Preserved flower materials · Kunming, Yunnan
Roses with stems — lengths, wiring and greenery
VivaPetal cuts preserved roses to three stem lengths — 28–32 cm, 38–42 cm and 48–52 cm, wired on request — in Kunming, Yunnan, and supplies stabilised eucalyptus and asparagus fern in 50 g bunches alongside (as of October 2026). Stemmed material is for arranging, not for setting: a head that has a stem behind it can stand up, lean, angle and carry height, and it holds that angle through packing and transit once wired. The length has to be settled before the stem is cut, because a cut stem cannot be re-sealed.
Choosing a format
When to buy the stem, and when the head alone is cheaper
Most preserved work can be built either way, and the decision is about whether the stem is visible. If the flower is going to be pressed into a box or mounted on a panel, a stem is material you pay for and then cut off. If the piece has to stand in a vase, sit in a basket, rise out of a planter or hold a position inside a bouquet, the stem is the structure the piece depends on.
| If the flower will… | Buy | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Be glued into a box, dome or frame | Heads, no stem | The stem is removed at the calyx and is not seen |
| Stand in a vase, basket or planter | Roses on stem | The stem is what holds the flower upright |
| Lean or angle inside an arrangement | Roses on stem, wired | Wiring holds the head at a fixed angle under load |
| Carry height above other material | Long stems | Height comes from stem length, not from a taller head |
| Fill behind the focal flowers | Greenery lines | Line and volume, bought by weight rather than by bloom |
Sizing
Working back to the length you need
Buyers usually order the nearest standard length and then discover the finished piece sits too high or too low. The reliable method is to start from the finished piece and work downwards. Four steps, and the third one is the one people skip.
Finished height
Measure the height of the piece as it will be seen, from the base of the container to the top of the highest head.
Minus the container
Subtract the internal depth of the container or the depth of the foam. This is the part of the stem that does not show.
Minus the head
Subtract the height of the head itself — the bloom sits on top of the stem, so a display head eats into your total more than a mini head does. Skipping this step is why pieces come out tall.
Round to a band
Take the nearest reference length that is at or slightly above the figure, not below. A stem that is too long can be trimmed before the piece is built; one that is too short cannot be extended.
The cut-stem rule
Once a stem is cut, the open end cannot be re-sealed. The stabilisation runs through the stem, and a fresh cut leaves raw interior tissue that will not hold up as well as the finished surface. That is why we cut to your length before packing rather than shipping a long stem to be trimmed later, and why the calculation above is worth doing properly the first time.
Wiring
What wiring does, mechanically
A preserved rose head is light, and the joint where it meets the stem is the weakest point in the piece. Without support, a head will rotate under its own weight when the arrangement is moved, and it will shift in a carton when the carton is handled. Wiring puts a rigid element through the head and down into the stem so the head holds a fixed angle instead of finding a new one.
Three situations where it earns its cost:
- A head that has to face a specific direction — a bouquet that will be photographed from one side, or a piece built to sit against a wall.
- A piece that travels after it is made. A boxed arrangement that is going to be shipped or carried to a venue will not arrive with its heads where they started unless they are fixed.
- A large head on a relatively slim stem, where the head's weight is significant against the stem's stiffness.
Wiring is done on request and must be specified when you order, because it happens before packing rather than after. Tell us which references need it and how the piece will be oriented; we will confirm what is practical on your order.
References
Lengths and bunch counts
Length is measured on the finished stem. Bunch counts fall as the stem lengthens, because a longer stem makes a bulkier bunch at the same diameter — the number of pieces per bunch is limited by how the bunch has to be tied, not by weight.
| Reference | Length | Colour | Packing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose on stem, short | 28–32 cm | Stock and dyed | 20 per bunch | Wired on request |
| Rose on stem, standard | 38–42 cm | Stock and dyed | 20 per bunch | Bouquet and box work |
| Rose on stem, long | 48–52 cm | Stock and dyed | 10 per bunch | Tall arrangements |
| Eucalyptus, asparagus fern | 30–45 cm | Natural and tinted | 50 g bunch | Fillers, frames |
Rose stems are graded Grade A or Grade B on the same basis as the heads, and the grade is confirmed on your order. If your piece needs a length that sits between two bands, take the longer band and trim before building. Sizes other than these are confirmed on enquiry — tell us the figure you worked out and we will say what is available on your reference.
Greenery
Greenery is a different line with its own logic
Eucalyptus and asparagus fern sit on the same page as roses on stem because they are bought together, but they are specified in an entirely different way — and treating them like roses is a common mistake.
Packing
Bundled flat, with the heads protected
Stemmed material is bundled flat rather than upright, with a collar protecting the heads so the blooms do not rest against the carton wall. Flat bundling keeps the carton shallow, which matters because a light carton that is too large is charged on volume rather than on weight.
Heads and stems travel in the same carton only where the bunch count allows it; where a mixed order is going to one destination we will confirm whether the lines can share a carton or need to be split. Carton dimensions and chargeable weight are confirmed at quotation. On arrival, keep the bundles tied and in the sealed carton until the piece is being built — an untied bunch relaxes and the heads find new angles.
A commercial invoice and an itemised packing list are issued with every shipment. Certificates and declarations beyond that are confirmed per destination: name the document and the country and we will say plainly whether we can issue it. Delivery is quoted EXW (Kunming) first, then FOB where you have a forwarder at the port, with DAP as the last option; tell us the destination and we will confirm the workable term.
Where it goes
Pieces that need the stem to do work
Hand-tied bouquets
Standard length ties into a bouquet that keeps its shape when it is wrapped and boxed.
Vase & basket pieces
The stem is the structure — the flower has to stand without support from packing material.
Tall arrangements
Long stems carry height in floor pieces and oversized domes where heads alone cannot reach.
Event & venue work
Wired heads hold their angle through transport to a venue and a day of handling.
Before you order
Stemmed roses — the questions that come up
Often, yes — send the figure you worked out from your finished piece and we will confirm what is available on your reference. The one thing we will not do is ship a long stem for you to trim later, because a stem cut after arrival leaves an open end that cannot be re-sealed and will not hold up as well as the finished surface.
Only where the head has to hold a specific angle or survive transport. Wiring adds cost and stiffens the piece, so for material that is going straight into a packed arrangement with the stems hidden, it buys nothing. Tell us how the finished piece will be oriented and handled, and we will say which references actually need it.
Because a bunch is limited by how it has to be tied rather than by weight. At 48–52 cm a stem takes up far more length in the bundle, so the same bunch diameter holds roughly half the pieces. It is the same reason the head counts per box fall as the head size grows.
No — it is graded on a different basis entirely. Greenery is assessed on leaf integrity and colour evenness along the stem, and it is sold by weight in 50 g bunches rather than by stem count, because there is no bloom to size. Ask for the two lines on separate rows of your quotation so the grading basis is clear.
Minimums are set per reference and confirmed on your quotation rather than published as a fixed number, because they differ by length band, by colour and by whether the stems are wired. Tell us what you want to trial and we will advise the workable quantity first.
Keep reading
Related lines and guides
Length is only half of how a stem travels; storage is the other. Storing preserved flowers between arrival and use covers laying stems flat, the collar that protects the head, and what to check on opening.
Next step
Send the finished height — we will work back to the stem
Piece height, container depth, wiring requirement and destination. You get the length band, the bunch count and the shipping options, usually within one business day.