It’s ‘Grandtastic’! A filler and accent flower in one

In Kenya, the Africalla flower farm grows ‘Grandtastic’.

Breeding the new Gypsophila variety ‘Grandtastic’ was, as Selecta Cut Flowers calls it, a masterstroke, “a creation worth an art gallery”. Beneath the ornate prose lies a new filler flower poised to impact the global floral supply chain.

The year was 2019. Just before the pandemic shut down the world, industry news broke that German plant breeder Selecta One had created a Gypsophila that was more than just an ordinary filler flower.

Five years later, Gypsophila paniculata ‘Grandtastic’ is ready for its Grand market entrance.

In Kenya and Ethiopia alone, growers have planted 50 and 20ha, respectively. In Ecuador, the area dedicated to ‘Grandtastic’ is approximately 20ha, while in Colombia, it is between three and four hectares.

Simultaneously, growers in Spain and Italy have received positive feedback after their first ‘Grandtastic’ shipments to wholesale customers across Europe. With the new wedding season in the Northern Hemisphere now underway, anticipation is building for ‘grand (tastic)’ demand.

State of the trade

Commenting on the current state of the Gypsophila trade, Felipe Gómez, sales area manager North America, Africa, Oceania, Middle East and India at Selecta Cut Flowers, says the general Gypsophila market is buoyant, pricing is good, and there’s market equilibrium, even if high inflation rates put the grower’s profit margins under pressure.

Also, global logistics disruptions stemming from the pandemic continue to impact the global flower business. Gómez elaborates, “Kenya traditionally struggles with a shortage in airfreight capacity. More recently, the Houthi rebels attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea create problems for sea containers inbound Europe, reducing demand for cut flowers in the Middle East.”

What Gómez worries about most are the changing global weather patterns. Gypsophila yields in Africa and South America have largely been resilient to varying weather over the past 30 years.

However, extreme weather is now beginning to take its toll. “Climate changes worldwide make it increasingly difficult for flower farmers to deal with extreme weather events. Kenya has been suffering from heavy downpours in March and April, and in May, Colombia and Ecuador faced a prolonged drought. So, when we started our ‘Grandtastic’ breeding work more than ten years ago, making a Gypsophila variety more resilient to climate change was definitely on our radar.”

Top filler flower

Gypsophila is one of the top filler flowers in the global cut flower industry. Particularly in the past, Gypsophila and carnations were inseparable, and they have been the flowers of choice in corsages, boutonnieres, and a variety of floral arrangements for generations.

Gypsophila is often paired with carnations, which is no coincidence. Both genera belong to the pink family (Caryophyllaceae) and are highly valued horticulturally. That’s why a breeder’s portfolio, including carnations, often signals the presence of Gypsophila.

Members of the pink family are easily recognisable as many of them have swollen leaf and stem joints, as is the case with Gypsophila.

The genus comes from the Greek words gypsos, meaning gypsum, and philos, meaning friend. It refers to the plant’s preference for calcium-rich soils.

Gypsophila, aka Baby’s Breath, is a genus of about 150 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to Eurasia. It can also be found in Australia and Africa.

The most popular species cultivated for the cut flower trade is Gypsophila paniculata (in Latin, paniculata meaning ‘branched clusters of flowers’). Its romantic appearance with dainty-like blooms that almost seem to hover airily over the stems not only makes Gypsophila a treasured cut flower.

The species paniculata, elegans, repens, and cerastoides are also ideal for planting in the garden. They can attract pollinators and enhance any flowerbed.

Gypsophila ‘Grandtastic’ harvest in Ecuador.

Overt good looks

In the global cut flower trade, Gypsophila paniculata ‘Grandtastic’ is creating a stir as the latest variety of Selecta Cut Flowers features large (to 11mm+ diameter) blooms. Its official name is Gypsophila paniculata ‘Grandtastic’ or, more shortly ‘, Grandtastic’.

Understandably, the company’s purple prose in marketing primarily focuses on ‘Grandtastic’’s aesthetic beauty. But there is much more to tell about this new variety.

Gómez expounds, “Gypsophila ‘Grandtastic’ is an example of product improvement poised to match or outperform competition such as Polar Bear (Ball), Zinzi (Hilverdaflorist) and Xlence (Danziger), provide more variety in the existing Gypsophila range, and refresh our Gypsophila Pearls brand. ‘Grandtastic’ is also part of Selecta One’s customer-centric approach to meet the demand for bigger, long-lasting Gypsophila blooms in pure white.”

