The Effect of Oasis® Floral Foam on the Postharvest Performance of Perennial Flax Cut Flowers

Perennial flax (Linum spp.) is a new crop under domestication at the University of Minnesota. It is being bred simultaneously for herbaceous perennial and cut flower production, as well as fiber, oil seed, and pollinator (ecosystem) services. Perennial flax is prized for its blue flowers, which are a rarity in the floriculture industry. Superior genotypes have been selected with high levels of postharvest vase life for use as a “filler” cut flower in floral designing. For flax to be a new specialty cut flower crop in floral designs, it must be amenable for use in floral foam, a classic “mechanic” used to hold flowers in place. However, the thin stems predicate careful insertion into design mechanics to avoid breakage. The research objective of this study was to determine single-stem insertion effects (stem bending) for three stem lengths (10, 16.25, and 22.5 cm) in Oasis^ℝR floral foam and testing two preservative solutions (±FloraLife^ℝR). Genotypes andsolutiontypesweresignificant on most measured factors but stem length was an insignificant effect for most genotypes and treatments. Despite perennial flax’s thinner stems, as a filler flower, it can be used in standard floral foam which is the most commonly used mechanic in floral designs. Three genotypes (CF10, CF3, and CF5) had the best postharvest life, which can serve as the basis for future plant breeding efforts to maximize postharvest longevity of this new cut flower crop.