Ultimate Guide to Eucalyptus

Greenery is the foundation of any flower arrangement project. Think of it as a canvas that is strategically structured to make the focal flowers stand out. All the green makes the eyes shift their focus to the vibrant colors of your sola wood flowers. These plants are also used to lend shape, color, and texture to your projects. Spillover centerpieces and cascading bouquets are pretty challenging shapes that are not easily achieved without the use of foliage. 

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And if we’re talking about greenery, it's impossible to talk about this topic and not talk about everyone’s favorite foliage: the eucalyptus. It's one of the most recognizable and most in-demand greenery in craft stores and florist shops. Its mild and minty scent is both relaxing and invigorating and has shown to lower levels of anxiety. It’s used as filler for both bouquets and centerpieces and is slowly dominating the rustic wedding scene because of its beauty and versatility. For these reasons and more, it’s impossible not to fall in love with the eucalyptus.

Using eucalyptus for crafting

While eucalyptus is a hardy bush, fresh eucalyptus stems have leaves that will still wilt and die. The average lifespan of a eucalyptus stem out of water is about 3-4 days which is good enough to last the entire day of your celebration, but if you want to send the flowers home with your guests, using preserved eucalyptus is a better option so it can be kept for longer.

Preserved eucalyptus for crafting

There are two different types of eucalyptus foliage from Sola Wood Flowers: Dried and faux eucalyptus. Both options have a wide array of choices, such as the Baby Blue, Silver Dollar, and Willow eucalyptus.

• Dried Eucalyptus for Crafting

While eucalyptus is already low maintenance, hardy bush, to begin with, using dried eucalyptus for crafting is perfect and pairs well with sola wood flowers. It’s a combination that 

will last a long time. No need for mixing flower food in a vase full of water or trimming the stems every 3 days to prevent bacteria growth. This piece can keep for months and will not lose a single leaf while indoors.

It’s perfect for people with busy lifestyles, who want to keep their place spruced without the inconvenience of taking care of a living plant inside their home. We particularly love the Silver Dollar eucalyptus for the volume it adds to centerpieces. The big, round leaves also provide a backdrop for big and dainty flowers alike.

Use frosted or satin-washed Baby Blue eucalyptus to add height to centerpieces. Add a few sprigs of this in a vase full of sola flowers to instantly elevate its look. Satin-washed eucalyptus comes in various colors so you can check which one looks best with your bouquet.

• Faux eucalyptus 

Faux eucalyptus is made out of artificial materials but closely resembles the real deal. Artificial foliage, like artificial flowers, has come a long way since it was first introduced in the 90s. They’re made meticulously, aiming for the most realistic look and feel each time.

Sola Wood Flowers has a faux eucalyptus product: the eucalyptus pick. It comes in both green and burgundy. Looking at it closely, you will immediately see the detailed midrib and veins on the leaves. Create contrast with the dark eucalyptus picks by adding brightly-colored sola flowers to your arrangement.

Using preserved eucalyptus for bouquets

Eucalyptus is used in designing individual components during an event, but it can also be used as the overall design aesthetic. We’ve seen wedding blogs with designers who incorporated different types of eucalyptus species in the wedding decorations: Seeded and Baby Blues in the bouquet; garlands of Silver Dollar as table runner; Willow eucalyptus as aisle decor; and a combination of different eucalyptus species and a bunch of dainty flowers on the wedding arch. Instead of spending too much money on pricey flowers, design cohesiveness can be achieved by emphasizing the use of the same foliage in your designs. Check out this collection of wedding decor using eucalyptus.

Preserved eucalyptus is preferable because they’re tougher and will keep well in all kinds of weather. There are different ways to preserve flowers and foliage, but our top two favorites are the use of glycerine and silica gel.

Glycerine Preservation

Glyrcerinizing is the process of preserving flowers and plants with the use of glycerine. It has several advantages, including soft and pliable petals and leaves even after it has completely been preserved.

To preserve eucalyptus with the use of glycerine, mix one-part glycerine with two parts hot water. Boiling water helps dissolve the glycerine completely, letting it seep through the stems and leaves faster. When the glycerine/water mixture cools, pour it into a container and add the eucalyptus branches. There should be enough water to cover about 4 inches of the eucalyptus stem.

Let the eucalyptus soak in the glycerine mixture for a week and add more of the mixture if necessary. You will notice that the leaves will turn slightly whitish. The stems will stop absorbing glycerine when it's fully saturated. Hang the eucalyptus stems upside down to dry for 2-3 days and they're ready to use for your bouquet projects. 

Silica Gel

Working with silica gel is simple, but there are a few techniques we want to share with you to make sure your eucalyptus looks its best after they are preserved.

Cut the eucalyptus stems to fit the container where you will place them. Depending on the species of eucalyptus you’re preserving, you may either place them flat on the container or upright. Start adding silica gel all over the eucalyptus until all leaves are completely covered in silica gel.

It will take 5-7 days to preserve eucalyptus stems in silica. Like glycerinizing, silica gel preservation also retains the three-dimensional shape of the eucalyptus leaves. Moreover, it also preserves its color, making it the crafter’s best-kept secret in preserving pretty flowers and foliage.

Which one is your favorite eucalyptus species and what do you use it for? Snap a photo and share it at Sola Wood Flowers Official. And if your greenery stock is running low, don’t forget that you can get additional supplies at the Sola Wood Flowers website, along with flowers and other crafting items.

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