Van Gogh famously immortalized golden sunflowers by making them the stars of his canvases over and over again. Since most of us aren’t quite as handy with a paintbrush, we have to find other ways to preserve these stunning blooms for the future!
What can you dry?
Depending on what you’re planning to do with them, you can dry several different parts of the sunflower:
- The entire flower head with the stem
- Individual petals (those big, bright yellow ray florets)
- Sunflower seeds
If you have a specific project in mind for the green leaves, you can certainly dry those as well.
Drying whole flowers
Here’s a pro tip: the bigger the flower head, the longer it takes to dry and the harder it is to keep its shape. For the best results, try drying smaller flowers that are either half-open or have just recently unfurled. Cut them with at least 6 inches of stem attached. Bundle about three flowers together and hang them upside down in a dark, dry spot. Even in the best conditions, you’ll want to check on your bouquet regularly and toss out any blooms that show signs of mold. Expect the drying process to take several weeks.
Drying the petals
That outer ring of a sunflower consists of large, usually golden-yellow petals. Once dried, they make for beautiful decor or potpourri. To keep them from curling or shriveling up, you’ll want to press them:
- Pluck the petals from a fully bloomed flower head.
- Sort out any bruised or damaged ones.
- Spread them out in a single layer on paper towels or blotting paper.
- Cover them with another layer of paper.
- You can stack up to three layers of petals this way.
- Always finish with a final layer of paper on top.
- Weight the petals down with flat, heavy objects—thick books work perfectly!
The drying process takes several days. Once they’re ready, carefully peel them off the paper. They’re now perfect for crafting or decorating! You can use this same “heavy book” method for the green leaves, too.
Drying sunflower seeds
The easiest way to do this is to let the flower stay on the plant until the seeds are fully ripe. Ideally, by the time you harvest them in the fall, the shells will already be dry. However, nature sometimes throws a wrench in the plans.
First, seeds tend to “disappear” before harvest because they fall out or get snatched up by hungry birds. To prevent this, wrap the flower head in a breathable fabric (like an old sheer curtain or cheesecloth) as soon as it starts to wilt.
Second, rain can stall the drying process or even cause the head to rot. If the forecast looks soggy for the foreseeable future, go ahead and cut the entire flower head to finish drying it indoors. Just make sure the seeds are already mature—you’ll know they’re ready if the flower has started to wither. Once fully dry, the seeds should pop right out.
Quick Tip:
If you’re planning to use the seeds as birdseed, you don’t actually have to harvest or dry them yourself. You can just leave the dried sunflowers standing in your garden over the winter. The birds will happily pick them clean by spring, and then you can simply toss the stalks into the compost pile!
