HAWAII ANTHURIUMS

Hawaii Anthuriums are Dear to Every Heart Anthuriums -- the "heart of Hawaii" -- have become one of the signature flowers of the islands. The original anthurium was brought to Hawaii from Colombia via London in 1889 by an English missionary. Having known comfort in the shade of Latin American rain forests, anthuriums now thrive in Hawaii's tropical climate. Today, 75 active growers form the Hawaii Anthurium Industry Association (HAIA), a member association of the Hawaii Tropical Flower Council (HTFC). These growers commercially produce more than 11 million stems of about 40 anthurium varieties annually, driving a $6.8 million industry on the Big Island of Hawaii. "We are constantly working to develop new varieties that will excite consumers," says HAIA president Calvin Hayashi. Meaning "tail flower" in Greek, the anthurium is part of the arum family (Araceae) which includes taro, philodendron, monstera, calla lily and jack-in-the-pulpit. All share a similarly shaped flower: a colorful, shiny, heart-shaped "petal" (spathe) surrounding a straight or slightly curved, knobby "tail" (spadix). Stem lengths vary from 15" to 20" and correspond to the size of the spathe -- the bigger the spathe, the longer the stem. Spathe types form three broad categories -- standard, obake and tulip: Standard is by far the most common shape. The lobes of its heart-shaped spathe often overlap. Major spathe colors are red, orange, pink, coral, white and, more recently, green. Spathe sizes range from 5" x 41/2" (length x width) to 81/2" x 71/4."   Obake (o-BAH-kay) means "ghost" in Japanese, alluding to this group's nebulous, two-tone coloration and incomparable individual variation. They usually exhibit a bicolor pattern of green and a major spathe color. Some varieties lose their green in the summer, creating a solid-colored spathe. Spathe size varies greatly, from 3" x 21/2" mini to 11" x 9" exhibition varieties.   Tulip types (or "tulips") have upright, cupped spathes and some tend to reflex when mature. The spadix is also straight and erect. In general, tulips are small hybrids with more than one species in their back-ground -- some popular ones have four species in their parentage. The average spathe size is 51/2" x 21/2." One of the many attractive characteristics of anthuriums is their longevity. "They're the hearts that don't stop," says Lee Cantley, AIFD, of Solana Beach, California. "We use a lot of anthuriums because customers are pleased with their looks and value."

All About Anthuriums For color, longevity and intrigue all year round, anthuriums are one of Hawaii's best floral values. Here are a few ways to extend their already long vase life: Upon receipt, hold the stems under water and trim 1/2" from the end. If it shows signs of transit stress, submerge the entire flower in room temperature water for 10 to 15 minutes to maximize rehydration. Use the standard amount of preservative in the vase water. Store flowers at an air temperature above 55 degrees F and away from direct light, heat or drafts. Do not refrigerate. Mist flowers daily.

SPATHE TYPE	POPULAR VARIETIES	SPATHE COLOR	SPADIX COLOR	VASE LIFE (DAYS)
Standard	Ozaki Kozohara Nitta Midori Marian Seefurth	Light Red Dark Red Orange Bright Green Pink	Light red-purple White, yellow tip White, yellow tip Yellow, green tip White, yellow tip	14 - 26 16 - 27 14 - 25 17 - 27 14 - 25
Obake	Madame Pele Anuenue Kalapana Rainbow Mickey Mouse	Dark red, green Coral, green Red, green Green, white Dark Red, green	White, red White, yellow tip White, yellow tip Red Red-orange	16 - 24 16 - 24 10 - 16 16 - 24 16 - 24
Tulip	ARCS Lavender Lady Calypso Lady Jane	Bright Purple Mauve Magenta-fuchsia Light Red	Dark Purple Mauve Dark magenta-fuchsia Light red	14 - 24 14 - 24 14 - 24 21 - 28

Research is the Heartbeat of Anthurium Cultivation A century ago, anthurium propagation was simply a matter of nosing around the backyard. Since then, cultivation of the heart-shaped flower has grown to a high-tech science, keeping pace with industry needs and market desires. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, several anthurium varieties were sold as floral souvenirs to soldiers on duty in the Pacific. Many of these, such as 'Ozaki,' 'Nitta' and 'Kozohara,' are still commercially popular. During the following decades, the University of Hawaii at Manoa became the heart of anthurium research, developing and releasing new and novel cultivars. "Early objectives of the U.H. anthurium breeding programs centered on improved yields, vase life and quality," says Dr. Haruyuki Kamemoto, who founded the U.H. program in the 1950s. "Later, goals expanded to include resistance to fungal disease and bacterial blight, along with development of new anthurium colors, patterns and shapes." To date, more than 20 U.H. varieties have been developed and named, many of which are now commercially produced. The future? Several cut flower varieties are being cultivated as potted plants. And researchers are sniffing out potential development of anthuriums with fragrance. Coming Attractions Here are two new anthurium varieties that will be available in quantity within a year: 'Pink Champagne': This medium-sized, standard-tulip cross has a pink spadix and a dark pink spathe that is upright to laterally oriented. It was bred for both potted and cut flower use. 'Tropic mist': Here's a large, round, creamy white standard with a white and yellow spadix.

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