Why Don't Flowers Smell Like They Used To?
Most cut flowers smell less than garden flowers did a generation ago because they have been bred for long vase life, strong colour, large heads and tough petals that survive transport, and scent was often lost along the way. Cold storage, tight buds and the time of day add to the effect, and sometimes the change is in the person, not the flower: a sense of smell weakened by a cold, illness or age makes every bouquet seem flat.
Customers in our Saint Petersburg shops say this almost word for word, usually while holding a rose to their nose and frowning. Florists have been answering it since we opened in 2011, and the answer is not that flowers have stopped smelling altogether. It is that fragrance is now concentrated in certain types and varieties, and that a few simple conditions decide how much of it you notice at home.
Breeding for vase life pushed scent aside
Modern cut roses are selected over many years for traits buyers see first: an even, upright head, saturated colour, a long straight stem and the ability to stay fresh for a week or more after a long journey. Scent cannot be seen in a photo or on a shelf, so for decades it was not a priority. Many of the most widely grown commercial roses have only a faint smell or none at all.
There is also a biological trade-off. Producing fragrance costs the flower energy, and the compounds that make scent are released as the petals mature and open. Flowers that open slowly and keep firm petals for days tend to release less of them. Breeders have had more success combining scent with long life in recent years, but strongly perfumed varieties are still a minority among cut roses.
The same applies to carnations, chrysanthemums and gerberas, which were bred above all for durability. Carnations once had a clear clove scent; most modern cut carnations have only a hint of it.
Seasonal and garden-type flowers tell the other side of the story. Peonies, sweet peas and lily of the valley have a short season and do not travel as easily, so they never went through the same selection for durability, and their scent is largely intact. That is why the most fragrant bouquets of the year are usually spring and early summer ones.
Cold, closed buds and the time of day
Cut flowers are kept cool from harvest to delivery to slow their ageing, and cold suppresses scent. A rose taken from a chilled storage room may smell of nothing for the first hours and then become noticeably fragrant once it warms to room temperature. Customers who sniff a bouquet at the counter and again at home in the evening often notice that difference.
Buds also smell less than open flowers. Fragrance builds as petals unfold, so a bouquet of tight roses gains scent over the next two to four days. Some flowers, such as matthiola, tuberose and certain lilies, are strongest in the evening, because in nature they attract night-flying pollinators.
Air matters too. In a warm, slightly humid room scent spreads well; in a dry room with a radiator next to the vase it fades faster, and the flowers themselves age sooner.
Bouquets we can deliver
When the change is in your sense of smell
If every flower suddenly seems scentless, including ones that used to be strong, the cause may be your own sense of smell. A cold, sinus problems or a viral infection can reduce it for weeks, and sometimes longer. Smell also becomes less sensitive with age, and some medicines affect it. If the loss came on suddenly or does not return, it is worth mentioning to a doctor.
There is also simple nose fatigue. After a few minutes in a room with a fragrant bouquet, the brain stops registering the scent, and it seems to disappear. Step out of the room and come back, and you will notice it again. Florists who work all day among lilies and freesias often say they barely smell them by midday.
Perfume, scented candles and air fresheners in the same room mask the delicate notes of flowers. Roses and peonies have complex, soft fragrances that are easily drowned out.
Flowers that are still truly fragrant
For a bouquet that really smells, choose the flowers that never lost their scent. Garden and peony-shaped roses usually have far more fragrance than standard long-stemmed roses. Peonies in late spring and early summer, lilies (especially Oriental types), freesias, hyacinths, matthiola, sweet peas, lily of the valley, tuberose, gardenia and mimosa are all reliably perfumed. Eucalyptus adds a fresh, resinous note to any bouquet.
Lilies deserve a warning. Their scent is so strong that some people find it overwhelming in a small room or a hospital ward, and their pollen stains. Remove the anthers as the flowers open. For other etiquette points about what not to send, see Flowers You Should Never Send in Russia and Why.
Mimosa is a special case in Russia, where it is the traditional flower of 8 March. Its soft, powdery scent is one of the most recognisable smells of early spring, and customers buy it as much for the fragrance as for the colour.
How to get more scent from your bouquet at home
Let the flowers warm up after delivery and give buds a few days to open; the scent will build. Keep the vase in a room at normal temperature, away from radiators, direct sun and ripening fruit, which speed up ageing. Fresh water every second day and a recut of 1-2 cm keep the flowers healthy, and healthy flowers smell better than tired ones.
Group fragrant flowers together rather than spreading single stems around the flat, and avoid strong artificial scents in the same room. If you want a bouquet mainly for its smell, say so when ordering, and the florist will build it around fragrant varieties instead of the most photogenic ones.
Customers sometimes try to revive scent with sprays or perfume on the petals. It does more harm than good: alcohol and oils damage petal tissue, leave spots and shorten vase life. A better trick is to place the bouquet in the hallway or near the entrance of a room, where moving air carries the fragrance, and to bring the vase closer to where you sit in the evening, when many flowers release the most scent.
Ordering a fragrant bouquet for someone in Russia
Our bouquets are in the catalogue, and if fragrance matters, call us on 8 (812) 507-67-05 and we will suggest what is in season and smells best. We deliver across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In Saint Petersburg, delivery runs around the clock.
In large cities, express delivery takes 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, or you can choose an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead. Delivery is anonymous by default, a card with your text is free, and the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival. If they are out, we agree a second delivery the same day or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge with your consent. Payment is online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay; foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa. Details are on the delivery and payment page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do supermarket and shop roses not smell?
Most commercial cut roses are bred for vase life, colour and transport, and scent was not a priority. Cold storage also suppresses what fragrance they have until they warm up and open.
Which cut flowers smell the strongest?
Oriental lilies, tuberose, hyacinths, freesias, matthiola, gardenia, peonies and garden roses are among the most fragrant. Lily of the valley and sweet peas are strongly scented too, in their season.
Why can't I smell my flowers anymore?
Often it is nose fatigue after spending time in the same room. A cold or illness can also reduce smell; if it does not come back, see a doctor.
Do flowers smell more when they open?
Yes. Fragrance builds as petals unfold, so tight buds smell faintly and gain scent over two to four days at room temperature.
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