Flowers A to Z - Larkspur

Larkspur

Botanical Name :	Consolida spp.
Common Name :	Larkspur
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	con-SOL-i-da
Family Roots :	Member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family). Native to the Mediterranean region. Related species include buttercup, clematis, anemone, monkshood, peony.
Personality :	Flowers are 1/2 inch wide, cup-shaped with a spur at the back and many occur in a long terminal spike. Stems leafy, 24-36 inches long. Plant is an annual, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Blue, lilac, pink, white.
Decorative Life :	4-12 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	High
Ethylene Comments :	Flower shattering easily results from ethylene exposure. It is therefore important to treat with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	For maximum bud opening, remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Plant parts are poisonous so handle with care.
Storage Specifics :	36-38F (three days or less), 32-34F (more than three days), dry storage not recommended.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Harvest when 2-5 flowers are open.
Tidbits :	Consolida is from the Latin "to make whole" referring to possible medicinal properties. As a garden plant it is often plagued with insect and disease problems. The species often used for cut flowers are C. ambigua which is branched and in colors of light pink or blue and C. orientalis which is more upright and in bright pink and purple. Morphologically, it is different from a delphinium in that its two upper petals are united into one and is lacking the two lower petals. Regardless of this distinction, most cannot tell the difference between these two genera. Suitable for drying, hang upside down in ventilated area at 70-80 F for 2-4 weeks. When purchasing, try to avoid hollow-stemmed ones and those infested with mildew (leaves look gray). Harvest when 2-4 flowers are open. With hundreds of dainty flowers clustered on a single stem that swoops dramatically upward as if reaching for the sky, the Larkspur makes a stunning addition to any arrangement. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - King Protea

King Protea

Botanical Name :	Protea cynaroides
Common Name :	King Protea
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	pro-TEE-a sin-a-ROY-deez
Family Roots :	Member of the Proteaceae (protea family). Native to South Africa. Common relatives include Grevillea, Leucodendron, Leucospermum and Banksia.
Personality :	Numerous flowers in dome-shaped heads, 12 inches across, surrounded by stiff colored bracts, giving a crown-like appearance. Stems with leathery leaves, cut to various lengths. Plant is an evergreen shrub, classed as a dicotyledon. Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability :	Year-round of one type or another.
Flower Color :	Range from pink and white to red.
Decorative Life :	10-20 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Leaf blackening due to low light, keep in well-lit situation.
Storage Specifics :	32-34 F, provide light during storage to prevent leaf blackening. Use fresh flower foods before storage also to reduce/prevent leaf blackening.
Tidbits :	Named after Proteus, a Greek sea god with the power of prophecy. The species name of cynaroides refers to the plant's resemblance to artichoke whose Latin name is Cynara. In 1976, the King Protea (P. cynaroides) was designated the national flower of South Africa. Need very little care in the landscape. King types can grow as large as 3-4 feet tall with flowers 8-10 inches in diameter with white centers. Pink Ice is one of the most popular cultivars. Spectacular focal points in contemporary arrangements, the durable Protea will often bloom for several months. Suitable for drying. Leaves can turn black due to low light and especially due to lack of carbohydrate. Therefore, make sure a fresh flower food containing sugar is used. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Jasmine

Jasmine

Botanical Name :	Jasminum spp.
Common Name :	Jasmine
Product Use :	Flowering Plant
Pronunciation :	JAZ-my-num
Family Roots :	Member of the Oleaceae (olive family). Native to tropical and sub-tropical areas throughout the world. Common relatives include olive, privet, ash and lilac.
Availability :	Mostly spring-summer.
Flower Color :	Mainly white but also yellow and pink.
Decorative Life :	Plant can survive for weeks to years, depending on the environment. Flowers mostly in summer but may flower throughout the year if conditions are favorable.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Medium
Ethylene Comments :	Flower and/or leaf fall are possible when exposed to ethylene. Treat with an anti-ethylene product. While researchers have documented the beneficial effects of spraying STS on potted and bedding plants to prevent or reduce ethylene-induced disorders, labels for registered STS products only give directions for uptake solutions, not sprays. Therefore, Chain of Life Network cannot recommend STS as a spray until it is properly registered for this application method. Only MCP is presently registered for this application method.
Storage Specifics :	Chill sensitive, store above 55 degrees F.
Tidbits :	Jasminum, ancient name of Arabic origin. Will generally do well in light levels at least bright enough to read a newspaper in comfort. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Iceland Poppy

