cut flower of the month
baby’s breath
‘Mirabella’ (Polar Bear Series)
n Medium-sized bright-white blooms
n Strong stems
Breeder: Ball SB
vase-life extenders
PREPARATION Unpack Gypsophila immediately upon its arrival, and check flower
quality. Remove stem bindings and any
leaves on the lower portions of the stems,
then rinse the lower stems under tepid
running water.
HYDRATION AND NUTRITION Recut stem
ends with a sharp blade, removing at least
1 inch of stem, and immediately dip or
place them into a hydration solution, to
help the flowers take up water more quickly and easily (Gypsophila is easily water
stressed). Then place stems into sterilized
containers with 3 to 4 inches of lukewarm
(100 F to 110 F) properly proportioned
flower-food solution.
REFRIGERATION Refrigerate baby’s breath at
33 F to 36 F and 90 percent to 94 percent
humidity, and allow these flowers to take
up water for at least two hours before
designing with or selling them.
Caution: Gypsophila can easily contract
Botrytis (gray mold), a fungal disease, during cold storage if the blooms are wet
and/or if the humidity level in the cooler is
too high. Never store containers of
Gypsophila in plastic bags for extended
periods of time.
ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY Baby’s breath is
extremely sensitive to ethylene and will
display symptoms of wilt when exposed to
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floral retailing
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BOTANICAL NAME
Gypsophila spp. (jip-SOF-il-uh)
COMMON NAME
Baby’s breath
DESCRIPTION
Baby’s breath features clusters of tiny single, semidouble or double florets in small
branched clusters (panicles) on delicate
multibranched stems. Sparse tiny foliage
appears at nodes on main stems. The
stems of commercially grown varieties are
usually 24 to 36 inches long.
COLORS
Most varieties of Gypsophila that are cultithe gas. Check with your suppliers to
ensure an ethylene inhibitor is administered at the farm or during shipping. Also,
keep these flowers away from sources of
ethylene (fruits and vegetables, decaying
flowers and foliage, automobile exhaust,
cigarette smoke) in your facilities.
CARE EXTRA Bacterial contamination of the
vase solution, which plugs stem ends and
causes the flower-food solution to become
smelly, occurs rapidly with these flowers,
so change the flower-food solution, wash
the containers, and recut the stems every
other day. To help slow this contamination,
place Gypsophila stems into a bleach solution (about 20 drops, or 1/4 teaspoon, per
quart of water) for several minutes between
fun facts
FAMILY MATTERS Gypsophila is a member
of the Caryophyllaceae family. Close cut
flower relatives include Dianthus (carnations,
sweet Williams) and Saponaria (soapwort).
HOME SWEET HOME Gypsophila is indigenous to the region from Eastern Europe to
Central Asia, particularly eastern Turkey and
northern Iran.
WHAT’S IN A NAME The genus name
“Gypsophila” is from the Greek gypsos
(gypsum) and philos (loving), in reference to
this flower’s preference for soils high in calcium (lime).
Super Floral Retailing has created this page
for the education of store-level employees.
To download a reprintable PDF, please go
to www.superfloralretailing.com and select
“Current Issue.”
vated as cut flowers are white; however,
some pale pink and rose-colored varieties
are available. These flowers also can be
stem dyed, dip dyed or spray dyed, to
increase the color choices.
VASE LIFE
With proper care and handling, baby’s
breath can last from five to 10 days,
depending on variety. The tiny blooms of
some varieties of baby’s breath are prone
to drying out quickly.
AVAILABILITY
Baby’s breath is available year-round.
the hydration solution treatment and the
fresh-flower food solution.
handling tips
n ENHANCING
BLOOM OPENING To accelerate the opening of the tiny blooms, rapidly “shake” the freshly cut stems of the
bunches up and down in a container of
warm flower-food solution. Buds will pop
open like miniature popcorn. Some
researchers say that adding one teaspoon
of bleach per gallon of flower-food solution also can promote bloom opening.
n UNTANGLING STEMS The stems of some
Gypsophila varieties can become entwined
easily and can be damaged if not separated carefully. To untangle stems, hold them
upside down, and gently shake them up
and down to loosen and separate.
