One of the most striking novelties at IFTF in Vijfhuizen was Ptilotus Matilda. The cut flower comes from the outback in Australia and has been cultivated by Benary.
Ten years ago, Benary brought the pot plant Ptilotus Joey onto the market. This year the company introduced ‘his sister’ Ptilotus Matilda. Earlier this year, the new cut flower was already exhibited at Californian Springtrials, Flower Trials in the Netherlands and Floriexpo in Miami. The marketing manager of Benary, Gundula Wagner, experiences a lot of interest in Matilda. “Matilda is very different from other flowers.”
Matilda can be sold in a mono bunch or as a filler in a bouquet. The cut flower is already grown professionally all year round in Ecuador and Colombia. Wagner mentions nurseries such as Sunshine Bouquet, Elite Flower and Florsani. The flowers are mainly sold on the American market. In Europe – from Ireland to the Netherlands – growers have trial sections of Matilda.
Matilda is characterized by the light purple color. Benary’s breeding section is trying to develop other colors, but that turns out to be difficult.
