> OUTSTANDING VARIETIES 2023 “When I came over to the table to


judge this one, I stopped in my tracks,” said judge Carrie Moore, AAF, owner of Jenny’s Floral in Custer, South Dakota. “The layers of the petals, the color, and the overall display was just very striking.” ‘Amistad’ also eschews consumers’


most common complaints about lilies: pollen drop and a strong scent. The variety is pollenless, so it doesn’t require an extra touch from a designer to remove the anthers, or threaten to leave stains on clothes, tablecloths — or wedding dresses. It also emits a delicate, clove-like scent in stark contrast to other lilies that carry an overpowering fragrance. “I could easily see my customers


wanting this year-round,” said Moore, who thought the flower is fitting for wedding, funeral, anniversary and every- day work. Other judges noted that the variety


offers value because each stem has four to eight blooms, which at their fullest span 10 inches. “They take up a lot of room in an


arrangement,” said judge Lani Callister, AAF, fresh flower manager at Ensign Wholesale Flower Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. “They’re the ‘wow’ factor in your arrangement.” One judge hoped the win would


elevate the popularity of double lilies and Roselilies. (While ‘Amistad’ looks like a Roselily, it was not bred by the company that holds the Roselily registered brand.) “I think Roselilies and double lilies are


underused and undervalued in the market, and I think they should be incorporated more in everyday and event work,” said judge Ryan Alders of Alders Wholesale Florist in Campbell Hall, New York. DeVries thinks so, too. The farm


has been producing a small number of ‘Amistad,’ which he said sell so well that “right now, we don’t have enough.” After learning of ‘Amistad’s’ win, he was rethinking his production plans. “We’ll probably grow a little bit more,” he said.


Best in Class Winners


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‘PINK VICTORY’


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FLORAL MANAGEMENT | November/December 2023 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG


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