Why we remove lily anthers
· 3 min read · Bouquet House
- lilies
- care
- how-to
The orange dust inside a lily permanently stains fabric. Here is why we take it out before delivery, and what to do if it gets on something.
Every lily that leaves our bench has had its anthers removed with tweezers. It takes about thirty seconds a stem and we do it on every single one.
What the anthers do
The six stalks inside an open lily carry pollen that is a strong, oily orange. It does not wash out of fabric — the oil carries the pigment into the fibre, and water drives it deeper. On a tablecloth, a sofa arm or a wedding dress, it is permanent.
Why not just warn people
Because the pollen is released by the flower opening, which happens days after delivery, in a house where nobody is expecting it. A warning card does not stop a cat brushing past on Thursday.
Removing the anthers also extends the flower's life slightly, since the plant stops spending energy on pollen. There is no downside beyond our time.
If it happens anyway
Do not use water, and do not rub. Both set the stain.
- Lift the loose powder off with sticky tape, pressed and pulled away.
- Put the fabric in bright sunlight for a few hours — UV breaks the pigment down
and will often clear it completely.
- Only then wash normally.
The lilies we sell
Our white orientals arrive with two to three open heads and the rest in bud, so the arrangement gets fuller for the first four days. Buds that open at home will have their own anthers — take those out too, with tweezers, before they shed.
