Heather is generally hardy, to the point where floral handlers along the chain of distribution may tend to take it for granted. Another reason growers, wholesalers and florists alike may tend to neglect heather is simply because its woody stems are more difficult to cut and clean than other flower stems.
"It's like working with Christmas greens," says Gay Smith, a consultant to Chrysol USA. "In most flower shops the choppers that are used for other flower stems are not kept very sharp, so you need a pair of pruning shears to do the job right. Also, you end up with florets and foliage right in the water, which gets muddy if the bottoms of the stems are not clean."
Add to these disincentives that heather is a relatively low-end, low-margin crop, and you understand why growers and wholesalers do not always want to invest labor time in processing it. It is typically bunched in the field and shipped dry to wholesalers, who may also keep it dry in the cooler until it is sold.
And if the sale is within a few days of arrival, heather may perform reasonably well in the flower shop and for the consumer. On the other hand, heather is ethylene-sensitive and shows a tendency to shatter and shed that can be ameliorated with proper treatment.
"It's not going to continue to open; it is what it is when you get that bunch," says Gay. Therefore, in addition to using an anti-ethylene treatment, "It's the perfect thing to process in hydration solution [which lowers the pH, but contains no sugar] versus flower food." Heather can even be stored in hydration solution. "Display solutions" are also available that have some sugar, but not as much as regular flower food. They are considered superior to regular, high-sugar flower food for flowers like heather that don't need sugar to keep opening up, especially when they are freshly cut and that have not yet depleted their natural stores of carbohydrates. To much sugar can impede flow, where small amount can help keep flowers turgid and might also help to stave off shattering, says Gay. In the real world, however, many retailers have on hand only regular, high-sugar flower food. In any case, it's definitely advantageous for retailers to hydrate heather, re-cutting the stems and storing it in the cooler.
For more information on flower care and tips or to purchase beautiful floral arrangements in the Tampa, Florida area please check out
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