A fresh bouquet of cut flowers is easily the best way to brighten up a dining table. But here’s the thing: once flowers are cut, they’re technically on their way out, even if they stay pretty for a while. However, if you’ve ever brought home a bunch of tulips, you’ve probably noticed something weird—they actually keep growing in the vase! Let’s dig into why that happens.
Why Tulips Keep Growing in the Vase
Scientists have actually looked into this phenomenon, and the answer is pretty cool.
Unlike most plants that grow by creating new cells, cut tulips grow because their existing cells act like tiny balloons filling up with water. Thanks to a growth hormone called auxin, these cells are incredibly stretchy. This allows a cut tulip to “stretch” up to four inches taller while sitting in your vase! Even though the flower has been separated from its bulb (its main energy source), it gets enough nutrients from fresh water to keep this process going. You can give them an extra boost by adding one of those little packets of flower food. By the way, tulips aren’t the only ones that do this—gladiolus, daffodils, and amaryllis are also “vase-growers.”
Another reason tulips keep reaching upward is that their stems never become “woody” or hard. They stay soft and flexible, allowing them to keep stretching until they finally fade.
How to Slow Down the Growth (and Keep Them Upright)
Because tulips grow so fast in a vase, they often end up getting “leggy,” causing the heavy heads to droop over the edge. If you want to keep your arrangement looking tight and fresh for longer, try these tips:
- Don’t do a full water change every day.
- Instead, just top off the water as the flowers drink it up.
- Every two or three days, give the stems a fresh trim. Use a sharp, clean knife to cut about 1 to 2 inches off the bottom, removing any mushy or spotted parts. This clears out the “pipes” (the vascular system) so the flower can hydrate properly.
- Move your vase to a cool room at night to slow down their metabolism and growth.
Pro Tips for Longer-Lasting Blooms
When tulips grow too fast, the blooms tend to give up sooner—they might get floppy, turn translucent, or even snap. To keep those gorgeous petals looking vibrant for a few extra days, try these old-school florist tricks:
- While the flower is still standing tall, take a thin sewing pin and poke it all the way through the stem just below the flower head.
- Alternatively, you can use a small kitchen knife to make a tiny vertical slit through the stem right under the bloom. Both of these methods are said to help put the brakes on that rapid vertical stretching!
