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Supplemental care
and marketing tips: : Do not remove more leaves
than necessary, as this can stimulate- flower fall. For Iongterm
storage, bud harvested flowers should be used. Bud-harvested flowers
are ones in which the bottom two or three florets have colored petals
emerging about one-quarter of an inch above the calyx. Do not use
any home brews (i.e. anti-freeze) as replacements for fresh-flower
food solutions. The many pastel flower colors allow florists and
consumers innumerable options. The flower can be made to snap shut
after separating and releasing the two-lipped corolla (fused petals).
When grown as a garden plant, treat them as an annual although many
will respond as a perennial, depending on location and cultivar.
Botanical name:
Antirrhinum majus
Genus pronunciation: an-ti-RYE-num
Common relatives: Foxglove, veronica, penstemon
and nemesia
Botanical fun facts:
Antirrhinum is Greek for "like" and "nose" in reference
to the flower shape.
Ethylene sensitive:
Most cultivars are sensitive. Older flowers
on a stems are more susceptible to ethylene than younger ones. However,
some cultivars are naturally ethylene resistant and, therefore,
respond little to STS.
Storage temperature
(three days or fewer): 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit
Storage temperature (more than three days): 32-34
degrees Fahrenheit
Purchasing hints:
Purchase those cultivars which are less sensitive
to ethylene. At least two to five florets per stem should be open.
End-user life:
5 to 8 days (varies greatly by cultivar)
Special concerns:
This flower is highly geotropic, meaning that the
stems bend away from gravity to the vertical. Store and display
upright to prevent such bending. Do not lay the flowers on a bench
for any extended time period: one hour at room temperature can result
in permanent stem bending.
Care and Handling
information is from the "Flower and Plant Care Manual",
Written by George Staby, Ph.D., Used with the permission of publisher,
The Society of American Florists, 1601 Duke St., Alexandria, VA.
22314-3406.
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