How to Dry Sunflowers for Decorations and Arrangements

There are a lot of types of flowers that we think of for drying. These make excellent candidates for dried flower wreaths, bouquets, accents, and decorations.

Sunflowers growing in a field — Did you know? Sunflowers can be dried for decorations and arrangements. You'll need to know a few key tricks, though.

Hydrangeas, strawflowers, roses, statice, and varieties of celosia and cockscomb are all well known for their ability to dry well and look great doing it.

But there are other, less common flowers that can make lovely dried flowers, too.

The sunny, shy sunflower is one of them.

Who wouldn’t want to hold on to a bit of sunny summertime all year long?

Jump to:

Tips and Tricks to Drying Sunflowers
When to cut sunflowers for drying
How to Cut & Keep Sunflowers Before Drying
Prepping Cut Sunflowers for Drying
Hang Sunflowers or Bundles Upside Down to Dry
Let Dry for Several Weeks
What Types of Sunflowers are Best for Drying?
Sunflowers -- A Unique and Beautiful Dried Flower!

Tips and Tricks to Drying Sunflowers

Drying sunflowers isn’t difficult, but it isn’t quite as straightforward as drying other types of flowers. There are some tips and tricks, and it goes better if you pick them at a particular stage.

When to cut sunflowers for drying

A happy bee on a sunflower — For drying, sunflowers should be cut before they are fully open.

There is both the best time of day to cut sunflowers that you plan to dry and the best bud stage to do so.

Here’s how and when to cut your sunflowers for the best chance of preservation after drying:

Cut your sunflowers in the morning after the dew has come off them
Cut the flowers before the highest heat and hottest sun of the day; this will reduce wilting
Choose flowers that are a little less than fully open
The best stage to cut sunflower blooms for drying is when they are partially, but not quite fully open
Aim for flowers that are about 50 to 75% open
The petals should not be fully flat and wide open; they should hug the center of the sunflower some
You want the petals to be pointing almost straight forward from the center, ideally
Choose flowers that have firm petals with good attachment
Don't choose flowers whose petals are starting to fall or that pull off easily when you gently tug them
Cut more than you think you need so you have some backups in case some fail

How to Cut & Keep Sunflowers Before Drying

Sunflowers at the perfect stage to cut for drying — Between 50 and 75% open is the right time to cut sunflowers to dry with the petals on.

Once you’ve selected your flower, cut the stem just as you would for a fresh vase arrangement
Leave the stem longer than you think you need for the arrangement – this will give you more flexibility in arranging them with other flowers later on
Aim for at least 12 inches of stem length, but 1 ½ to 2 feet is even better
Place the cut flower in a bucket of water while you cut others and until you are ready to prep it for drying
Keep flowers in the shade, in the cool indoors, and out of direct sunlight; do this as soon as possible

Even though you will be drying the sunflowers, you want them to be as fresh and full as possible until you hang them to dry. This is why you need to keep them hydrated and in water.

You don’t want the flowers to wilt or droop before you prepare them to dry. This can cause petals to drop, but more importantly, it weakens the stems, and you want strong, dried stems to hold the heavy head.

If you don’t keep the flowers in water before you hang them, the neck of the stem is likely to bend and droop.

Prepping Cut Sunflowers for Drying

Bundled sunflowers for drying — Sunflowers have thick stems, so keep bundles down to no more than three. Large sunflowers do better if they are individually dried.

It’s best to prep and hang your sunflowers for drying as soon as you can after harvesting.

You don’t want them sitting in vases for too long because they will continue to open and mature. That results in looser petals and petal drop.

To prepare your sunflowers for drying:

Strip off the leaves and lower unopened buds from the stem
If you want to, you can keep a set or two of top leaves (around the flower blossom) for interest and filler
Don't leave too many leaves on the lower portion of the stem because they reduce airflow, can cause stems to over-darken, and may rot or cause rot on the stem instead of drying
Bundle the stems in small groups of one to three stems
You need good airflow for drying, so don’t make the bundles too large – sunflowers are bigger flowers than what we usually dry
Turn the flower heads so they face away from each other, and don’t crush the petals or distort them
Tie the stems near the cut end using sturdy garden twine or rubber bands
Rubber bands are the preferred choice because they are easy to apply, and they contract as the stems dry and shrink – no loose and falling stems!

Hang Sunflowers or Bundles Upside Down to Dry

Sunflowers hanging to dry — Hang sunflowers upside down in a place with good airflow and out of direct sunlight.

Hang the sunflowers/bundles upside down to dry:

You can hang from a clothes drying rack, peg board, or a stretch of twine or wire across a ceiling (clothesline works well)
Hang each bundle from its own thread or hook
The bundles need to hang straight down without leaning against walls or furniture, etc.
Hang in an area that is out of direct sunlight
The hanging space needs good airflow

Let Dry for Several Weeks

Sunflowers drying to use for decorations — The thick stems of sunflowers and large flower heads take a long time to dry down.

It will take at least two weeks for your sunflowers to dry before you can use them for decorating or arranging or crafts.

Keep in mind, sunflowers are large flowers so they will often take longer to dry than smaller stems and flowers.

Dried sunflowers hanging — Plan on 4 to 6 weeks for your sunflowers to be completely dry

It may take as long as four weeks for your sunflowers to dry and be ready to use; in humid weather, it could take up to six weeks.

What Types of Sunflowers are Best for Drying?

A colorful sunflower drying — Sunflowers with short petals and teddy bear types work well for drying.

You can and certainly should attempt to dry any of your favorite sunflowers. You'll find that certain varieties and types of sunflowers dry better than others.

Here are some things to look for for better success and good end results when drying sunflowers for decorations:

An opening sunflower right for cutting — If the petals are larger than the seed head, they may fall over the head and dry in an odd shape.

Sunflowers with large central seed heads compared to petals
Sunflowers with shorter petals because they dry more evenly and hold in a more round position (don’t fall over the center)
Shaggy “teddy Bear” sunflower varieties that have petals nearly to the middle
Sunflowers with darker red and russet colors, which hold the color better
Straighter stemmed sunflowers and/or sunflowers that are firmly attached at the top of the stem

Sunflowers -- A Unique and Beautiful Dried Flower!

Sunflowers in a field — Sunflowers give you a unique new option in dried flower arranging.

Sunflowers are on the list of less commonly dried flowers. That means they give you an opportunity to stand out and be unique!

Drying sunflowers takes a bit of experimentation and a bit more of a learning curve than your typical dried flowers, but it’s a fun experience and a rewarding one, too, when you find what works for you and the flowers you grow. And then you show all your friends what you can do!