Here’s Why People Put Pennies in Flower Vases

There’s nothing like fresh-cut flowers to brighten up your space. But even if you have somewhat of a green thumb, those blooms are on borrowed time.

I’m rather proud of my ability to tend the colorful bunches I bring home from Trader Joe’s well enough that they last up to two weeks. But that’s with my being diligent about changing out the water every couple of days, removing dying leaves and stems, and whispering into the petals, “You can do it!” (That last one likely does nothing in terms of plant prosperity, but it makes me happy.)

Recently, I’ve been hearing whispers on social media about a trick that I initially wrote off as a myth: putting pennies in a vase. But since I had a handful on hand and am always willing to expand my flora faculties, I spoke to Althea Wiles, the founder and creative director at Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio in Springdale, Arkansas, to see if it actually worked, as well as see if there were any larger meanings behind putting pennies in vases. Read on to find out the details—and the results of my at-home test.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.

Why do people put pennies in flower vases?

Those Instagram or TikTok videos of people dropping pennies into their vases have nothing to do with pennies being lucky or with the tradition of placing coins on a gravestone. No, these flower-loving folks hail it as a hack to keep blooms, especially tulips and other bulbs, perkier for longer.

Since pennies sounded like the cheapest attempt at bribing flowers to stick around longer, I had to find out whether there was any actual merit to this method of floral maintenance.

Why does this trick supposedly work?

It all boils down to science and, specifically, the properties of copper. Now, of course, pennies are copper in color, but prior to 1982, they were actually made from copper—95% copper and 5% zinc, to be exact. Copper has properties that kill off the bacteria and fungi in the water, which (technically) could allow a floral arrangement to thrive.

But things are a little different these days: After 1982, those penny percentages essentially reversed, so they’re now 97.5% zinc and just a 2.5% smidge of copper plating. Still, there is still copper in there, so maybe it really could work its elemental magic.

Here’s what happened when I tried it

Elva Etienne/Getty Images

Now, Wiles did assure me that I’m not hurting my flowers if I put pennies in the vase, unless they were super dirty and would lead to bacteria growth in there. Good enough for me. I dug into the jar of coins I’ve been meaning to roll up and take to the bank, and came up with some pennies. I tried to find some old ones, but many of the pennies I had on hand were barely of driving age.

Nevertheless, I persisted. I gave the pennies a rinse for good measure, then tossed a few into the water, to which I had already added a flower food packet. A day later, I took out a couple of the gerbera daisies and put them in another vase with plain water and some pennies.

A few days later, the flowers looked about as good as they always did in my care. The daisies were standing tall, but it was likely because of those plastic straw-like things holding them up, not the pennies. Or was it the pennies? Since there was practically no copper content in them, I’m inclined to think that I’m just getting better as an amateur florist.

So does this trick actually work?

Not really. Well, at least not for me—and not according to Wiles. “The newer pennies don’t do much at all,” she says. “If you get an older penny, it may help, but it’s not going to be as good as either plain water or water with your professional floral food.”

I’ll get to why that little packet of floral food that comes with your flowers packs more power than you might think in just a moment. But first, let’s talk results. I came across TikTok user @lifewithlindsay, who did manage to find two fairly old pennies for her tulips—that’s the flower that most people say this works with—and had lackluster results. She said the flowers did bloom the next day and might have seemed a bit perkier. But her tulips certainly weren’t standing at attention, and she didn’t seem so eager to repeat the penny hack. So much for those lucky pennies!

Of course, if you do hit the jackpot and happen to have some 43-year-old pennies jingling around in your pockets, go ahead and plunk some down into a flower vase. But Wiles says it will only provide one of the three things that cut flowers need. So what are those three things, and what can provide them all, you ask? “Professional mix has food for your flowers, balances the pH of the water, and has a bactericide and fungicide to keep microbes from growing,” Wiles says.

Some swear by a tablet of aspirin in the water instead. This acts as an acidifier and will help balance the pH, says Wiles, but again, it’s just one of the three things that flowers need to thrive. And once again, you’re better off with plant food.

What will actually make your flowers last longer?

I wasn’t all that disappointed to find out that the penny trick didn’t work because I’ve been doing just fine with my flowers. In fact, I compared notes with Wiles to see what exactly I was doing right to keep my flowers lasting so long. Here’s what I confirmed I’ve been doing correctly, plus a couple of things I learned for my next vase:

• Snip the bottom of the stems. My mother taught me to cut the bottom of flower stems on an angle, and I’ve been doing it forever. Turns out that’s a good thing to do, but don’t sweat it if you snip them straight. “An angle is best, but it’s not critical,” says Wiles. “It increases the amount of area a flower has to draw water up. More critical is keeping the vase clean and the water fresh.”

• Mix in that flower packet. Don’t toss that packet that comes with your flowers, and don’t just mix it with any amount of water. “It needs to be mixed correctly according to the instructions—too much and it doesn’t help; too little and it doesn’t do much good either,” says Wiles. I admit I don’t always measure out the quart of water according to the packet, but I will now.

• Change the water frequently. I’m good at changing out the water before it gets cloudy, but I could do it more often. “Every day would be best,” says Wiles. “Some flowers, like sunflowers, promote more bacteria growth, so they need more frequent changes.” (Note to self: Buy more flower mix to add back into fresh water.)

• Pluck the dead stems quickly. I do this for aesthetics, but there’s an even better reason to do it. According to Wiles, “as flowers die, they produce more bacteria and ethylene gas, which makes the other flowers wilt faster. Removing them as soon as possible helps the rest last longer.”

• Keep the vase out of the sunlight. A vase is not a garden of living flowers; it’s a container of dying ones, so they don’t need direct sun. In fact, that’s a bad thing. “Direct sunlight increases the temperature and reduces vase life,” Wiles says. “A cooler, darker room will keep flowers fresh longer.”

• Trim leaves away from the water. Wiles says leaves should remain above water only to avoid bacteria growth. I can attest to this because I once had a foul-smelling vase full of leaves. To avoid that smell incinerating my nostrils ever again, I’m vigilant about keeping leaves out of water, and I prefer clear glass vases that keep me on top of my task.

A final note

I noticed that a number of the TikTokers and Instagrammers who tried the pennies trick said to their followers something along the lines of “Don’t be mad if this doesn’t work.” I ask the same of you. If you’ve been putting pennies in with your cut flowers and they continue to bloom beautifully, more power to you. But if you are looking to expand your floral-care repertoire, the tips above will keep your bouquets on display longer.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Source:

• Althea Wiles, founder and creative director of Rose of Sharon Floral Design Studio; phone interview, April 2, 2025

Tunaru Dorin/Getty Images

The Meaning Behind Your Fave Flowers

R A Kearton/Getty Images

What Are Your Birth Flowers?

Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty Images

The No. 1 Reason Your Plants Are Dying