Golden State Bulb Company Shows Off New Concepts In Callas

There’s no question that Golden State Bulb Company’s specialty is in breeding virtually any color of Calla Lily, available in about any habit — cut flower, bouquet pot, upright pot type — the list goes on. But now, the bulb specialist is focusing on making calla lilies more accessible to the masses, for use in combination planters and the landscape, with calla six-packs.

Calla breeder Peter Beckman showed us the shrunken-down version of these beauties, and they’re certainly perfect for patio pots, planting along paths or at the front of the garden, or en masse for an elegant statement. This presentation makes it easy for consumers to pick up and use callas, without the intimidation they might feel from a bulb crop, says Dr. Allan Armitage.

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They’re also versatile for growers to plant in early to mid-February to add to finished containers in the spring, or to sell in six-packs at retail. It’s a programmable crop, and everyone knows that’s key, especially for large growers.

The company planted bulbs in combos with a variety of different plants, including coleus for color and texture, and to show the plants’ versatility.

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Another concept was planting 1-inch bulbs in tiny pots that would be ideal ornaments for desks and windowsills in the office.

This year was the first that Golden State has ever grown its ‘Callafornia Red’ variety as a cut flower, but there were growers requesting the deep-red color, and the variety — typically a pot plant — is going gangbusters in Mexico, says Golden State’s Ashley Nalley.

Callas And Beyond

Golden State Bulb has four new calla varieties:

  • Lip Gloss has lustrous hot-pink blooms with medium-green foliage. Well suited for small to large potted plant programs, Lip Gloss has a full habit and produces high flower counts. This Callafornia Callas variety is a real eye-catcher.
  • ‘Peach Pazazz’ produces large peach-colored blooms whose color intensifies with age. The blooms are perched just above the matte foliage. The overall effect is one of a living bouquet. ‘Peach Pazazz’ is highly floriferous and best suited for pot production.
  • ‘Peppermint Twist’ produces uniquely colored blooms with shades of salmon to rusty red. The blooms are held above maculated foliage on long stems. This is a highly floriferous variety. ‘Peppermint Twist’ is an excellent choice for cut flower production.
  • ‘Strawberry Blush’ is an excellent cut flower variety with extraordinary large blushing-pink blooms. The blooms are produced on strong stems that rise above the matte-green, upright foliage. ‘Strawberry Blush’ is well suited for pot or cut flower production.

Golden State Bulb Company will introduce a new eucomis (pineapple lily) at Cultivate’16, as well, and it announced its scented begonias, which have been selling like hotcakes lately, are now available for growers to purchase as unrooted cuttings.

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