Should You Put Flowers in Ice Water?

Function

• Flowering plants use glucose produced by photosynthesis in their leaves for food and to convert elements gathered from the soil into food. Water moves glucose. When the plant is cut and the flower stem stripped of leaves, vascular support stops in that branch. Cutting stems underwater and keeping them in water prolongs vascular metabolism.

Benefits

• Ice water shocks vascular tissue, closing it and slowing metabolism. It does, however, have a place each time that stems are cut. Plunging freshly cut stems of flowers like poppies, dahlias or poinsettias into ice water or boiling water for 10 seconds will shock tissue and stop sap, according to Virginia Tech Extension.

Considerations

• Cool air temperatures slow the plant's metabolism most efficiently; florists keep fresh flowers in refrigerated cases with humidity that exceeds 80 percent. Water at 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit opens vascular tissue and increases water intake in flower stems that will be displayed at room temperature.