Boronia


1 entry found.
Picture of Boronia Boronia
Common Name: Boronia
Botanical Name: Boronia spp. (mostly B. heterophylla and B. megastigma) (bor-OWN-ee-a)
Decorative Life: 7-10 days when handled well.
Post Harvest Care:
  • Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food, STS, or hydration solution.
  • Flowers of red types often fade from red to bright pink to white during vaselife.
Harvest Instructions: Harvest when 20-50% of the flowers are open as few flower buds open after harvest.
Family Roots:
  • A member of the Rutaceae (rue family).
  • Native to Australia.
  • Common relatives include citrus, diosma, correa, cork tree, kumquat and gas-plant.
Personality:
  • Small waxy bell-shaped flowers in loose clusters along upper stems.
  • Wiry stems 20-24 inches long with needle-like leaves.
  • Plant is a woody shrub, classified as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
  • Some species/cultivars have flowers with intense fragrances.
Availability: Winter-spring.
Flower Color: Pink, fuchsia, yellow/maroon.
Storage Specifics: 36-40F for 10-12 days but vaselife can be reduced to only 3-4 days for B. heterophylla.
Tidbits:
  • Named for Francesca Borone (1769-1794).
  • In Australia, Boronia megastigma flowers are grown or harvested in the wild for essential oil production. The oil is used in perfumes, cosmetics and as a fruity food flavoring.
  • Often only do well for about two years as a landscape plant even in ideal climates.