Artificial flowers are beautiful to look at, but after sitting in the blistering sun, the flowers are known to fade to gray. People tend to forget about the artificial flowers displayed on a grave, and in time the weather begins to depreciate their aesthetic beauty. Mourners should remove artificial flowers once they're beginning to look ragged or even start smelling after a bit. It shows a sense of disrespect and neglect when artificial flowers are left for ruin in a cemetery. It also makes the whole cemetery look unkempt.

On the Other: Cemetery's Responsibility

Artificial flowers are constructed with wires and material that can blow in the wind and snag the grass. Some cemeteries don't allow artificial flowers during mowing season, because they can interfere with landscaping and mowing procedures. These small obstructions end up ruining the mowing equipment, damaging markers and even injuring personnel. Therefore, cemetery staff will remove all artificial flowers before mowing, regardless of what state the artificial flowers are in. Note, these personal items are sometimes kept for people to claim, but only for a short time period.

Bottom Line

Cemeteries are sacred and revered places that must be kept beautiful for years to come. Artificial flowers are placed on graves to show respect for deceased loved ones. But there comes a certain time when you should remove the flowers yourself, particularly once the flowers start to degrade. Just keep in mind that cemeteries are self-regulated for safety reasons, so you should expect that the cemetery staff will remove the artificial flowers on their own during certain times of the year. All in all, each cemetery has different rules to abide by, so your flowers may not be there indefinitely.

Source:

Riverside Cemetary: FAQs

Star Tribune: Today's Grave Robbers Are Going for the Flowers

Main Veteran's Memorial Cemetary System: Policy for Flowers

More Information:

Hills of Rest Memorial Park: Flower Regulations