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New Plants for Florida: Lisianthus1
Brent Harbaugh2Click here to view the print version.
Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) is a relatively new cut flower. Sakata Seed Company was the first to offer lisianthus as a new cut flower in the United States in the early 1980s. Growers and consumers alike were anxious to try lisianthus because it has elegant and beautiful flowers in 15 colors, the flowers have a long vase life, and there are few "blue" flowers available in the cut flower market.
While many advances were made by Japanese breeders in the development of lisianthus as a new flower crop, the varieties lacked heat tolerance, a very important attribute for Florida growers. A lisianthus selection and breeding program was initiated by FAES Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in 1985 under the direction of Brent Harbaugh and in cooperation with Jay Scott. The lisianthus varieties available at that time only could be produced profitably when flowered in late April to June. Their goal was to develop heat-tolerant dwarf and semidwarf varieties that could be grown year round in Florida. Maurine Blue (pot plant) and Florida Blue (bedding plant) varieties were released from this program in 1995. They were the first heat-tolerant lisianthus varieties whose seedlings could be grown at 82° to 88° F, making them highly desirable for year-round production in Florida. Additional varieties released from this program provide the same heat tolerance and a wide selection of colors.
The Florida Series is being marketed worldwide, and the Maurine Series is being marketed in the U.S. and Canada. In Florida, the Florida Series represented more than 50 percent of the lisianthus plug production and flowering pots sold as bedding plants for 2002. The Maurine Series sold as plugs for pot plant production, (5- to 6-inch flowering potted plants) represents more than 50 percent of this market.
Tables
Table 1. Lisianthus varieties developed by FAES.
Variety
Date of Release
Maurine Blue, Florida Blue 1995 Maurine Pink, Maurine Pink Lilac, Maurine White, Maurine White-on-Blue, Maurine Light Blue, Maurine Lilac 1997 Florida Pink, Florida Light Blue 1998 Florida Silver 2000 Maurine Daylight, Maurine Twilight 2001
Footnotes
1. This document is part of Circular 1440, a publication of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Agronomy Department and IFAS Communication Services, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date August 2003. Originally published as a booklet by IFAS Communication Services June 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. Brent Harbaugh, Professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Gulf Coast REC--Bradenton. Circular 1440 is edited by Richard L. Jones, Mary L. Duryea, and Berry J. Treat, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Richard L. Jones, Dean for Research, publishes this information to further programs and related activities, available to all persons regardless of race, color, age, sex, disability or national origin. Information about alternate formats is available from IFAS Communication Services, University of Florida, PO Box 110810, Gainesville, FL 32611-0810.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
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