The Florida Foliage Plant Industry

Jianjun Chen

Mid-Florida Research and Education Center & Department of Environmental Horticulture

Important Foliage Plants

SpathiphyllumAnthuriumAlocasia Aglaonema

Araceae

Palmae

Rhapis excelsa(Lady Palm)

Chamaedorea elegans(Neathe Bella Palm)

Howeia forsteriana(Kentia Palm)

Caryota mitis(Fishtail Palm)

Important Foliage Plants

Schefflera

Aechmea Neoregelia

Bromeliaceae

VrieseaGuzmania

Other genera

Calathea FicusDracaena Hedera

Interiorscape with Foliage Plants

The Growth of the Foliage Plant Industry (Wholesale Value)

0100200

300400500600

700800

1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1996 2005

Year

Mill

ion

$

NationFlorida

National level:A 55-fold increase from $13 million in 1949 to$721 million in 2005

Florida:A 278-fold increase from $1.8 million in 1949 to $500 million in 2005

Additionally, total sales by interiorscapers was $1 billion in 2000

California (15.2%)

Florida (69.3%)

Hawaii (2.4%)

Texas (2.8%)

Other states (10.3%)

Leading States in Foliage Plant Production

The national wholesale value was $721 million in 2005

Apopka: Indoor Foliage Capital of the World

• Intensive agriculture practice

• 40,000 to 300,000 pots/acre

• 910 nurseries in Central FL

• Total 24,000 acres (9,713 ha)

• Nursery sizes 1 to 60 acres

• $308 million annual sale in Central FL

• Favorable climate• Dedicated growers• Better marketing• Establishment of the UF Research and Education Centers• Changes in foliage plant

-propagation-production-new species and cultivar introduction-interiorscaping

Attributes to the Foliage Plant Industry’s Growth

Foliage Plant Propagation1. Air layering

2. Cuttings

3. Division

4. Micropropagation5. Seed germination

Meristem Culture and RegenerationSomatic embryogenesisOrganogenesisMeristem culture

Regeneration through Direct Somatic Embryogenesis

Aglaonema

Epipremnum

Homalomena

Monstera

Schefflera

SyngoniumZamioculcas

Sansevieria

Chen, J. and R.J. Henny (unpublished data)

Pothos Regeneration through Somatic Embryogenesis

Pothos(Epipremnum)

Commercial Micropropagation of Foliage Plants

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• Producing disease-free, uniform liners year-round

• Speedup of hybrid commercialization

• Saving production space

• Worldwide availability

• A viable business

• New cultivar release

Benefits of Foliage Plant Micropropagation

137.1-219.8254.7Total

49.4-82.382.3MusaMusaceae

5.7-9.212.2FicusMoraceae

2.9-5.14.5CalatheaMarantaceae

8.5-21.228.2Asplenium, Nephrolepis, etcFerns

8.0-11.411.4Aechmea, Guzmania, Vriesea, etcBromeliaceae

0.5-0.80.7ScheffleraAraliaceae

1.7-2.02.0CordylineAgavaceae

8.1-11.619.4Syngonium

16.1-24.526.9Spathiphyllum

12.6-21.423.8Philodendron

9.9-12.015.0Dieffenbachia

12.9-16.513.8Anthurium

0.8-1.814.5AlocasiaAraceae

Wholesale value (US$ million )No of plantlets (million)Plant generaFamily or group

Annual Foliage Plant Genera Micropropagated Worldwide

Chen, J. and R.J. Henny 2006

Foliage Plant Production• Potting media• Environmental Factors

LightTemperatureRelative humidity

• Cultural practicesWater NutritionGrowth regulator application

Potting Media Major components of media

Peat Pine bark

Perlite Vermiculite 1.0-2.5 dS/mEC5.8-6.2pH10%-20%Air space50%-75%Moisture content20%-60% by volumeContainer capacity50%-75%Total porosity0.15-0.80 g/cm3 (d.wt)Bulk densityDesired rangeProperty

Ideal potting media

Effects of Media pH on the Bioavailability of Mineral NutrientsSoilless mediaSoil

• Aluminosilicate minerals• Channels/pores in their tetrahedral framework• CEC ranging from 150 to 550 meq/100 g • Absorb H2O up to 30% of their dry weight• More than 50 natural and 100 synthetic species

