The golden glow of ‘Valverde’

A lot is happening in the world of OT’s. There is an enormous desire for novelties, however not all new introductions are equally distinctive. Luckily, lily ‘Valverde’ is far away from the latter category. Its intense shade of gold alone makes you long for more. Add in its long list of great features and you’ll know why it is destined for a glorious future.

‘Valverde’ is an OT lily developed by Mark Breeding BV from ‘t Zand. Van den Bos is one of the exporters that sells this variety. Purchasing Manager Rob Verbraeken from Van den Bos is very excited about ‘Valverde’. “First of all, notice the amazing colour. There is hardly any other OT variety available in this shade. It holds its colour very well and you don’t see this number of buds very often in an OT. Even the smaller sized bulbs, 12-14’s, still produce 2 to 3 heads. Normally this would require a larger size. ‘Valverde’ is a long lasting variety with flowers that keep growing once cut and put on water and open until the very last bud. Even in warm surroundings, the buds still stand straight and tall.”

All options open
Another strength of ‘Valverde’ is its stem length. “It meets international standards. In the Netherlands it grows up to 130cm, in a warmer climate up to 110cm, which is perfect for those markets.” Which markets are best for ‘Valverde’ is yet to be decided according to Verbraeken. “We are dealing with a completely new product so we’re currently testing the waters. I imagine it would do well in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and North America. We’re keeping all options open.” For now, Van den Bos aims at the high end of the market. “This product is ideal for premium bouquets or event work.”

For growers it is good to know that ‘Valverde’ is easy to cultivate in every bulb size. This lily is also an easy variety for cut flower nurseries. “It’s not prone to any viruses and grows effortlessly.”

Despite Valverde’s number of guaranteed successes, Verbraeken does not expect this variety to turn into mass production. “The colour is too specific, it will always stay a niche product. A product with a very attractive profit margin however!” At the same time, this is also its pitfall says the Purchasing Manager. “If the complete industry picks up this variety at the same time, it will cause an overflow. Prices will plummet and the product will eventually vanish from the market and our minds. It would be a real shame if that happens, ‘Valverde’ is too beautiful and destined for more.”

By Monique Ooms at premium-varieties.com. Photography by René Faas