"Roselily shifting into high gear"

Roselily has been on the market for several years but the offer is still limited. “The propagation of lilies is fairly slow, we develop this process step by step.”, says cut lily grower Jaap Moerman from De Lier-based Moerman Lilium. Together with De Jong Flowers from De Kwakel, they produce several Roselily varieties to introduce to the trade. Moerman: “At this moment, we produce Isabella, Natalia, Talitha, Juanita and Carolina, approximately 700,000 stems in total annually. The shape, colour and look of Roselily appeals to many markets meaning that there is a huge opportunity here. The cut flowers stay in Europe, the bulbs are exported throughout the world.”

Great expectations
Over 25 Roselily varieties have been developed, which will be introduced to the trade one by one over the next few years. Moerman has no doubt that every single Roselily will be a hit when the time is right. “The shape is its best feature. Before Roselily came on the market, double lilies didn’t exist. Leaving out the pollen has also taken away the biggest obstacle for using lilies. These qualities have paved the way for a successful future. It’s a stunning flower for bouquets and floral designers just love working with them. Only a few stems is enough to make a statement piece.”

Roselily was recently nominated for De Glazen Tulip, the highest award in the industry for novelties. At the time of the interview, the results were still unknown. “Whatever the outcome, it is a great opportunity to let a broad audience know about Roselily. We will also be present at the Trade Fair with a show-stopping stand designed by floral designer Dorien van den Berg.” To further promote the product, the company is starting a campaign soon. “Throughout lily month November and in collaboration with Heemskerk, we will be supplying Roselily stems to 1500 florists across 31 countries. In addition to the promotional flowers, they will also receive extra information about the product. We hope to excite even more people about this phenomenal flower.”

Limits
Moerman currently doesn’t know the maximum capacity of the trade for Roselily. “It has been proven by many other flowers that double varieties often outgrow the demand for their single counterparts. In regards to lilies, this information can be very interesting for future reference.”

Source: Premium Varieties

Publication date: Mon 13 Nov 2017