Evaluating woody ornamentals as cut flowers

Woody plant species are an important part of field-grown cut flower operations as they do not have to be replanted every year, provide potential for year-round harvests, and offer a broad range of cut flowers, fruits, foliages and decorative stems. The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers in cooperation with North Carolina State University and woody plant suppliers conducted three separate trials from 2004 to 2006 (14 cultivars), 2008 to 2010 (8 cultivars) and 2010 to 2012 (9 cultivars) to evaluate 31 taxa for cut flower production. North Carolina State University and five to ten commercial cut flower growers per trial across the United States evaluated the plants. The most productive taxa were Callicarpa ‘Early Amethyst’ and ‘Welch’s Pink’, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Indigofera amblyana, and Rosa ‘Mon Petit Chou’ and ‘Perfumed Passion’. Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliant’ and Callicarpa americana ‘Welsh’s Pink’ produced stems over 90 cm long in the second year. In addition to providing production data, the trial sites also rated each cultivar for market appreciation, likelihood of growing the cultivar again, and ease of cultivation. Based on trialer ratings the best performers in the trials were Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliant’, Callicarpa americana ‘Welsh’s Pink’, Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Early Amethyst’, Heptacodium miconioides, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Ilex verticillata ‘Berry Nice’, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo’, Rosa ‘Honey Freelander’, ‘Mon Petit Chou’ and ‘Toscana’ and Syringa × hyacinthiflora ‘Asessippi’.