Preserving Fresh Eucalyptus

I recently bought fresh eucalyptus from one of my favorite plant stores. I love the look of eucalyptus in the home and I think it adds that extra homey touch. Plus, if you haven't smelt fresh eucalyptus you are missing out! It is really simple to preserve fresh eucalyptus so you can enjoy the look of the plant branches for longer than a few weeks {once dried they last years}. I like this way better than hang drying, because you get a more vibrant look. So how do you preserve fresh eucalyptus? It is really a simple 3 step process.

Step 1

Gather the supplies that you will need to preserve fresh eucalyptus.

You will need:

Vegetable Glycerin {I had some on hand from making homemade bubble bath- you can get at most natural grocery stores or online from amazon}

Hot Water

Green Food Coloring

Container to hold eucalyptus in

Fresh Eucalyptus

Step 2

Boil water and use 1 part vegetable glycerin and 2 parts hot water. I used 1/2 cup of vegetable glycerin and 1 cup of hot water. Mixed the two together in the container [you can even use a vase if easier]. Let the liquid cool...this is important since your branches will not like the hot water. Add few drops of green food coloring. You can use your own preference on how dark you want to go. You can omit the food coloring but as the branches dry they loose some of their vibrancy so this is nice step to keep deeper coloring of leaves.

Step 3

As the liquid is cooling I used a hammer to gently smash the ends of the branches {the ends going in the water} this will help them absorb better. You just want to crack open the woody ends, you don't want to do too much damage. Then once liquid is cooled, add the eucalyptus branches. You just leave the branches in the liquid until all the liquid is absorbed. Then keep them in container or move into a nice vase or wherever you

I used my soaking eucalyptus as a display on our family dining room table while it was soaking up the liquid. I will move into a vase with some other dried flowers and branches in a few weeks. Until then it is a lovely display and the smell is great! Already the leaves are drying nicely and holding their color well. See how easy it is! Now let me know if you try preserving fresh eucalyptus and how it turns out!