Changing a Flower's Color with Dye

Using dye to change a flower color is an easy process but what's really going on?

The flower soaks up the dye though its cut stem the same way it would soak up water and nutrients.  The dye actually colors all parts of the flower including the stem and leaves but shows up most in the white flower. 

When the dye becomes visible its because it has become trapped in the flower's capillaries.  Capiliaries are the smallest of the vessels in the flower.  They are tiny tubes that allow water and nutriets to flow to all parts of the flower.

Dyed flowers to have slightly shorter lives than natural colored flowers because once the dye has become trapped less water and nutrient can flow past it to the flower alive. 

Tye died or rainbow roses are made in the exact same way but instead of dipping the cut stem of the flower in one color of dye, the stems is split with a sharp blade and each of the slices is dipped into a different color of dye.  When the dye has been absorbed the colors mix slightly to for tye dye.