|
|
More news |
| Tweedia, a versatile plant that offers great potential | |
| Is is not so often that a plant species is newly introduced to the ornamenatl assortment either as a cut-flower or container plant. This is the case of Tweedia caerulea ‘Pure Blue’ Tweedia Bluestar from the Japanese Company Miyoshi Co. Ltd that was awarded the IPM Innovation 2011 title in the cut-flower category. The variety in question has been selected by Miyoshi for cut-flower production. It has long stems and star-shaped long-lasting flowers with delicate light blue petals and deeper turquoise centres. The colour is very particular and attractive. The plant is grown as a half-hardy perennial that flowers naturally from late spring to early autumn. In commercial production it can be also flowered through the winter at a minimum temperature of 15°C. Miyoshi state that it is an excellent flower for bouquets and floral decoration in general and seed/young plants yield flowers that are a mixture of double, semi-double and single. There is also a white variety. The Company is specialized in tissue culture propagation, breeding, production and sale of ornamental plants www.miyosi.co.jp/englishTheir variety Tweedia Bluestar was exhibited at the IPM by the Japanese Flower Export Association. As a garden or container plant, Tweedia caerulea (synonym Oxypetalum caeruleum) is a perennial plant considered as a twining shrub that grows naturally to a height of about 1-3 ft and breadth 1-2ft. It is native to Brazil and was named by the botanist John Tweedie who was born in Scotland. It is slightly frost hardy and therefore suited to some Mediterranean areas. It is adapted to full sun and partial shade and has some tolerance to drought. Its gray-green leaves are covered by thin hairs. Research and development might be able to make vegetative growth more regular and reduce a possibly negative impact that seed pods could have have on the plant’s ornamenatal characteristic. www.tastejapan.com/ipm2011/company/flower_export/02.html www.davesgarden.com www.sm.growers.com |
|