Why The Paper Towels & Plastic Peony Storage Trick Helps Them Last Longer

There's nothing quite like the charm of Paeonia lactiflora, a.k.a. peony, season, where beautiful blooms typically grace gardens from late spring into early summer. But if you're not ready to say goodbye to those lush, fragrant florals just yet, you can make your fresh peonies last for months by storing the blooms in paper towels and plastic bags in your fridge, where the cold can effectively pause their development.

The clever tip is easy to accomplish in your own garden, and can be especially helpful for those who are left with a large number of blooms at once. Harvest the blooms at their "marshmallow" stage — when the buds feel firm yet slightly spongy — then remove the leaves, wrap each stem in a paper towel, and store them in plastic bags in the fridge. The result? Gorgeous peonies that can last for months.

Experts recommend using this method while the peony buds are still closed but just starting to show a hint of color. Once wrapped and refrigerated (and after removing any ants from your cut peonies), the blooms go into a kind of hibernation until they are ready to be used. When you're ready to refresh your space with a new bouquet, simply unwrap the stems, give them a fresh cut, and place them in warm water, which will help these spring bulbs bloom as if they were just picked.

Peonies have a time-tested reputation for staying fresh in cold storage. In fact, before refrigeration became mainstream in the 1940s, growers shipped these flowers across the country in ice-packed boxcars to reach eastern flower markets in perfect condition. Thankfully, today's gardeners don't need a railcar — just a standard refrigerator.

Chilling peonies slows down their development by suppressing metabolic activity, meaning they take longer to develop. The optimal storage temperature is around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but most household refrigerators range from 35 degrees Fahrenheit to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. While these slightly higher temperatures can speed up bloom development a bit, they're still cool enough to keep your peonies fresh for up to two months.

Wrapping the stems in paper towels and storing them in the fridge creates an ideal cold, dark environment as it preserves the peonies in a moist environment as humidity condenses inside the bags. When you later place the stems in water, the room temperature shock encourages the buds to rehydrate and open, bringing fresh blooms months after cutting.