Iceland Poppy

Botanical Name :	Papaver nudicaule
Common Name :	Iceland Poppy
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	Pa-PAH-ver new-di-CAW-lee
Family Roots :	Member of the Papaveraceae (poppy family). Native to the Arctic region of North America, Eurasia. Hence, the common name! Some not so common relatives include Dendromecon, Meconopsis and Romneya.
Personality :	Has four papery petals around a center composed of many stamens, solitary at stem ends. Stems are leafless, hairy, wiry, up to 24 inches long. Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon. Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability :	Summer.
Flower Color :	White, pink, yellow, coral, orange, red. Some have one color on the inside of the petals and a different color on the outside.
Decorative Life :	5-7 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	Did not respond to ethylene levels normally encountered in flower marketing channels.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Reports published in 1936 and 1938 state that flower life benefits from the cut stem ends being placed in boiling water for a few seconds after recutting at wholesale or retail levels. Other reports in 1950 and 1958 state that a 30 second dip of the cut stem ends in boiling water is essential. No recent report was found that addresses this subject. Finally, a 1917 report states that cut stem ends should be charred until they are crisp (not merely singed) using a candle flame or something similar.
Storage Specifics :	36-41 F, in water for short time. Store upright to prevent geotropism (stem bending). Storage at 34F for one week did not reduce vaselife.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Should be harvested when the buds have split such that the color can be seen underneath.
Tidbits :	Poppies thrive in freshly turned soil, and grew by the millions in France during World War I. The ground was churned in battle, and as a consequence the Poppy has long been associated with war. The Opium Poppy has been used medicinally since ancient times, and its name comes from Latin "somnus" for sleep. The specific epithet name "nudicaule" means naked stem, no leaves on stem. Papaver is an old Latin name for poppy and is from "pappa" (food or milk), an allusion to the milky latex. With many members of this genus, flowers only open after the calyx splits releasing the petals. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Hyacinth

Hyacinth

Botanical Name :	Hyacinthus orientalis
Common Name :	Hyacinth
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	hy-a-SIN-thus or-ee-en-TAL-is or or-ee-en-TAY-lis
Family Roots :	Member of the Liliaceae (lily family). Native to the Mediterranean region, Asia Minor and Syria. Common relatives include lily, tulip, asparagus and daylily.
Personality :	The inflorescence is 4-6 inches long with bell-shaped florets. Stems leafless, thick and fleshy, 8-12 inches long. Plant is a herbaceous perennial from a bulb, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Flower fragrance intense, sweet.
Availability :	Winter, early spring in northern hemisphere.
Flower Color :	White, blue, pink, red, yellow.
Decorative Life :	3-7 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	There are reports that leaving the basal plate intact at harvest and all the way through the marketing channel will extend vaselife. Namely, they state that the stems should never be recut, only the bottom portion should be rinsed off (cleaned). By leaving the basel plates on, water uptake is improved. Flower stalks of some cultivars may require support to prevent bending due to the increased weight as the stalks elongate and flowers develop.
Storage Specifics :	Store at 36-41 F for up to 3 days dry and 5 days in water, prolonged refrigeration may cause chilling injury, reduce vaselife and/or reduce fragrance. As with tulips, flowers harvested with the bulbs still attached can be stored longer and generally do better than ones without bulbs.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Harvest when florets begin to show color and one or more flowers should bend horizontally off of the stem (scape).
Tidbits :	Named after Hyacinthus, a Greek youth whose friendship was the object of a feud between Apollo and Zephyrus (the west wind). Zephyrus accidentally killed Hyacinthus and Apollo changed his drops of blood into the hyacinth flower. In ancient Greece a yearly festival called Hyacinthia was held to celebrate the resurrection of vegetation in the spring. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamentals. The specific epithet name "orientalus" means eastern or China, in reference to its origin. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology lists this species as an allergy-safe pollen producing plant. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Gardenia

