Agapanthus, Lily of the Nile
Small funnel shaped florets form a cluster (umbel) on top of a leafless stalk. Place arrangement away from direct sunlight, heat vents, air conditionersand drafts. Water and remove dying blooms and foliage daily. To prolong vase life, every 4-5 ... [... more]
Virginia Tech Extension |
Calla lily
Flower is a solitary, showy, funnel shaped unfurling spathe. Spathe is 6" - 9" and tapers to a point. Spadix rises from the center of the spathe. Popular house plant and hobby greenhouse plant which needs rest period in summer if grown indoors. [... more]
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Southern magnolia
Leathery, glossy, dark green, leaves are oval to oblong (4" - 5" long). Underside of leaf is rust colored. When grown from seed, takes 15 - 20 years before flowering. Used in large, bold arrangements, often at Christmas. Has large white ... [... more]
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Bird of paradise, Crane flower
Flowers sit in boat-shaped, green-purplish bracts (4 - 6 " long), with orange outer petals, and inner upright blue petals. Look for flowers that have a tight sheath with one opened petal section. Very heavy stems - take special care to provide ... [... more]
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Kangaroo paw
Can be grown in hobby greenhouse in a mixture of peat, loam, and sand. Water well except during dormant period in winter. Native to Australia Dries well. New, not frequently found. Blooms in Zone 9 from May - June, sometimes through the ... [... more]
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Flowering onion, Ornamental onion
Flower consists of a large number of very small florets in a loose umbel on top of a leafless stalk. Look for long straight stems and nicely shaped flower heads. Sear stems with candle or match, or dip for 30 seconds in boiling water. Pick when ... [... more]
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Flamingo flower, Anthurium
Spathe and spadix flower. The bright red spathe is waxy, puckered, heart-shaped, 3" - 6" across with a yellow and white spadix. Look for bright, clear scarlet spathe color with no damage (bruised areas, black or torn edges). Some varieties make [... more]
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American boxwood
Small oblong leaves (1/2" to 1" long) are dark green and glossy. Leaves densely cover woody, rough, multi-branched stems. Look for clean glossy leaves with no blemishes. Popular traditional shrub in Virginia. Pick as needed. Often used in ... [... more]
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(Freesia x hybrida)
Fragrant tubular flowers on a spike which is at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the stem. There are 4 - 8 florets per spike. Look for flowers with 7 or more florets per spike and long straight stems. Half of florets should be opened. Becoming ... [... more]
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Gladiolus, Sword lily
Funnel shaped florets are arranged tightly along a stout spike with florets opening from bottom to top. Look for no drying flower edges, and some unopened florets towards top of spike. Low temperature can damage floret tips. Keep upright. ... [... more]
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Queen protea, Giant woolly-beard
The very large flower head is up to 4" across. Overlapping cuplike bracts surround an area of soft flowers that form a raised black center. The center of the flower has a furlike appearance. Look for blossoms with long straight stems just ... [... more]
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Eucalyptus, Silver money tree
Unusual round bluish-green leaves are 3" across and arranged alternately on a flexible stem. The fine powder covering the foliage gives it a frosted appearance. Eucalyptus cinerea grows well in full sun. Pinch several times for bushy growth. Look ... [... more]
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