The winner: Anthurium, 100/100. Tied for second at 91: Alstroemeria, Chrysanthemum. Lowest upkeep of the qualifiers: Black‑eyed Susan at 71.
'Vase life' online is mostly marketing copy: this ranks only species with published postharvest trial data, scored on the guaranteed floor first (what you can count on with zero effort) and the ceiling second (what proper cutting and water changes buy you), not a single vague number.
The picks
The flowers that won
The top score, plus the qualifier that asks least of you.
Guaranteed vase-life floor: 16 to 18 · Peak vase-life potential: 16 to 18 · Bred to survive the supply chain: sold in most shops
Flaws, not dealbreakers:asks for some seasonal upkeep; toxic to cats
Deer: sometimes eaten (Rutgers C)Not for cat households
91/ 100tap for the breakdown
Guaranteed vase-life floor45 / 4516 to 18
Peak vase-life potential26 / 3516 to 18
Bred to survive the supply chain20 / 20sold in most shops
The protocol
How the score is built
3 rules, 100 points, no opinions. Every line reads one field of the table.
Guaranteed vase-life floor45 pointsworst documented case still two weeks 45; ten days 34; a week 22; four days 11; under four 4; no published vase data means no rank here Read from: days it holds in plain water.
Peak vase-life potential35 pointsbest case three weeks or more 35; two weeks 26; ten days 17; a week 9; under a week 4 Read from: days it holds in plain water.
Bred to survive the supply chain20 pointssold in most shops cut crop 20; sold by specialist growers 14; garden-cut only 8 Read from: whether it is grown as a cut flower.
Bred to survive the supply chain14 / 20sold by specialist growers
Considered, not chosen
Not qualifying is a verdict too: the table simply says this question is not theirs.
no published data for guaranteed vase-life floorHydrangea macrophylla, Lavender, Irises and 22 more
not documented as a cut flowerBegonia, Canna Lily, Christmas Cactus and 16 more
The winner's badge
Generated by the ranking above, and re-scored whenever the table changes.
Anthurium
The badge is generated by this ranking, not awarded by hand. When the
table changes, it re-scores itself.
How we rank
We keep one table of 85 flowers,
with 25 documented facts each, drawn from university and extension sources. Every ranking is
a published formula worth 100 points; tap any score and it unfolds into the lines that made
it. A flower that does not fit the question is not scored lower: it is excluded, and the reason is
shown. When the table changes, every score and stamp updates itself.
The full method ↗
