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Horticulture Principles and Practices

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Cut flower displays are found in restaurants <strong>and</strong> homes, as accessories to dressing<br />

(corsages <strong>and</strong> boutonnieres), at weddings (e.g., as a bridal bouquet), at funerals (e.g., as<br />

casket spreads <strong>and</strong> wreaths), on special occasions to express love <strong>and</strong> appreciation<br />

(e.g., Valentine’s Day <strong>and</strong> Mother’s Day), <strong>and</strong> to offer congratulations (e.g., on graduation<br />

days). The use of flowers in this fashion is enormous. Some flowers are more suited than<br />

others for use as cut flowers. In fact, scientists have developed special qualities in some<br />

plants that are used this way to extend their postharvest lives <strong>and</strong> qualities.<br />

24.1 CUT FLOWER SPECIES<br />

Many species used as cut flowers are herbaceous (Table 24–1). However, a number of<br />

woody species can be cultivated for cutting (Table 24–2). The most popular cut flower<br />

species are rose, carnation, <strong>and</strong> chrysanthemum. On the whole, the quantity of major cut<br />

flowers sold steadily declined between 1989 <strong>and</strong> 1998. The decline ranged from two-fold<br />

TABLE 24–1<br />

Plant<br />

Selected Species Commonly Grown for Use as Cut Flowers<br />

Scientific Name<br />

African daisy<br />

Astroemeria<br />

Baby’s breath<br />

Celosia<br />

Cleome<br />

Carnation<br />

Cornflower<br />

Cosmos<br />

Chrysanthemum<br />

Cyclamen<br />

Freesia<br />

Kalanchoe<br />

Fountain grass<br />

Gerbera daisy<br />

Snapdragon<br />

Zinnia<br />

Nasturtium<br />

Globe amaranth<br />

Dimorphotheca sinuata<br />

Astroemeria spp.<br />

Gypsophila elegans<br />

Celosia plumosa<br />

Cleome hasslerana<br />

Dianthus caryophyllus<br />

Centaurea cyanus<br />

Cosmos bipinnatus<br />

Chrysanthemum spp.<br />

Cyclamen persicum<br />

Freesia refracta<br />

Kalanchoe spp.<br />

Pennisetum setaceum<br />

Gerbera jamesonii<br />

Antirrhinum majus<br />

Zinnia elegans<br />

Tropaeolum majus<br />

Gomphrena globosa<br />

TABLE 24–2<br />

Selected Woody Species Used for Cut Flowers<br />

Plant<br />

Rose<br />

Buttersweet<br />

Redbud, eastern<br />

Red osier dogwood<br />

Hydrangea<br />

Nadina<br />

Pussy willow<br />

Forsythia<br />

Hollies<br />

Virburnum<br />

Beauty berry<br />

Weigela<br />

Scientific Name<br />

Rosa spp.<br />

Celastrus orbiculatus<br />

Cercis canadensis<br />

Cornus stolonifera<br />

Hydrangea arborescens<br />

Nadina domestica<br />

Salix matsudana<br />

Forsythia x intermedia<br />

Ilex spp.<br />

Virburnum spp.<br />

Callicarpa americana<br />

Weigela florida<br />

682 Chapter 24 Cut Flowers <strong>and</strong> Floral Design

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