2018 ASHS Annual Conference

The flower breeding program at the University of Hawaii has historically focused on growers’ needs such as increased yield, vigorous growth, and resistance to pests and diseases. Although the Hawaii Floriculture Nursery Association initiated collaboration with floral designers in 2007 to explore and expand the use of Hawaii-produced floral products, a floral design workshop brought growers, designers and researchers together for the first time in 2016, to familiarize researchers with the design process and the desirable attributes of cut flowers for event designs. The importance of attributes such as spathe and spadix color, stem length, and retainment of spathe turgidity after cutting, was stressed in selecting anthuriums for design needs. The additional criteria improves seedling selection and evaluation.