Abstract: The present invention relates to a freshness retentive for cut flowers, which comprises a mixture of a silver compound and a primary amine and/or a nucleic acid-related substance and/or reaction products thereof. The silver compound is silver nitrate, silver acetate or silver phosphate; the primary amine is methylamine, ethylamine, monoethanolamine, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, .alpha.-aminooxyacetic acid or aminoethoxyvinylglycine; and the nucleic acid-related substance is nucleic base, nucleoside, nucleotide, oligonucleotide, polynucleotide, purine derivative or pyrimidine derivative.The present freshness retentive for cut flowers demonstrates an extremely excellent effect on cut flowers highly sensitive to ethylene, e.g. carnation, Gypsophila elegans, sweet pea, etc., as well as on cut flowers low sensitive to ethylene, e.g. chrysanthemum, rose, orchid, etc., for their freshness retention.