Gardenia, Cape-Jasmine

Botanical Name :	Gardenia augusta (G. jasminoides)
Common Name :	Gardenia, Cape-Jasmine
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	gar-DEEN-ee-a au-GUS-ta or jaz-min-OY-deez
Family Roots :	Member of the Rubiaceae (madder family). Native to China. Common relatives include Bouvardia, pentas and coffee.
Personality :	Flowers to 3 inches across, petals waxy, opening into flat or dome-shaped flowers. Stems leafy, to 16 inches, foliage glossy. Plant is an evergreen, woody shrub, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flower fragrance is intense.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	White, cream.
Decorative Life :	Last only 1-3 days or less under most circumstances depending on use and treatment.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Medium
Ethylene Comments :	Yes.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	If possible, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution and/or treat with a spray or dip designed and proven to reduce water loss and/or extend life. Misting with water can also improve postharvest performance. Petals bruise easily so handle them carefully.
Storage Specifics :	Can be stored at high humidity for 2 weeks at 32-36 F.
Tidbits :	Gardenia was mistakenly thought to be an American plant, and was thus named in the colonial days after Dr. Alexander Garden from Charleston, South Carolina, a correspondent of Linnaeus. Usually used as a corsage, fully opened with a support collar made of leaves. The specific epithet name jasminoides means jasmine-like. Besides ornamentals, this family includes a number of important species noted for coffee, quinine, dyes and medicines. See More Hoogasian Flowers A to Z at: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Hoogasian Flowers has new Facebook URL

Hoogasian Flowers new URL on Facebook is:
http://www.facebook.com/Hoogasian.Flowers

Check us out and if you like us, "like" us!

Flowers A to Z - Freesia

Freesia

Botanical Name :	Freesia (leichtlinii, refracta or spp.)
Common Name :	Freesia
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	FREE-zhi-a ree-FRAC-ta
Family Roots :	Member of the Iridaceae (iris) family. Native to South Africa. Common relatives include iris, gladiolus, crocus and ixia.
Personality :	Flowers are funnel-shaped, 1-2 inches long, 5-8 flowers per one sided spike. Stems are leafless, sometimes branched, 1-2 feet long. Plant is a perennial from corms, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Flower fragrance is variable but often intense with yellow forms.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	White, yellow, red, orange or purple.
Decorative Life :	4-12 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Medium
Ethylene Comments :	Ethylene accelerates bud drop. Therefore, they should be treated with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Do not use fluoridated water (most public water contains fluoride) as it can reduce flower development and cause leaf and flower tip burn. Using an aluminum sulfate based flower food can help reduce fluoride toxicity but cannot totally prevent it.
Storage Specifics :	32-36F. Wet is seemingly better than dry storage.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Harvest when the first flower shows color. More flower buds open after harvest when the plants are grown under high light environments, where food buildup in the flowers is maximum. Depending on cultivar and growing conditions, lateral flowers on the main stems can be harvested after the main stem has been removed. Lateral flowers generally do not last as long as the main ones.
Tidbits :	Flowers in both single and double forms. Name after Dr. Friedrich Freese (1785-1876), a German physician native to Keil and a student of South African plants. The specific epithet name refracta means broken. Pulsing with high sugar solutions (up to 25%) can be beneficial but no such products are presently being marketed for this purpose. An ethylene-induced symptom is when petals become translucent and/or fall off. Water stress can cause a surge in ethylene production, which in turn can reduce flower life. See More at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Easter Lily

