cut FLOWER
lisianthus
BOTANICAL NAMES
Eustoma grandiflorum
(you-STOW-muh grand-i-FLOR-um)
syn. Lisianthus russellianus
(lis-ee-AN-thus roo-SELL-ee-an-us)
COMMON NAMES
Prairie gentian, Texas bluebell
DESCRIPTION
Lisianthuses have showy (2-inch diameter)
bell-shaped blooms with ruffly edged
petals. Single-flowered varieties resemble
poppies, tulips or Campanulas (Canterbury bells) while double-, triple- and
quadruple-flowered varieties are often
mistaken for garden roses or peonies.
Stems are thin, range from about 12 to
24 inches in length and have oval graygreen leaves as well as branchlets with
flower buds at several stages.
There are typically five to 10 buds and
blooms per stem, and several of the larger
buds should open in arrangements—
although they are often lighter in color
than the first flowers.
COLORS
Hues include blue-violet, purple,
lavender, pink (light to bright), mauve,
rose, red, salmon, coral, apricot, light
yellow, pale green, cream, white and
light “brown” (beige/tan) as well
as bicolors.
VASE LIFE
With proper care, Lisianthuses should provide consumers with seven to 14 days of
enjoyment. (Individual blooms can last up
to seven days, so the vase life includes the
opening of some buds.)
AVAILABILITY
These flowers are available year-round.
Eustoma grandiflorum,
syn. Lisianthus russellianus
Prairie gentian, Texas bluebell
care and handling
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION Remove Lisianthuses
from their shipping boxes immediately on
their arrival, and check flower quality.
Remove all stem bindings as well as any
leaves that would be under water in storage containers. You may keep sleeves on
at this point to protect the flowers, but
remove them following hydration to allow
air to circulate among blooms and stems
(see “Care Extras” at the end of this section).
STEM CUTTING Recut the stems, on an
angle, with a clean, sharp blade, removing
at least 1 inch of stem. This will remove
dried-out ends as well as dirt, debris and
bacteria that may have accumulated in the
vessels and can prevent the flowers from
taking up nutrient solution.
Note: You may cut stems either in air or
under water. If you cut stems under water,
change the water (or flower food solution)
frequently to keep it from becoming excessively contaminated with bacteria.
HYDRATION AND NUTRITION Immediately
after cutting the stems, dip or place the
stem ends into a hydration solution, then
place them into clean, disinfected containers partially filled with properly proportioned flower food solution.
REFRIGERATION After processing, place
Lisianthuses into a floral cooler at 35 F to
40 F and 75 percent to 85 percent relative
humidity, and allow them to hydrate for at
least two hours before using or selling them.
ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY Lisianthuses’ sensitivity to ethylene gas varies by cultivar,
but most are at least slightly sensitive.
Ethylene gas can cause premature bud
drop and reduce vase life. Ensure that
your purchases are treated with an ethylene inhibitor at the grower or during
shipping. Also keep them away from
sources of ethylene in your facilities,
especially fruit and other produce.
CARE EXTRAS Remove blooms as they
fade to keep stems and designs looking
good and to encourage buds to open.
Leaving Lisianthuses in their sleeves
during storage restricts air circulation
among the blooms, leaves and stems.
This, along with packing the flowers
too tightly in storage containers and
misting the blooms, can promote the
onset of Botrytis, a fungal disease that
appears as gray patches on leaves
and flowers. sf
purchasing tips
Super Floral has created this article, as well as “Blooming Plant of the Month,” for
the education of store-level employees. To download a reprintable PDF, please go
to www.superfloral.com and select “Current Issue.”
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W W W . S U P E R F L O R A L . C O M / A P R I L 2014
n Choose bunches that have stems
with at least one open flower and
several mature buds.
n Check for bruising and Botrytis
(gray mold) on leaves and petals as
well as yellowing stems and leaves.
cut FLOWER
fun facts
WHAT’S IN A NAME
The genus name
“Eustoma” is derived
from the Greek “eu,”
meaning good, and
“stoma,” meaning
mouth, in reference
to the beautiful corolla
(petals) and throats.
“Lisianthus” comes
from the Greek words
“lysis,” meaning
dissolution, and
“anthos,” meaning
flower, and refers to
the bitter quality of
pharmacologically
active compounds
contained within.
The species name
“grandiflorum” means
large flowered.
‘Arena Kilimanjaro’
‘Borealis White’
‘Mariachi Pure White’
‘Flare 2 White’
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
PanAmerican Seed
‘ABC 1 White’
‘Piccolo 2 Lime Green’
‘ABC 1 Green’
‘Arena Gold’
PanAmerican Seed
Sakata Ornamentals
PanAmerican Seed
Takii & Co., Ltd.
‘Rosita 2 Jade’
‘Falda Yellow’
’Mariachi Yellow Improved’
‘Excalibur Yellow’
Sakata Ornamentals
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
‘Falda Light Apricot’
‘Wondrous 1 Light Brown’
‘Arena Champagne’
‘Mariachi Pink’
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
‘Echo Pink’
‘Borealis Misty Pink’
‘Ruffle Rose Pink’
‘ABC 3 Rose’
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
PanAmerican Seed
FAMILY MATTERS
Eustoma is one of
four members of the
small Gentianaceae
(gentian) family.
A close relative in the
floriculture world is
Exacum (Persian violet).
HOME SWEET HOME
Lisianthuses are
native to the U.S.
Great Plains of
Colorado, Nebraska,
Kansas, Oklahoma,
New Mexico and
Texas as well as
northern Mexico.
Much of the hybridizing of these flowers,
however, is done
in Japan.
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W W W . S U P E R F L O R A L . C O M / A P R I L 2014
‘Flare 2 Deep Rose’
‘Falda Salmon’
‘Piccolo 1 Apricot’
‘Borealis Pink’
‘Rosita 1 Rose Pink’
PanAmerican Seed
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
‘Mariachi Carmine’
‘Piccolo 2 Deep Rose’
‘Arena Red’
‘Flare 2 Deep Blue’
‘Velvet Purple Summer’
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
Takii & Co., Ltd.
PanAmerican Seed
Sakata Ornamentals
‘Wondrous 1 Purple’
‘Heidi Deep Blue’
‘ABC 1 Purple’
‘ABC 2 Blue’
‘Borealis Blue’
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
PanAmerican Seed
PanAmerican Seed
Sakata Ornamentals
‘Croma Lavender’
‘ABC 2 Blue’
‘ABC 2 Lavender’
‘Super Magic Lavender’
‘Piccolo 2 Blue Rim’
Takii & Co., Ltd.
PanAmerican Seed
PanAmerican Seed
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
‘ABC 2 Blue Rim’
‘Super Magic Capri Blue Picotee’
‘Piccolo 3 Pink Rim’
‘Rosita 2 Pink Picotee’
‘Arena Pink Flash’
PanAmerican Seed
Takii & Co., Ltd.
Sakata Ornamentals
Sakata Ornamentals
Takii & Co., Ltd.
A P R I L 2014 / W W W . S U P E R F L O R A L . C O M
sf
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