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R E A D O N L I N E 21 Care Instructions for Tropical Flowers • Cut stem ends, removing at least 1 inch of stem. • Immediately after cutting, place stems into a container partially filled with room-temperature flower nutrient solution. • Store most tropical flowers in a flower cooler, at temperatures between 50 F and 55 F. • Lightly mist blooms and foliage with room- temperature water daily (tropical flowers love high humidity, and many absorb moisture through their blooms). • Change the flower nutrient solution and recut the stem ends every two or three days. Advise customers and recipients of tropical flowers to do the same. • Keep blooms away from hot or cold drafts. The Story of the Anthurium Anthurium are unique heart-shaped flowers. Surprisingly, the colorful heart-shaped portion of an Anthurium, called the spathe, is actually a leaf, and the actual "flowers" are on the spadix—the spike that protrudes the center. Anthurium andraeanum was discovered by Jose J. Triana, a Colombian botanist and explorer, in 1876. It grew wild in the rainforests of South America. It was then introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in 1889 by Samuel Damon. From Damon's gardens, these plants were introduced to other people, who also started growing them in their gardens. ese plants eventually spread throughout the islands, filling people's backyards with beauty. A big breakthrough occurred a few years later when breeders learned to propagate these plants from seeds rather than cuttings. Seed propagation allowed breeders to selectively create flowers with the best traits and resulted in new colors and shapes of Anthurium. In the 1940s, florists in Hawaii began carrying Anthurium in their shops. ese flowers became quite popular with locals and tourists alike. It became popular for military personnel, tourists and even local residents to send cut Anthurium to friends and family on the mainland as gifts. "Early on, people were using shoe boxes and wrapping balloons filled with water around the stems to ship Anthurium," Tanouye shares. Harold Tanouye, Eric's father and founder of Green Point Nurseries, started in the flower business when he returned to Hawaii after attending college. e year was 1957, and Hilo's economy had not yet recovered from the impact of WWII. He recognized the demand for Anthurium and then realized what his life's work would be. e University of Hawaii has a strong agriculture department that is, and has been, instrumental in the growth of the cut- flower industry in Hawaii. e university, along with several active hybridizers on the islands and premier growers continue to develop new and exciting varieties, to keep Hawaii in the forefront of Anthurium culture. Today there are thousands of Hawaii-bred varieties of Anthurium in cultivation, and the number of varieties, shapes, sizes and colors amazes and overwhelms. e Aloha State is best known for its Anthurium and orchids, but it also produces a plethora of other cut-flower types. e tropical flower guide Neotropica Hawaii is a great resource for any floral designer and wholesaler who wants to get intimately familiar with all the Hawaii-grown flowers and foliages. e third edition of Neotropica Hawaii, sponsored by HFNA, is in the works and will be released in 2023. Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com

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