How to Dry Calla Lily Flowers
Warning
Avoid tying the bunches with string or wire. If the stems shrink, the flowers may drop onto the floor.
Flower blooms add beauty to your home or landscape, but they often do not last long. You may preserve a calla lily flower by drying it. Drying the lily will preserve its beauty so that you may enjoy the flower throughout the year. Dried flowers may be used in craft projects, or you may display them in your home. The calla lily flowers must be dried properly to ensure that they will not wilt or fade.
Silica Gel
Pick calla lily flowers in the morning after the dew dries. Select flowers that are in full bloom.
Trim the stem so that only 1 inch remains. Fill a small cardboard box with 1 inch of silica gel.
Place the calla lily on the top of the silica gel so that the bloom faces toward you. Press on the calla lily carefully so that the gel forms around the bloom and the petals. Push the petals into the gel with your fingers to retain the shape of the petals and the bloom.
Pour silica gel over the flower bloom to cover it completely. Cover the stems and leaves with the gel to ensure that you dry the entire flower.
Fold the flaps on the cardboard box and seal it closed with tape. Place the cardboard box in an undisturbed location for three weeks.
Remove the tape and open the box. Brush the silica gel off a small section of the flower bloom. Touch the flower and if it still feels moist, cover that section with more silica gel and allow it to dry for three to four additional days.
Lift the flowers from the silica gel carefully. Turn them upside down and shake the blooms lightly to remove any excess silica gel.
Hang Dry
Pick calla lily flowers in full bloom in late morning when all dew has evaporated. Trim the stem to a length of 1 inch.
Divide the blooms into bunches of three or four flowers. Tie the bunches together with an elastic band.
Hang the bunches upside down in a warm and dark location, such as a basement. Allow room between the bunches for air circulation.
Feel the flower to see if it has dried completely. If the flower feels moist and soft instead of dry and brittle, it has not dried completely. It may take up to two weeks or more for calla lilies to dry.
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Writer Bio
Angela LaFollette holds a Bachelor of Arts in advertising with a minor in political science from Marshall University. LaFollette found her passion for writing during an internship as a reporter for "The West Virginia Standard" in 2007. She has more than six years of writing experience and specializes in topics in garden and pets.