Easter Lily or White Trumpet Lily

Botanical Name :	Lilium longiflorum
Common Name :	Easter Lily, White Trumpet Lily
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	LIL-ee-um lawn-ji-FLOR-um
Family Roots :	Member of the Liliaceae (lily family). Native to Japan. Common relatives include asparagus, lily-of-the-valley, daylily, hyacinth and tulip.
Personality :	Flowers are trumpet-shaped, 5-7 inches long. Stems range from 24-36 inches long, 3-6 flowers per stem depending on bulb size. Plant is a herbaceous perennial grown from bulbs, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Has a moderately sweet fragrance.
Availability :	Mostly spring.
Flower Color :	Mostly white but can be pink, red; may be speckled, bicolor.
Decorative Life :	4-11 days, cultivars vary.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	This species is less sensitive to ethylene after harvest than some other lily (mostly Asiatic) hybrids.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Choose stems with at least 2 fully developed buds and the rest well-colored, remove bottom foliage, recut stems under water and use fresh flower food but avoid types/brands with high sugar levels. Leaf yellowing can be common due to low temperature, excessive storage or excess sugar in vase solution. Yellowing can be greatly reduced by spray or uptake applications of a mixture of benzyl adenine and gibberellin 4+7.
Storage Specifics :	36-38F (less than 3 days), 32-34F (more than three days).
Tidbits :	Popular cultivars of Easter lilies are 'Nellie White' and 'Ace' which are more commonly used as potted plants, not as cut flowers. The specific epithet name "longiflorum" means long flowers. Latin form of the Greek "leiron" (used by Theophrastus for the Madonna lily). The lily is said to have sprung from the tears of Eve as she was expelled from the Garden of Eden. It remains the Christian symbol of purity, chastity, innocence and resurrection. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamentals. In Ancient Greece, the lily was the flower of Hera, goddess of the moon, earth, air, woman's life, marriage and childbirth. In ancient Rome, it was the symbol of Juno, the goddess of light, sky, marriage and motherhood. Pollen sheds easily and stains whatever it touches. Removal of the stamens (yellow portions that contain pollen) from the flower prevents this, but may shorten vase life. Some, however, state that removing stamens enhances flower life. With more than 100 species, the Lily has been in cultivation for centuries, and has acquired many religious and mystical associations. Known as the flower of the Virgin Mary, the Lily has long been thought to represent purity and innocence. See More Flowers at Hoogasian Flowers A to Z: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html

Flowers A to Z - Dahlia

Dahlia

Botanical Name :	Dahlia spp.
Common Name :	Dahlia
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	DAL-ya or DAHL-ee-a
Family Roots :	Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower family). Native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia Related species include sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, zinnia.
Personality :	Flower forms are variable, one head per stem. Flower diameters range from 4-6" to 10 inches. Stems are leafy, 12-24 inches long. Plant is a herbaceous perennial from tuberous roots, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flowers of most species and cultivars are not fragrant.
Availability :	Summer through fall.
Flower Color :	Most, except blue.
Decorative Life :	4-10 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	Reportedly not ethylene sensitive. In an older report by Phan (1963), data was presented showing that one cultivar ('Fairy') produced a lot of ethylene while another ('Gloriette') did not.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems in air or under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. A hydration pretreatment may also be beneficial as a way to help rid the stems of microbes, which in turn may help to extend their vaselife in flower food. The use of floral foam does not decrease vaselife.
Storage Specifics :	If need be, store at 34-38F. Storage is not recommended or if need be, only for a short period. Storage for one week at 34f can reduce vaselife by about 20-30%.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Plugs can be stored for 2 weeks in the dark (5 weeks in light) at 41F and subsequently grow into very acceptable plants and/or flowers. There is some data suggesting that flowers should be harvested when nearly fully open. Other data indicates that various bud harvested stages work equally well, depending on cultivar. If harvested when the flowers are 50% open, they respond well to flower food solutions containing 2-4% sucrose.
Tidbits :	Flower types as designated by the American Dahlia Society include: single, anemone, colarette, peony, formal decorative, informal decorative, ball, pompon, incurved cactus, straight cactus, semicactus, miscellaneous. Named after Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl (1751-1789), but are called "georginas" in eastern Europe in honor of Russian botanist, Johann Georgi. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology list this species as an allergy-safe pollen producing plant. Dahlias were grown by the Aztecs, who called them cocoxochitl. They used them for ornament and for the edible tuberous roots. Very large flowers can be floated on water, as their stems are often too weak to support the flower weight. Dahlias have underground storage structures called tuberous roots and were once investigated as a potato substitute. The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal. The Dahlia grows very well in a wide range of climates. The Dahlia is the Official City Flower of the City and County of San Francisco. See More Flowers A to Z at: http://www.hoogasian.com/FlowersAtoZ.html