What Flowers are White Hot this Season?

This article first appeared in this months Produce News, highlighting trending white flowers for the holidays.

Winter Whites

There is something so special about a white flower, especially in winter. The season begs for this elegant tone to tie together a home. The white color palette is wonderful not only for straight bunches of tulips and lilies, but as an upscale monochromatic bouquet. The pristine yet neutral nature of white makes it a perfect selection for any gift as well.

White flowers reflect the inevitable snow, except they celebrate in joy, not in shoveling. Though white is seen as a “cool” tone, add it to short days and dark skies, and it transforms to warm up a bouquet or a room.

In your floral department, highlighting white will bring a natural touch of class, and provide a much needed respite from the red and greens of the holidays and the red wave of Valentine’s Day.

So what flowers are white hot this season?

FREESIA: In a surprising win, the beautiful white Freesia named Versailles took home the Best in Class for Cut Bulbs at the SAF Outstanding Varieties Competition. This speaks to a resurgence of this eloquent bloom.

WHITE ORIENTAL LILIES: One of the great comforts of the holiday season is revisiting your family traditions, such as the Christmas tree and the lights on the house. White Ories at Christmas are part and parcel of this part of the holiday.

 

ASTILBE: Since Meghan Markle used Astilbe in her wedding bouquet this bloom has been skyrocketing in popularity. It can be very expensive in the winter; however, this bloom will continue its upward spiral.

KALANCHOE: The white variety bred by Danziger boasts big impact, with a flourish of blooms. Since Kalanchoe is a succulent it also has a ridiculous vase life and will not make your vase water brown, which make care and handling a breeze.

ROSELILIES: The new Dejima variety of Roselily bred by Van Den Bosof is as pure as the driven snow. Offering a blizzard of overlapping petals, these lilies define decadence. This variety brought home a Blue Ribbon at the SAF Outstanding Varieties competition. Additionally, two other stunning white Roselilies varieties to look for this winter are Monica and Corolla.

ZANTEDESCHIA: Whether Aethiopica Zantedeschia or white colored Zantedeschia, the year-round availability of these solid white Calla Lilies has been a win for consumers. The classic blooms beautifully represent the Fibonacci Sequence, one of nature’s most artistic creations.

TULIPS: White Tulips bring personality and charm to the doldrums of winter. New varieties of double petal and unique shaped tulips are arriving from Holland throughout the season. Look for the frilly edged Honeymoon, or the stately Lieberstar.

The appeal of white is that it goes beautifully by its self or with other stems, and it also will fit into any home décor or event space. White is perhaps the most versatile color, yet, it also maintains it stature as the most upscale, sophisticated color. White is not just for brides anymore!

Bill Prescott is the marketing communications specialist at the Sun Valley Group in Arcata, CA. He can be contacted at bprescott@tsvg.com.