This Low-Maintenance Plant Trend Is in Every French It Girl’s Home—and It’s Perfect for the Holidays, Too

updated Nov 30, 2020
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If you’ve never been able to keep anything green alive for more than a week, you’re in luck: There’s another plant trend making the rounds, and, yes, it’s just as Instagram-friendly as fiddle leaf figs or monstera leaves. The plant in question? Dried flowers, which have been adopted en masse by cool “French Girl” types as of late. According to Sarah-Eva Marchese, founder and CEO of Floracracy, this makes total sense, and a couple of factors are at the root of dried flowers’ seemingly overnight popularity.

“One [of those factors] is a strong color trend that aligns with neutrals that are welcoming more and more tans and whites instead of just grays,” says Marchese. “Dried florals work really well in these spaces and add to their subdued, minimalist feel while still inviting the benefits of florals—things like improved mood and happiness.” The second factor driving this trend, she says, is a growing cultural interest in and around sustainability and things lasting.

As for how to adopt this trend yourself? First, Marchese explains, recognize that those bouquets of fresh flowers sitting in your home can become a beautiful dried arrangement. “We’re really working to invite people to celebrate and experience the move of a fresh flower into a dried one, so that you can appreciate both unique experiences from the same bouquet,” she says. A few types she says are great for drying are anemone, ranunculus, calla lilies, and anthurium.

Credit: Frann Fyne

Whether you go the DIY route or not, Marchese suggests keeping them out of direct sunlight to avoid bleaching them (unless that’s your goal, of course). You’ll also want to prevent dust accumulation by occasionally using a keyboard air spray cleaner. It’s best to test this out on delicate stems first, just to make sure you don’t do any damage while spraying them. On the plus side, you never have to add water to your vase or worry about pulling out dead steams or rotting leaves.

Credit: Dolores

Ready to try it out for yourself? Here are a few of my favorite readymade dried flower picks. They’ll pretty much last forever if you follow Marchese’s advice, and a couple of them even feel festive enough for the holiday season.

Credit: West Elm

1. Dried Natural Bouquet

Displaying dried flowers in your home doesn’t mean you have to stray from a minimalist color scheme. Embrace neutrals with this textural bouquet, which brings together greens and tans in a super subdued way.

Buy: Dried Natural Bouquet, $50.00 $40.00 from West Elm

Credit: Terrain

2. Dried Fall Perennial Garden Bouquet

You can also brighten up your space with something like this colorful mix, which combines Sweet Annie, yarrow, echinops, globe amaranth, and more to create a sunny combination. For the ultimate “French Girl” look, break this bouquet up into smaller arrangements for your vanity.

Buy: Dried Fall Perennial Garden Bouquet, $48.00 from Terrain

3. Dried Larkspur Bouquet

Switch things up from your usual lavender bunch and try out dried larkspur, which looks beautiful on its own or mixed with other flowers. Paired with a thrifted vase, it’ll give any room a romantic, vintage feel.

Buy: Dried Larkspur Bouquet, $28.00 from Anthropologie

Credit: Etsy

4. Mini Dried Flower Bunches

It doesn’t get any cuter than this sweet set of mini bunches. Set them around your room in mini bud vases or on your holiday table in mercury glass vessels to bring some soft, wintry vibes to a special meal.

Buy: Mini Dried Flower Bunches, $35.34 for 3 mini bunches from Etsy

5. Dried Strawflowers

Dried flowers don’t always have to be in the form of a bouquet, and this bright mixture is proof. Set these out in a bowl or scatter them across a runner at dinner for an unexpected pop of color and nature.

Buy: Dried Strawflowers, $42.00 from Anthropologie

Credit: West Elm

6. Dried Red Eucalyptus Bundle

Spread a little holiday cheer around your home with this red eucalyptus bundle and mix it with green eucalyptus to make it even more on-theme. Then, you can add it into an existing bouquet once the season has ended for a look that’s less holiday-specific.

Buy: Dried Eucalyptus Bundle – Red, $20.00 $16.00 from West Elm

Credit: Terrain

7. Dried Glixia Bunch

A bunch of dried glixia feels ultra whimsical—cottagecore vibes, anyone? Dipped in this playful pink shade, it’ll make the prettiest statement wherever you put it.

Buy: Dried Glixia Bunch, $30.00 from Terrain

Credit: Etsy

8.Dried Craspedia

Go bold with this trend with a bundle of dried craspedia. These flowers are essentially a big bunch of sunshine, which, really, is something many of us could use more of these days.

Buy: Dried Craspedia 18″ Tall, Starting at $11.00 for 20 branches from Etsy

Credit: West Elm

9. Dried White Canary Grass

For a subtle, rustic touch of texture in your space, opt for this neutral dried white canary grass. Too simple for you? Add it to an existing bouquet as a filler to give it some extra height.

Buy: Dried White Canary Grass, $30.00 $24.00 from West Elm

10. Dried Pampas Grass Three-Stem Bouquet

Dried pampas grass is arguably its own mega trend, but I’d be remiss not to include this beautiful oversized bouquet in any roundup of dried flowers. You can go totally neutral with this look, or if you’re feeling bold, choose a bouquet in a striking gold, orange, or pink color.

Buy: Dried Pampas Grass Three-Stem Bouquet, $34.00 from Anthropologie