Fresh, Dried, Preserved, and Artificial Flowers — What’s the Real Difference?

Let’s explain these four types of flowers in one sentence.

Fresh flowers are 100% natural or artificially cultivated. They are the original source for both dried and preserved flowers.

Dried flowers are fresh blooms that have been naturally air-dried, resulting in a delicate, often brittle texture.

Preserved flowers are created from fresh flowers, through a specialized process that replaces the water within their cells with plant-based glycerin, allowing them to retain their soft texture and original shape for years.

Artificial flowers  are faux replicas, typically constructed from plastic, silk, or other synthetic materials.

Now, let’s compare these four types of flowers in 6 aspects.

Visually, fresh flowers and preserved flowers look almost the same. Dried and artificial flowers, however,  are easily distinguished by their shape and texture.

Note: the stems and leaves of preserved flowers are usually not preserved.

Texture & Feel: In terms of texture and feel, fresh and preserved flowers are nearly identical, as preserved flowers keep the look and feel of fresh blooms. Dried flowers, however, have a papery texture with distinctive patterns that give them a rustic charm loved for bouquet arrangements. Artificial ones lack any natural texture or realistic surface detail.

Scent & Allergens: About fragrance, only fresh blooms offer that natural perfume specific to each variety. However, this is absolutely a double-edged sword: that wonderful natural element also brings along the risk of pollen and allergic reactions. Dried, preserved, and artificial flowers solve this problem entirely. These three are the hypoallergenic champions: they are scentless, which means zero pollen and zero worry for allergy sufferers.

Longevity: Obviously fresh flowers are the shortest. Natural blooms last only about 7 to 14 days. Dried flowers can last for about 3 to 5 years, while preserved flowers typically last 2 to 5 years under normal indoor conditions. Artificial flowers can last more than five years, as they are not organic.

Price: According to our research, dried and artificial flowers are generally the most affordable, and fresh flowers being slightly more expensive. Preserved flowers are the most expensive ones, because of  their specialized production process, which includes harvesting premium fresh blooms, precise dehydration, reshaping, and recolouring. These intricate steps make the overall manufacturing cost significantly higher. However, the mission of ZESO Blooms™ is to make premium preserved flowers accessible to everyone, and we believe we've truly achieved that goal.

View Preserved Roses Pricing.

Emotional Value: There’s no doubt that preserved, dried, or artificial flowers can’t easily replicate the feeling that fresh blooms bring.
A living flower breathes, fades, and carries the memory of its fleeting beauty.
However, history has always moved forward. Smartphones replaced flip phones, cars replaced carriages, and light bulbs replaced oil lamps, not because people stopped loving the old, but because we discovered better ways to live, share, and remember.

The principle is the same for flowers. Preserved blooms aren’t meant to compete with fresh ones; they exist to carry beauty further and let it last a little longer.

At ZESO Blooms™, we have always believed that only the best fresh flowers can become the best preserved ones.
That is why we operate our own flower farm, cultivating blooms to the highest standards before the preservation process begins.
We remain devoted to the art of creating preserved flowers, not as a replacement for fresh ones, but to give floral artists and flower lovers around the world more choices, more possibilities, and the freedom to create truly remarkable floral works.

Comparison Table | Fresh, Dried, Preserved & Artificial Flowers

Beauty may fade, but meaning doesn’t have to.
Choose a bloom that lasts, and let every moment stay beautiful a little longer.

Discover ZESO Blooms™ Preserved Flowers.