The document discusses India's dry flower industry. It notes that the industry is over four decades old, originally brought to India by British colonists in Kolkata. It was traditionally concentrated in areas like Tuticorin and Kolkata where diverse flowers are naturally available. Now many other Indian states also contribute to the industry. Dry flowers make up around 15% of the global floriculture business and are a major part of India's floricultural exports. India is the 5th largest exporter of dried flowers. The document outlines various drying methods used like air drying, embedded drying with desiccants, freeze drying and more. It also lists many flowers and plant materials used in dry arrangements.

1. Dr. Ritu Jain
Division of Floriculture and Landscaping
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi 110 012

2.  Dry flower industry is nearly four decade old in the country and was
brought by Britishers in Calcutta.
 Majority of dry flower industry was concentrated in few locations where
diverse flowers are naturally available like Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and
Kolkata in West Bengal.
 Nowadays other states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal
Pradesh etc are also contributing towards the growth of dry flower
industry.
 Dry flowers constitute nearly 15% of the global floriculture business and
form the major share in Indian floricultural exports as well.
 The Netherlands ranks first in dry flower export followed by Columbia,
Mexico, Israel.
 India is the 5th largest exporter of dried flowers and contribute its
maximum share i.e. 70% in floriculture exports to major countries like
USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, Far East and Russia
 The major dry flower exporters are Natural Products Export Corporation
Ltd( NPEC) Tuticorin, Singhri flowers Pvt Ltd. Kolkata, Ramesh Flowers
Pvt. Ltd. Tuticorin, Salem Spices, Trichy.
 The demand for the dry flowers is increasing at an impressive rate of 8-
10% and therefore, there is great scope for the Indian entrepreneurs.

3. The range of dried flowers and other attractive plant parts is
quite extensive including
• Stems
• Roots
• Shoots
• Buds
• Flowers
• Inflorescences
• Fruits
•Fruiting shoots
• Cones
•Seeds
•Foliage
• Bracts
• Thorns
• Barks
• Lichens
• Fleshy fungi
• Mosses
• Sellaginellas

4.  Cheaper
 Range of product
 Eco friendly, biodegradable
 Year round available
 Survive heat and cold
 Transport ease
 Air drying
 Embedded drying
 Freeze drying
 Water drying
 Glycerin drying
 Press drying

5.  Straw flower
 Larkspur
 Paper Flower
 Amaranthus
 Nigella
 Carthamus
 Gypsophilla
 Rose
 Chrysanthemum
 Billy Button
 Ammobium
 Silver Dollar
 Statice
 Gomphrena
 Briza
 Brumus
 Lagurus
 Molucella
 Zinnia
 Dried Pods
 Cones ( Pine,
Cedrus,
casurina)
Paper Flower Gomphrena Nigella
Ammobium
Carthamus Gypsophilla
Limonium Billy button Straw flower

6.  In situ drying: Naturally drying on plant parts: e.g Amaltas, bael, pine,
Pride of India, Golden Shower, Cassia alata, reetha etc.
 Flat surface drying: Removing the flowers from stem and put them on a
flat surface. e.g paper flower, straw flower
 Vertical drying: Keeping the flowers in standing/ vertical position by using
wiremesh stem or vases. e.g. Bougainvillea, paper flower, straw flower,
statice etc.
 Hanging Drying: Drying of flowers by hanging them in inverted position

7.  Start by stripping the leaves off of the stem.
 Tie the flowers in bunches.
 When the flowers are in bunches, hang the flowers
upside down in a warm place where there is no light
as darkness will preserve the color.
 Leave the flowers hanging until they are ready to be
used.
 When using dry flowers, make sure that you are very
careful, they will break and tear easy.

8. Desiccants like sand, silica gel, boric acid, borax,
sawdust, alum powder, aluminium sulphate, corn
granules are commonly used for embedded drying
Steps in drying:
• Spread the layer of desiccant in the bottom
• Arrange plants according to type
• No two specimens should touch each other or sides of
the container
• Pour the desiccant gently, gradually
and completely from all sides until it
forms a layer of 1.5 cm above plant parts.

9.  The flowers in a drying substance that
takes the moisture out of the flower
 When using this method, there is very
little loss of color or shape
 The drying agent should provide even
drying through the flower and support the
flower so that the shape remains
o The drying time will vary with the flowers
from 2 to 4 weeks
o When the flowers are dried completely
gently take the flowers out of the drying
agent

10. •Put the flowers with desiccating agent into a colander
•This will allow the drying agent to slip through the holes and
cause little damage to the flowers
•After removing the flowers from the drying agent, brush off the
remaining agent off with a small paintbrush
•Be very careful with the flowers, because they will be very fragile
•After the flowers have been cleaned, spray them with a dried
flower preservative it will strengthen and protect them

11. Embedded drying can be
hasten by:
 Drying in sun
 Drying in solar dryer
 Drying in hot air oven
 Drying in microwave oven
 Vacuum drying
Microwave oven drying
Hot Air Oven drying
Drying in Solar Dryer

12.  The flowers are arranged in specimen chamber
and then frozen to -350 C. any frozen crystal on
flower is sublimed or vaporized with the
application of heat
 Quality of product is excellent.

