"Winning this award makes us extremely happy, it's a recognition for the hard work of our team," says Benito Jaramillo, president and owner of Flores del Valle SA Valleflor Ecuador (Valleflor). Valleflor is focused on the production, breeding, and export of the summer flower varieties among which Delphinum, Aster, Statice, Alstroemeria, Solidago, Limonium, and Eryngium. Their main customers are wholesalers, mass markets, and retailers mainly in North America and Europe.
Recently, the company's Delphinium Manuela variety, was awarded 'Best in Show' at the Outstanding Varieties Competition at SAF Miami 2024. In this article, Benito tells us more about this variety, and the process behind its development.
Delphinium Manuela
A decade of Valleflor
Valleflor was established in 1996 as a family business in Puembo, Ecuador. "Since Valleflor's establishment, it's our mission to produce the newest varieties of excellent summer flowers. The core of our business is based in our Research and Development Department, where we test all the new varieties of our suppliers or our own breeding program. For more than a decade we have been developing our breeding program for Delphinium and Aster," says Benito.
Delphinium Manuela
One of the varieties that was developed in this breeding program, is the Delphinium Manuela. According to Benito, this variety is named after his first daughter. Benito: "Delphinium Manuela is a vibrant, deep lavender delphinium with amazing height and thickness of the stems (90 cm to 130 cm); the double-petal flowers add volume to cover the stems. Also, it's spike length (50 cm to 75 cm) is impressive. Its vibrant lavender color is unique in this product line, it has abundant double petal flowers with a central bee of the same color."
Our breeding program is always looking for high-end Delphiniums in different colors and shapes. Manuela immediately stood out; after seeing the flower, we immediately took the plant to the tissue culture lab for propagation and started the registration process. We developed this variety to meet the demand of wholesalers and retailers that provide flowers for events. Thanks to its structure, color, and shape, the Manuela is designed for high-end floral displays and big events, including weddings."
Delphinium Manuela
The 'Best in Show Award'
This year, Valleflor decided to participate for the first time in the Outstanding Varieties Competition at SAF Miami 2024. Benito explains why they did so: "The SAF organization approached us at another US show after seeing our products. We thought it was a good idea to promote our breeding program with an outstanding variety such as the Manuela."
He also gives us some insight into the selection process, saying: "Judges assessed each entry based on color and commercial appeal, stem and foliage, bloom form and size, and overall presentation. The judging panel, which included three retailers, three growers, and three wholesalers, evaluated specific categories of flowers. The highest-scoring variety in each category entry won 'Best in Class'. From this elite group, judges chose their 'Best in Show' winner."
This year, Valleflor's Manuela received this award. "We are glad that decades of work paid off for our team," comments Benito.
Continuing the breeding program
Nevertheless, Benito points out that they need to develop new varieties continues to exist. "The market is always evolving; clients are constantly looking for new exclusive flowers. And today's customers are demanding a wider assortment to choose from. We're convinced that the market will keep growing.
For this reason, we seek to complement the Manuela variety with different colors with the same characteristics. This will create a unique line that enhances our customers' flower portfolios. We are always trying to innovate, and adapt to the market to create varieties that add value."
For more information:
Flores del Valle SA Valleflor Ecuador
[email protected]
+305 4334401
www.valleflor.com.ec