Zeolites as Container Medium Amendments

Porous zeolite crystals

Zeolite granules

WSF = Peter’s water soluble fertilizer (20N-10P2O5-20K2O) N 250 mg/L weeklyCRF = Controlled-release fertilizer (18N-6P2O5-12K2O) 5 g per potCH, SC, and XY were occluded zeolites incorporated with a medium at 5 g per pot

Chen et al. (unpublished data)

Hypoestes

Environmental Factors-Light Intensity

Light saturation point Light compensation pointCrop (µmol/m2/s) (µmol/m2/s)Aglaonema 125 6Cissus 154 10Fatsia 175 15Philodendron 118 5Field crops >1000 >20

Environmental Factors-Temperature

-Immediate injury

-Delayed injury

-Growth rate reduction

Foliage plants are sensitive to temperatures below 12 oC or 54 oF

(can delay plant growth by more than one month)

Greenhouse and Shadehouse Heating SystemsAir heating

Bottom heating

Water protection

Fog System for Protecting Plants from Chilling Injury

86 oF

59

68

77

50

41

Stamps, R.H., L.R. Parsons, and J. Chen (unpublished data)

Cultural Practices - Water

Drip irrigation and subirrigation are commonin foliage plant production.

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AglaonemaDieffenbachia

Quantification of Daily Water Requirement

Beeson, R.C., Jr. and J. Chen 2006

Cultural Practices-Nutrition (Recommended N Rates)

Anthurium 1,014 Maranta 1,370Begonia 1,425 Philodendron 1,998Dracaena 2,339 Schefflera 1,656Epipremnum 1,755 Spathiphyllum 2,017Ficus 2,354 Yucca 1,998

Plant (kg/ha/yr ) Plant (kg/ha/yr )

Cultivars Varying in Nitrogen (N) Requirements

50 100 200 400 800 mg/L N

Claudia

Double Take

Petite

Claudia’s optimal rate: 200 mg/LEquivalent to: 1,272 kg N/ha/yr. 37% < the N recommended rate

Petite’s optimal rate: 100 mg/LEquivalent to: 636 kg N/ha/yr. 68% < the recommended rate

Double Take’s optimal rate is the same as Claudia: 200 mg/L

Chen et al. (unpublished data)

Anthurium responding to three N rates

343 686 1,029‘Krypton’ grown under 1,500 fc. with three N rates (kg/ha/yr)

Chen et al. (unpublished data)

Peace Lily and Pothos in response to N ratesThe optimal N rate:

2.5 g N/6”/yr for Pothos2 g N/6”/yr for Peace Lily

Equivalent to:1,371 kg/ha/yr for Pothos 1,096 kg/hr/yr for Peace Lily

Compared to the recommended rate22% reduction for Pothos.46% reduction for Peace Lily.

Chen et al., 2001

Common Used Controlled-release Fertilizers

Left to right: Polyolefin, resin, and polymer-coated controlled fertilizers

The release of nutrients based on plant growth pattern:

(1) Hi-start(2) Standard(3) Lo-start

Courtesy of Scotts-Sierra Co.

CRFs are Favored in Foliage Plant Production

• Easy, either incorporation or topdress

• Durable, 3-12 months

• Slow-release based on plant growth requirements

• Less nutrient leaching, particularly nitrogen

• Favored by EPA agents and Water Management Districts

WSF (2.2 g N/pot) 0.2 1,350.5 28.4

CRF (2.2 g N/pot) 0.0 0.0 0.00.2 808.4 19.80.4 1067.6 27.6

Fertilizer Leaching NO3-N NH4-Nand rate fraction (mg/6”pot) (mg/6”pot)

Less N Leaching from Controlled-release Fertilizers*

* Both CRF and WSF are 19N-2.6P-10K

Deroose Plants, Inc.-Excellent in BMP Practices

4601 N Rock Spring Road, Apopka, FL 32712. Tel. (407) 889-5228

GA3 0 50 100 150 200 250 ppm GA3 100 0 ppm

Gibberellic acid (GA3) inducing the flowering of Spathiphyllum

Cultural Practices-Growth Regulator Application

Henny, R.J. and J. Chen (unpublished data)

BA Used for Enhancing Lateral Shoot Formation

N-benzyladenine (BA)

