32" Faux Bittersweet Stem

• The classic bittersweet look: orange blooms opening around hard berry centers
• Says fall like nothing else: the orange-and-gold that defines autumn arrangements
• 32-inch reach: long, branching stems for real spread
• Holds its color: no fading, dropping, or shriveling
• Splits at 16 inches: stands in a vase with no trimming
• No upkeep: no water, no mess

• Fall vessels: a vase, pitcher, or crock on a console, table, or mantel
• Harvest and doors: work the branches into a harvest arrangement or door spray
• Group for fullness: gather three or more so the tangle reads full
• Pairs with: wheat, dried grasses, sunflowers, and fall foliage
• Just-gathered feel: the tangled branches read off-the-vine
• Season: fall and harvest

• Length: 32 inches, long and branching
• Stem splits at: 16 inches, so it stands in a vase with no trimming
• Blooms: small orange blooms opening around hard berry centers along tangled branches
• Material: wire, plastic, and poly silk
• Color: orange
• Care: no water, holds its color
• Sold as: a single stem (shown as three in the photo)

What size vase do I need for a 32-inch faux bittersweet stem?

A vase, pitcher, or crock around 15 to 16 inches tall holds it out of the box, because the stem stays bare for its first 16 inches before it branches. The tangled half sits above the rim where you can see it. The wired stem cuts shorter if your vessel is lower.

How many bittersweet stems come in an order?

One. It is sold by the stem, and the primary photo shows three grouped together so you can see how they look massed. That grouping is how we would use them, so most people order at least three at a time.

What is bittersweet, and why is it a fall decorating staple?

Bittersweet is a woody vine whose orange husks split open around the berries each autumn, and those tangled orange branches have been turning up on harvest tables and front doors for generations. It is probably the single most recognizable fall stem there is.

Are the bittersweet berries foam or hard?

Hard, with poly silk blooms opening around them. Foam berries soften and dent once they have spent a season in a storage box, and hard centers keep their shape and finish so the stem looks the same the fifth fall as it did the first.

Do faux bittersweet stems look real?

They read real when the blooms open around the berry the way a husk does on the vine, and when the branching stays uneven. Real bittersweet grows in a tangle, never in a tidy line, so spreading the branches apart after unboxing is what sells it.

Is faux bittersweet better than real bittersweet?

It depends what you value. Cut bittersweet drops berries across the floor within weeks, and the Oriental variety sold at roadside stands is an invasive that spreads from discarded cuttings. Faux gives you the same look with no cleanup and no seed getting loose in your yard.

How many bittersweet stems do you need to fill a vase?

Three or more, since the appeal is the tangle and one branch has nothing to tangle with. Three to five give a full, off-the-vine look in a pitcher or crock. A single stem is better used tucked into a wreath or a larger fall arrangement.

How do you style bittersweet on a mantel?

Put it in a vessel rather than laying it on the ledge, set the arrangement off to one side instead of centered, and bend a branch or two down over the front so it drapes toward the firebox. The orange does the work, so keep everything around it neutral.

Can faux bittersweet stems be cut or shaped?

Yes to both. There is wire through the stem and branches, so you can bend and angle them and the shape holds, and a good pair of craft wire cutters trims it down or breaks it into shorter pieces for wreaths and smaller projects.

Should I get the 32-inch or the 40-inch bittersweet stem?

The 32-inch is the everyday size for a pitcher, crock, or medium vase, and it is the easier one to buy several of. The 40-inch has more reach for a large vessel or a door piece. Plenty of people keep both and use the long one for height.

What does bittersweet pair with in a fall arrangement?

Wheat, dried grasses, magnolia leaves, sunflowers, and warm foliage in rust and gold. Orange is a loud color, so surround it with browns and neutrals and let the tangled branches be the thing that carries movement through the arrangement.

Can faux bittersweet be used outside?

Most of our stems are fine outdoors, and a covered spot is always best. A porch container under a roofline or a door piece under an overhang holds up well. Direct sun and open weather will fade the color over time, the same as they would anything left outside.