A reader asks: “I've noticed that after flowers have been picked, they start smelling differently. For a long time I thought roses at the store smelled horrible. Then I noticed that the lilacs I pick will start smelling the same way a couple of days after I pick them. They change to the wonderful smell of lilacs to a horrible stench. Do flowers give off a death pheromone? Thanks.”
This is an interesting question, and the Phactor is uncertain he knows the answer. Floral scents are complex, and they often wane after being picked, and the most likely reason is simply they do not have as much water in their xylem stream, water under as much push-pull force to create as much scent after being cut. However, the transformation you describe from lovely to horrible stench is not something personally experienced. But no, there is no “death pheromone”, although decomposition does smell bad, and the cut end of bouquets can get pretty “ripe”. Perhaps some of my knowledgeable readers can suggest some alternatives.
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3 weeks ago in Genomics, Medicine, and Pseudoscience
1 comment:
I hope someone is able to figure this out, I just got my mother a pricey mixed bouquet for her birthday and after a day she said it smells chemically and makes her head hurt! My father is able to smell it too, though it doesn't impact him as dramatically. She said it happened with the last dozen roses my father got her as well from a different local florist. Doesn't make any sense. Are florists / whoelsalers spraying or gassing their cut flowers to make them last longer / for color like they do with fruit? With all the fees the bouquet was a hundred dollars, and she's had it less than 24 hours. Outrageous and so frustrating. Will be calling the florist tomorrow to see if they can remedy, but would love to know what is giving off this consistent smell from different cut flower species across different / unaffiliated florists!
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