Faux Dusky Blossom Spray Stem in Brown

Sold as a single stem. Three is the number that looks right.

In a tall vase of 30cm to 45cm, use it close to full length. The bare lower stem disappears into the vessel and the blossom floats above the rim, which is the arrangement this length is designed for.

On a console, cut it down so the finished arrangement stands about one and a half times the height of the vessel.

Three stems, not one. A single blossom branch looks sparse; three angled apart so the branches cross reads as a cut branch rather than a shop stem.

Allow for the spread. The branches reach outward, so it occupies more width than the stem suggests. Not one for a narrow walkway.

The colour is dusty rather than fresh, and that is a deliberate choice.

Most faux blossom is a bright spring pink, which looks convincing for about two months of the year and slightly odd for the other ten. A muted pinky brown reads as blossom already past its peak, which is both more interesting to look at and far less seasonally tied.

The bare brown stem is the other half. Real blossom flowers before the leaves come, which is why a blossoming branch looks the way it does. Putting blossom on a leafy stem is the commonest mistake in faux florals, and it is the first thing the eye rejects.

The blossoms are small and carried in clusters along the branch rather than massed at the tip, so the spaces between them are as much a part of the shape as the flowers. That openness is what stops it looking like a bouquet on a stick.

There is a wire core through the stem, so branches can be angled and opened out to suit the vessel.

• A dusky pinky brown, not a bright spring pink that dates itself
• Blossom on a bare stem, which is how the real thing flowers
• Open clustering, so the spaces between blossoms are part of the shape
• 105cm long, usable full length in a tall vase or cut down
• Bendable wire core, so the branches can be opened out
• Works year round, unlike most blossom which is stranded outside spring
• Sits with neutrals, where a brighter pink would fight them
• No watering, no drop, no light needed

Angled apart so the branches cross rather than standing parallel. A tall vase that hides the bare lower stems, with the blossom floating above the rim.

Bend them outward and slightly down rather than upright. A branch that leans looks like it was cut; one that stands straight looks like it came out of a box.

Our magnolia foliage stem or something green alongside gives the arrangement weight. Two flowering stems together compete.

Soft pinky brown against a cream vase disappears. A dark glazed or deep-toned vessel gives the blossom something to stand against.

Fine blossom against a patterned wall is lost entirely. Plain paint, ideally deeper than the blossom tone, so each cluster reads.

Dust with a hairdryer on cool rather than a cloth. Small clustered blossoms are awkward to wipe individually and moving air clears them far faster.

Handle the blossoms gently. They are deliberately fine, which is what makes them convincing and also what makes them easier to crush than a heavier moulded flower.

Do not stand it in water. If your vessel holds water for real stems, keep this one dry.

Cut with secateurs, not scissors. There is wire inside the stem, and household scissors will neither cut it cleanly nor survive.

Keep it out of strong direct sun. A soft pink will fade noticeably within a couple of years in a sunny window, and it fades faster than a green stem would.

What to expect. The branches travel compressed and will need opening out after unpacking. A few minutes bending the side shoots outward is the difference between a good arrangement and a flat one.

It ships as a long parcel with the branches compressed, and will need opening out after unpacking. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Not sure how many stems you need, or what vessel suits? Send us the measurements and we will tell you. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Dressing a holiday let or a showhome? Ask about trade accounts.