A key factor in the industry’s growth

New Plant Introduction

Philodendron scandens oxycardium

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1950 1956 1961 1967 1975 1988

Year

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uePothos and PhilodendronOther plant species

Changes in Cultivar Numbers of Major Foliage Plant Genera*

Aglaonema 10 17 36 (2.4%)** 45Dieffenbachia 7 29 18 (4.2%) 25Dracaena 12 21 32 (6.3%) 35Hedera 25 48 60 (7.3%) 80Ferns 10 21 54 (2.6%) 68Ficus 14 32 46 (5.1%) 50Palms 7 19 22 (9.8%) 25Philodendron 16 24 18 (1.7%) 30Spathiphyllum 6 20 47 (6.9%) 55Syngonium 7 14 17 (1.0%) 30Others (52.3%)

Foliage plant 1974-1975 1988-1989 1988-1999 2004-2005

*FNGLA Locators with modifications. **% of wholesale value-USDA 1998 wholesale $463 million

Emerald BayGolden Bay Silver Bay

Aglaonema Bay Series Hybrids (University of Florida)

Henny, R.J., J. Chen, and D.J. Norman. 2003

JubileeMary Ann

Black Lance Deborah Green Lady

New Aglaonema Cultivars from Thailand

Royal Ripple

Amelia Millie

Somaclonal Cultivars Derived from Syngonium podophyllum‘White Butterfly’

White Butterfly Pink Allusion Bob Allusion Bold Allusion(Selfed)

Regina Red Allusion Neon Neon Tetra

Cream Allusion Cream Supreme

Courtesy of Agri-Starts, Inc., Apopka, FL

Selection of New Cultivars from Somaclonal Variants

Jade

Marble Queen Neon

Golden Pothos?

Chen, J. and R.J. Henny (unpublished data)

Chen et al., 2003; Chen et al., 2006

Banana Allusion, Berry Allusion, Bob Allusion, Bold Allusion, Cream Allusion, Pink Allusion

23Syngonium

Chen et al., 2003Cristina, Domino, Gayle’s Green, Hi Ho Silver, White, Lightening

5Spathiphyllum

Chen et al., 2003; Devanand et al., 2004

Baby Hope, Hope Compact, Gold Queen4Philodendron

Vuylsteke et al., 1996French Revision1Musa

Kristiansen 1992 Cleo1Ficus

Chen et al., 2003Camouflage, Carina, Rebecca, Sarah20Dieffenbachia

Chen et al., 2005Angela, Cora, Dottie, Eclipse, Satum7Calathea

Chen et al., 2003Lady Carmen, Orange Hot, SmallTalk5Anthurium

Chen et al., 2003Polly, Purpley2Alocasia

Henny et al., 2003Diamond Bay, Emerald Bay, Moonlight Bay13Aglaonema

ReferencesCommon cultivarsNo of cultivarsGenera

Cultivars Released from Selecting Somaclonal Variants

81Total

Chen, J. and R.J. Henny, 2006

Characterization of Somaclonal Variants

• Morphology

• Molecular marker-AFLP (Amplified

Fragment Length Polymorphism)

• Ploidy level-DNA Cytometry

Somaclonal Cultivars of Aglaonema and Anthurium

Aglaonema ‘Silver Bay’

‘Moonlight Bay’ ‘Diamond Bay’

Anthurium ‘Red Hot’

‘Orange Hot’

0.79* 0.80 0.92

*Jaccard’s similarity of coefficient

Indoor Air Quality Improvement by Foliage Plants

Dr. Bill Wolvertonand associates atJohn C. Stennis Space Center, MS

Three Compounds Removed in 24 Hours by Five PlantsPlant species varied in removing the chemicals

Bamboo palm absorbed highest amount of formaldehyde.

Peace lily was the most effective plant to remove benzene.

Marginata and peace lily were equally effective in reducingtrichloroethylene.

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FormaldehydeTrichloroethylene

Interiorscape with Foliage Plants

Summary

• Foliage plant production has become one of the fastest growing agricultural enterprises

• The success of the foliage plant industry in Florida can be attributed to advances in propagation and production technologies, new plant and new cultivar introduction, and favorable geographical location

• Foliage plant production is an international business, and we should work together to keep Florida as the leader in foliage plant production in the world