Which lasts longer – real-touch or silk flowers?

Which lasts longer – real-touch or silk flowers?

Real touch flowers, and their cousins; natural touch, nearly natural, and other names assigned to latex flowers often look spectacular…for the first few months. 

But the spongey nature of these polymer flowers and plants means they are easily dirtied with the oils from your hands, cooking oils in your environment, and dust in your home. 

Touch them to check if they are truly real, and you’ll have dirty petals in no time. Even the manufacturers of these stems suggest wiping them with a damp cloth once a week! 

As you might have guessed, the Floral Home and Holiday horticultural team aren’t fans of polymer-based flowers. Silk flowers win our hearts every time. 

Which lasts longer – real-touch or silk flowers?

Silk Flowers

First, silk flowers are delicate in form just like real flowers. And their colors and variations are endless. 

Even better, they are easy to clean with a feather duster and a quick rinse in the sink and tap to dry. 

The truth is that silk flowers are no longer made of silk. Today they are primarily made of polyester, and we all know how durable polyester is. And how easy it is to clean. 

Silk flowers date back to the Wei Dynasty in 500 AD China. They were hugely popular during the Victorian period when velvet and gauze were other popular fabrics. 

Polyester Flowers

The modern-day rise of polyesters means that, in addition to the garment industry, polyester found its way to the floral trade in the 1970s. And we are glad it did. 

Artificial flowers now look more realistic, even to the tiniest detail than they ever have, and to be honest, we prefer them over real-touch, natural touch, and other spongey-style stems. 

In some cases, like in the tropical stem categories, a thicker, fleshier feel is required to mimic a live plant. Even then, we choose flowers and stems with a finish that is easy to clean and maintain.

Real-touch type flowers and silk flowers will both last a very long time. After all, they are artificial. But the question is, how long will you love them?