The mimosa is a beautiful shrub typically with winter flowering, gently heralding the arrival of spring. To enjoy its fragrance, adorable pom-poms, and sunny colour for longer at home, it's entirely possible to dry mimosa flowers to create a dried bouquet, just like with hydrangeas, lavender, roses, or even ornamental grasses. Discover three easy methods requiring minimal equipment to obtain and preserve beautiful dried mimosa flowers for longer.

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When to pick mimosa flowers?

Harvesting mimosa stems for drying should be done on a dry, sunny day, preferably in the morning once the dew has evaporated.

Choose beautiful stems with flowers that are still slightly young and not fully bloomed for optimal drying.

The foliage, although attractively decorative, doesn't preserve as well and tends to crumble when dried. It should therefore be removed before drying.

It's also possible to dry a purchased mimosa bouquet, for example from a florist.

How to dry mimosa? Simple and economical methods

The goal of drying flowers is to eliminate all moisture, which would otherwise cause the bouquet to deteriorate and rot. This way, the flowers can be preserved for several years.

You can choose to dry the flowers in a bouquet for more volume and impact, or flat for a different decorative use.

Air-drying mimosa by hanging

  1. Gather 4 to 8 mimosa stems into a small bouquet and tie them with an elastic band, string, or raffia without tying too tightly, to allow good air circulation.
  2. Hang the bouquet upside down using a small nail or hook.
  3. Choose a well-ventilated, dry, preferably dark room away from sunlight, which could fade the mimosa's natural colours.

If this isn't possible, gently wrap the bouquet in a sheet of newspaper.

Depending on the ambient temperature, humidity levels of the bouquet and storage location, drying will take anywhere from several days to a few weeks.

How to dry mimosa in a vase?

Mimosa flowers can be dried directly in a vase. When the fresh bouquet starts to weaken but before it wilts, remove the water from the vase, take off the leaves, and let it dry as is, away from light.

You can also dry the mimosa bouquet using vegetable glycerine, which replaces the sap and helps maintain the natural flexibility of the branches and foliage. Glycerine is increasingly easy to find online, in pharmacies, cosmetic shops, craft stores, etc.

For this method, simply mix 2/3 boiling water with 1/3 glycerine in a container. Pour the cooled mixture into the vase and immerse the stems, which will gradually absorb the solution before drying.

Pressing flowers to dry them

  1. Place the stems flat on an absorbent surface (piece of fabric, paper, cardboard…) ensuring they don't overlap.
  2. Slide them into a flower press or simply between the pages of a heavy book, adding weight if needed.
  3. Check the stems weekly and replace the absorbent material if damp.

After 2 to 3 weeks, the stems should be completely dry.

How to preserve dried mimosa flowers?

To prevent dried mimosa flowers from gathering dust or moisture and to maintain their sunny colour, lightly spray them with hairspray or clear varnish.

How to use dried mimosa flowers?

Dried mimosa bouquets make lovely, versatile decorations:

  • placed in a vase or any other colourful or transparent container (bottle, vial, glass…)
  • arranged in a basket
  • simply hung
  • paired with other dried flowers
  • used in floral wreaths
  • as gift wrap or table setting accents

Pressed stems make charming bookmarks, can be framed for a vintage botanical illustration effect, or used in collages, herbariums, etc.

Different mimosa varieties for dried flowers

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