13.  Those flowers which loose moisture and gloss
very rapidly and tends to loose form are dried in
glycerin.
 Frequently used for hydrangea, gypsophilla, corn
flowers and leaves of eucalyptus, magnolia and
maple leaves,
 Mix one part glycerin with two parts of water
 Lower leaves and flowers from the stem are
stripped and kept in standing cold water or
glycerin mix with 5 cm depth.
 Takes 7-10 days for drying depending upon
weather.

14.  In this method flower shape does not retain.
 The flowers are kept flat in between the blotting
paper sheets and then pressed using herbarium/
plant press.
 Press dried flowers can be used for making
products like greeting cards, book marks, photo
frames, sceneries etc.

15. Arranging leaves/ flowers in plant press Book Marks
Greeting Cards Wall Scenery Paper weight
Press Dried Flower Products

16. Products of press dried flowers
Book Marks
Paper bag Floral cards

17.  Collect material after dew/moisture has evaporated
(i.e. in day time).
 Collect material from field, 2-3 days after watering.
 Collect fresh material.
 All stages of flower dev. In inflorescence should be
collected which have sufficiently hardened as
immature shrivel very fast.
 Embed material immediately after plucking.
 One type of flower and foliage to be embedded at a
time.
 Cut all undesirable portion before embedding.

18. Dry flower products
Pot Pourri Skeletonized leaves
Paper weight
Dry arrangement using dried fruits of indigenous plants
Pine cone
arrangement

19. Dry flower arrangements
Pot Pourries

20. Wreaths

21. SOLA WOOD PRODUCTS

22. Dried Flower Basket Arrangements

23. Dried Flower Vase Arrangements

24. INDIGENOUS ORNAMENTALS FOR DRY FLOWERS
S.
No.
Botanical Name Common
name
Family Part used
1 Carthamus tinctorius Thistle Asteraceae Air dried flower
2. Cassia alata Fabaceae Pods
3. Jasmimum humile Pili chameli oleaceae Press dried
leaves and
flowers
4 Asplenium bulbiferum Fern Polypodaceae Glycerin dried
fern foliage
5. Magnolia grandiflora Champa Magnoliaceae Glycerin dried
foliage
6. Ficus religiosa Peepal Moraceae Skeletonized
leaves
7. Ficus benghalensis Banyan Moraceae Skeletonized
leaves
8. Anaphalis margiritacea Pearly
everlasting
Asteraceae Flowers
9. Tabernaemontana
coronaria
Crape
Jasmine
Apocynaceae Press dried
leaves

25. INDIGENOUS ORNAMENTALS FOR DRY FLOWERS
S.
No.
Botanical Name Common
name
Family Part used
10. Lagerstroemia flos reginae Pride of India Lythracae Dried fruits
11. Cedrus deodara Indian Cedar Pinaceae Fruits/ cones
12 Pinus longifolia Chir pine Pinaceae Fruits/ cones
13. Picea smithiana Western
Himalayan
Spruce
Pinaceae cones
14. Murraya exotica Kamini Rutaceae Press dried
leaves
15 Cassia fistula Amaltas Fabaceae Press dried
flowers and
pods
16. Pterospermum acerifolium Kanakchampa Malvaceae Split fruits for
dry flowers
arrangements
17. Shorea robusta Sal Dipterocarpaceae Winged seeds
18. Azadirachta indica Neem Meliaceae Press dried
leaves

26. USE OF BAJRA, WHEAT AND PINE CONES FOR
DRY FLOWER PRODUCTS

27.  Dry flowers and foliage are very delicate and
brittle in nature so purchase a superior grade
cartons or boxes for packing.
 Dried material should not be roughly handled
during transport and distribution.
 Protect the flowers from moisture throughout the
marketing channel as it leads to loss in shape
therefore, moisture proof containers are preferred
for storage of dry flower products.
 A small quantity of silica gel may be placed at
the bottom of the container to absorb moisture.
 Protect the material from direct sunlight or high
light intensity in order to preserve colour.

28. Rag pickers in Ghazipur

29. Exploring the possibilities of Value addition for
women of slum areas

30. Training imparted to the members of ILF&S

31. Brochure of Gulmehar

32. Success
story