'Manuela', a vibrant lavender delphinium presented by Valleflor, stunned judges with its strong, long stems and double-petal flowers to win the Society of American Florists' Outstanding Varieties Competition, held in conjunction with the organization's 139th annual convention in Miami.
"It was a surprise — I didn't expect that," said Roy Cisternas, commercial manager for Valleflor in Quito, Ecuador. "I'm very proud of the farm and very proud of the variety."
Valleflor not only grew the delphinium — it bred the flower, too, and is grown exclusively by the company.
Judges called the flower a showstopper. "When I walked in the room, I knew it was going to be the winner," said judge Kim Brannan, AAF, of Stems Florist and St. Louis Delivery. She was struck by the deep lavender color, the height and thickness of the stems, and how the double-petal flowers added volume to cover the stems.
'Manuela' was among the 225 entries from 33 companies in the 2024 Outstanding Varieties Competition, sponsored by Chrysal and Syndicate Sales.
Read more at safnow.org