A crimson standard rose that an international breeder refers to as its “crown jewel.” A wedding-perfect protea that combines edgy and cool texture with an unexpectedly feminine shade. A two-tone lily in elusive fall colors.
These are just some of the blue ribbon winners from the Society of American Florists’ Annual Outstanding Varieties Competition — now ready for your design room.
Held in September during SAF Maui 2016, the association’s 132nd annual convention, the competition showcased 84 varieties from 20 growers in Florida, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Idaho, and Tennessee as well as Colombia and Ecuador. A panel of six judges from across industry segments reviewed the varieties across characteristics to come up with 19 blue ribbon winners and one super-star Best in Show: ‘Tabledance,’ an oriental trumpet lily from Green Valley Floral in Salinas, California.
Check out Floral Management’s coverage of all best in class and blue ribbon winners from this year’s event. Be sure to visit safnow.org/moreonline for a full list of winners, including red ribbon honors, and participating companies.