How to Tell a Fresh Bouquet from an Old One: 5 Signs

Sometimes you pick a bouquet in person, at a flower shop or market. Here's what to check so you don't pay for flowers that wilt tomorrow.

1. The stem cut

A fresh cut looks light and slightly moist. A darkened, dried-out, slimy cut means the flower wasn't cut today.

2. Leaves, not just blooms

Sellers often mist the blooms to freshen them up, but leaves are harder to fake. Yellowed, dried-edge leaves give away an old bouquet.

3. A gentle squeeze of the bud

A fresh rose or peony bud is firm and springs back slightly. A soft, loose, or rock-hard bud is a bad sign.

4. The water in the bucket

If bouquets sit in buckets, check the water — cloudy or smelly water means it hasn't been changed in a while.

5. Ask when it was made

A good florist will tell you when the bouquet was assembled. At Luna Flowers, every bouquet is put together the day you order.

Skip the manual checking — order where freshness is built into the process.