‘Grandtastic’ is the outcome of intense breeding work. Gómez says, “More generally, our breeders have in mind an ideal Gypsophila with desirable characteristics including long vase life, greater yield and better quality. They must also consider the different market segments and create different product lines for small, medium, and big flowers.”

Weighing ‘Grandtastic’ stems in Ecuador.

Ease in growing

Newly-planted ‘Grandtastic’ in Kenya.

Gypsophila is a resilient plant, rarely affected by severe pests or diseases. However, scouting for undesired pests such as thrips and leaf miners (insiders know, how inside Dutch auctions, plant health inspectors may urge to strip off the foliage) on a regular basis is always a good practice, as is watching for botrytis blight and Erwinia (crown rot), particularly in wet weather.

Gómez notes that the company’s newest Gypsophila variety slightly prefers neutral soils, and the best results are obtained with a well-working drip irrigation system. Gypsophila is not such a heavy feeder, but an application of balanced fertiliser is recommended to promote healthy growth. Harvesting at the right time is crucial, as only 30 per cent of blooms must be semi-opened for the best performance at the consumer’s level. Green thumbs will do the rest.

As for yields, depending on weather conditions, soil, growing altitude, light levels, crop attendance and grower skills, ‘Grandtastic’ annually yields between 800,000 stems per hectare. The recommended plant density is eight plants per m2.

Depending on the country they are in, growers can maintain these specs over a twelve- to eighteen-month period. A common practice in ‘Grandtastic’ growing is two flushes per year and replacing plants after two years. Growers producing the cream of the crop may even opt for replacing plants right after the first flush if yields have permitted them to do so.

Starter plants

‘Grandtastic’ is ideal for creating an instant impact on giant Gypsophila balls.

A good start is only half the work. With this in mind, Selecta’s cuttings farms in Kenya and Colombia offer commercial growers rooted cuttings grown in plug trays. Growers in the world’s epicentres of Gypsophila production that is, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ecuador, and in a swath of other countries like Spain and Italy, order these plants to grow into finished cut flowers.

Some large-scale flower growers seek greater independence, quality control, self-sufficiency, and security of supply by purchasing mother stock plants for in-house propagation.

Mapping Gypsophilla production

‘Grandtastic’ is easy to dye.

Commercially grown Gypsophila is a global affair. But even if we know where the production hotspots are, assessing production areas and volumes can be daunting.

Most professionals agree that between 800 and 1,000 ha worldwide are dedicated to growing the popular flower. An estimated 30 per cent of this area is believed to serve local markets predominantly.

A complicating factor in Gyspophila statistics is the vast countries of India and China, known for their sizeable production but not for publishing crop specific Gyspophila data.

More generally, one can say that Gypsophila’s product has a significant and stable ranking in the world market. Yet, some growing areas have been reshuffled. Up to thirty years ago, the Netherlands and Israel were among the major Gypsophila producers until high labour costs pushed the crop abroad. Some Israeli growers have remained but no longer have such strong relevance in world production as labour in Israel is expensive, and the climate for year-round production is not optimal.

Fuller and more lush arrangements

Today, Gypsophila is distinguished mostly by its use in wedding work. Gómez is confident that ‘Grandtastic’ will seduce not only brides but also florists, bouquet manufacturers, and event planners.

He says, “Nothing rivals ‘Grandtastic’ when it comes to adding volume, texture and whimsey in mixed bouquets and arrangements. Every day, the number of growers and designers who are using ‘Grandtastic’ is increasing.”

Asked how to best incorporate ‘Grandtastic’ in floral arrangements and wedding work, Gómez says, “If the floral designer wants more impact per square meter and more flowers in an arrangement plus Gypsophila with stronger stems to make more firm arrangments, ‘Grandtastic’ is the variety of choice. Sturdy stems are vital, considering that they have to bear masses of weighty blooms. Too soft stems will result in arrangements flopping over and looking droopy.”

‘Grandtastic’ lives up to the promise of creating fuller and more lush floral arrangements, ensures Gómez. “Usually, designers use about 50 stems to create gyps balls. But with ‘Grandtastic’, the job is done more quickly as they need 20 to 30 per cent fewer stems to fill the same space. It is arguably the biggest benefit of the variety apart from its pure white colour.”

This article was first published in the June 2024 issue of FloraCulture International.