Introducing the Astronova

Following a decade of development, Royal Van Zanten, Together2Grow, and Coloríginz are on the cusp of introducing an all-new cut flower: Astronova.

"This cut flower, which has a 14-day flowering period, stands out due to its special shape and rich tones. Astronova stands for beauty and is set to be comprehensively tested in the market over the next few months. It is a versatile cut flower with a unique appearance and an above-average vase life."

Partnership
Three partners have been collaborating on the market launch: Royal Van Zanten, a breeder; Together2Grow, a grower; and Coloríginz (part of Dutch Flower Group), a platform for new and "exclusive" flowers. They are jointly bringing this flower to the European market. The official product launch is scheduled for the middle of 2025. In preparation for this market launch, a pilot project has been initiated and will continue until mid-2025.

The collaboration between the partners got underway about three years ago, following a preparatory breeding process by Royal Van Zanten, which took nigh on a decade. The experiences gained introducing Astronova to the American market a couple of years ago prompted Royal Van Zanten to tackle the European market.

Royal Van Zanten's Managing Director Maarten Goos said: "It's great to be cooperating with the experts from Together2Grow and Coloríginz. We complement each other, and that's extremely important in a project like this. Together we will make it a success."

Royal Van Zanten and Together2Grow previously collaborated with the Dutch Flower Group during the introduction of the brand Charmelia.

All parties involved are contributing their own expertise. "Together2Grow has many years of experience when it comes to cultivating Alstroemeria and Charmelia varieties and has been putting this knowledge to good use for the development of Astronova."

Robin van der Knaap from Together2Grow stated: "As the grower, we're selecting only the very finest stems for this introduction. What's more, we need to bring this product to market as a sustainable flower."

Astronova
The breeders drew inspiration for Astronova from the brightness of the stars and the color gradations in paintings by the old masters.

"As a solo flower, Astronova is an eye-catcher and a perfect star feature in mixed bouquets. This new cut flower boasts striking colors, a lush stem, and a dynamic flower shape. It stands out not only because of its appearance and vase life but also due to its versatility."

Innovation in the market
The partners are keen for this versatility to encourage florists and consumers alike to get creative.

Bob Goedemans, Commercial Director at Coloríginz explained: "Beautiful flowers abound on the market. This unique new flower, developed by Royal Van Zanten, showcases our desire to work together on a flower that's not just aesthetically pleasing but also inspires people to come up with new bouquet compositions on a deeper, artistic level."

Coloríginz will be making a limited quantity of this new flower available to selected partners in the run-up to the launch and during the pilot until the middle of 2025. Florists and flower traders who are keen to be involved in this special stage can get in touch with Esther Mooij from Coloríginz for further details.

From left to right: Jurjan van der Laarse (Coloríginz), Maarten Goos (Royal Van Zanten), Robin van der Knaap (Together2Grow), Esther Mooij (Coloríginz), Bob Goedemans (Coloríginz), Rick Kroon (Royal Van Zanten), Peter Wouters (Royal Van Zanten), Fedor van Veen (Together2Grow) and Joost Kos (Royal Van Zanten)

For more information:
Together2Grow
www.together2grow.nl