the hydrangea stems in alum powder, the mild acidity will help neutralize the sap. Another option is to dip the stems briefly in boiling water to help dissolve the sap before placing the hydrangeas in a vase.