Everything you need to know about transporting flowers in a car

• Written by Holly Hughes on February 14, 2022

There is a certain joy in picking up flowers on your car ride home or en route to visit a loved one. What is definitely not joyful however, is discovering, after a couple of hours in the car, fresh flowers that have drooped, wilted, or lost their luster. 

Wondering how to help your fresh flowers survive a car journey? We’ve got you covered with this easy guide that will answer some common questions about car travel for floral arrangements. In this article, we will look at:

• Can I leave flowers in my car?
• Will flowers die in a hot car?
• How to keep flowers fresh in a car
• How to transport flower arrangements
• How to transport flowers in a vase in a car

Can I leave flowers in my car?

It happens. We pick up a beautiful bouquet and then, when busy life gets in the way, we sometimes have to leave it for hours in our car before we can get it home and into some fresh water. Is this time in the car bad?

The answer depends on several things, mainly the temperature of the car, the length of time the flowers are left in the car, and what kind of flowers they are. If a car isn’t too hot or cold and your bouquet is only in the car for a few hours with enough water and space, you can feel relatively safe leaving flowers in the car.

However, leaving them overnight or in a hot car or trunk will potentially destroy your blooms irrevocably so it’s best to avoid it. The general rule with car travel is to try and take quick stops when transporting flowers and avoid leaving them for long periods in a car when you can’t control the temperature.

Will flowers die in a hot car?

If left for long enough, flowers will die in too hot a car. Even a few hours is enough to cause them to wilt and look a little worse for wear. And this damage often can’t be undone afterwards.

This will be worsened if your flowers aren’t in water, as they will only dehydrate and wilt faster. Having them in an unventilated trunk or full sunlight directly under a window will also worsen this effect.

How to keep flowers fresh in a car

So, with these dangers, are there any tips that will help your flowers survive a hot car journey? The good news is, there are a few precautions you can take to try and preserve your flowers.

First of all, controlling the temperature is perhaps the most important aspect that will help to keep flowers fresh. If you are in the car, then fortunately most of the time you are in a position to control the temperature. 

As flowers generally do best in cooler temperatures, the main thing you want to avoid is letting them get too hot. Therefore, to keep them intact in a warm car, be sure to use air conditioning to keep them cool.  

Aside from keeping it cool, it is imperative you keep your bouquet moist and nourished. If it has water supplied at its base, add some of the flower food packet often given alongside floral arrangements to the water, or even a little sugar. This will revitalize your blooms and give them some energy.

Alternatively, if your flowers are not in any water while in the car, wrap the bottom of the bouquet in wet paper, peat, or anything else that is wet and will work to keep the stems moist and therefore hydrated.

Finally, be sure to place your bouquet upright on the floor of the car and keep them away from the harsh direct light that comes in through the windows.

How to transport flower arrangements

For larger arrangements, there are some added tips to ensure your car floral arrangement will arrive safe and sound to its desired location.

To begin with, if you know you are purchasing a bouquet, come prepared and bring a bucket or vase with some water in it in the car that will keep your arrangement hydrated on the way home.

For tall and thin arrangements, use a bouquet transport box. This you can make yourself from a cardboard box that has the top cut out of it to fit your arrangement and is then stuffed with towels inside. These will help to hold the bouquet in place and prevent it from toppling over.

You can also wet these towels if you need extra moisture for your arrangement.

Finally, as well as taking care to minimize the flowers’ contact with heat as much as possible, the last thing you need to remember is to drive carefully. Take every turn widely and brake slowly to keep your arrangements at their beautiful best. 

How to transport flowers in a vase in a car

If transporting a vase of blooms in your car, as well as following all of the above steps, be sure to look at the kind of vase you are using and make a bouquet transport box that will match and support it.

For wider-based arrangements, for example, cut or fold over the sides of a cardboard box so that the flowers have room to spread over the top without being damaged and again use newspaper or towels to support the vase and keep it upright.

How to bring flowers back to life after being in a hot car?

Finally, to revive your flowers after a long car journey, there are a few key actions that can drastically help to return their vivacity after the heat.

Cut an inch or so off the flowers’ stem at an angle. This will enable them to drink deeply from the fresh water and replenish faster. It will also help to get rid of any bacteria that could have attached itself to the stem ends and begun to clog them.

Be sure to add the accompanying flower solution to fresh water in a spotlessly clean vase. Then display them in an area out of the way of direct sunlight or heating or cooling events and enjoy them!

Of course, there’s one solution to avoid any droopy carsick flowers: get the experts to bring them to you and avoid the car altogether! There are a plethora of affordable, delectable, and fresh flower delivery services out there that can guarantee same-day delivery for some of the most sumptuous bouquets out there. Here’s our top pick of the best:

• 1800Flowers
• SendFlowers
• FromYouFlowers

And for regular subscription services, check out:

• BloomsyBox
• MonthlyClubs
• EnjoyFlowers