n DRYING
AND PRESERVING TIPS
Gypsophila can be air dried by placing it
upright in an empty vase or hanging it
upside down in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated environment. These flowers also can
be preserved in a glycerin/water mixture
(one part glycerine to two parts water).
n TOXICITY ALERT Chemical compounds
(saponins) in baby’s breath stems can
cause asthmatic or dermatological reactions in some people, so be careful when
handling these flowers. Use latex gloves,
if needed.
www.superfloralretailing.com
purchasing advice
For maximum vase life, purchase Gypsophila
when about one-third to one-half of the florets are open. Check bunches for brown,
shriveled and dried-out blooms as well as
signs of wilt/water stress.
popular varieties
n WHITE
• ‘Million Stars®’ – small semidouble blooms
• ‘Fun Time Ultra’ – small blooms
• ‘Mirabella’ (Polar Bear Series) –
medium-sized blooms
• ‘Golan’ – medium-sized semidouble blooms
• ‘New Love’ – medium-sized semidouble
blooms
• ‘Yukinko’ – medium-sized semidouble/
double blooms
• ‘Dynamic Love™’ – medium-sized double
blooms
• ‘Orion™’ – medium-sized double blooms
• ‘Over Time’ – large blooms
• ‘Bristol Fairy’ – large double blooms
• ‘Cassiopeia™’ – large double blooms
• ‘Danapurna’ – large double blooms
• ‘New Hope’ – large double blooms
• ‘Perfecta’ – large double blooms
n PINK
• ‘Pinkolina’ - medium-sized semidouble
blooms
• ‘Flamingo’ – large double blooms
• ‘My Pink’ – large double blooms
• ‘Pink Fairy’ – large double blooms
• ‘Pink Star’ – large double blooms
Do you need a
quick and easy
reference for
information about
other cut flowers?
‘Cassiopeia™’
n Large bright-white double blooms
n Long lasting
n Strong straight stems
n Easy to handle
‘Fun Time Ultra’
n Small bright-white blooms concentrated
at the tops of the stems
n Extremely long lasting
n Strong stems; no tangling;
no broken or bent stems
n No underdeveloped laterals
‘Over Time’
n Masses of large bright-white blooms
n No underdeveloped blooms
n Extremely long lasting
n Strong stems and laterals
n No underdeveloped laterals
Breeder: Esmeralda Breeding and Biotechnology
Breeder: Esmeralda Breeding and Biotechnology
‘New Love®’
n Masses of medium-sized semidouble blooms
concentrated at the upper portions of the stems
n Sturdy stems
‘Orion™’
n Masses of medium-sized double blooms
n Blooms open fully and uniformly
n Straight stems
Breeder: Danziger - “Dan” Flower Farm
Breeder: Danziger - “Dan” Flower Farm
FRFB1010 $12.95
Order Online
www.superfloralretailing.com
Breeder: Danziger - “Dan” Flower Farm
Breeder: Danziger - “Dan” Flower Farm
Designed to fit on your countertop, desk or design
bench, Flower Flip — A Guide to 50 Favorite Flowers
provides information on care, vase
life, availability, pronunciation
and more in a handy 5.5” x 6.5”
flip-chart format.
To order, visit www.superfloralretailing.com and
click on “Bookstore,” or call (800) 355-8086 (to
discuss quantity purchases and pricing, ask for
James Miller, ext. 24.)
‘Dynamic Love™’
n Medium-sized ball-shaped double blooms
n Sturdy yet flexible stems that resist breakage
‘Million Stars®’
n Masses of small bright-white semidouble blooms
n Sturdy stems
Breeder: Danziger - “Dan” Flower Farm sfr
Some information provided by:
Botanica, by R.J. Turner Jr. and Ernie Wasson
Chain of Life Network® , www.chainoflife.org
Cut Flowers, by C. Gelein
Cut Flowers of the World
by Johannes Maree and Ben-Erik Van Wyk
Fresh Cut Flowers, by Gregory Milner
Hortus Third
by Liberty Hyde Bailey and Ethel Zoe Bailey
New Pronouncing Dictionary of Plant Names
by Florists’ Publishing Company
Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners
by William T. Stearn
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may ’11 floral retailing 19