Freesia flowers have been one of the world’s most prominent and favorite flower varieties. The Freesia genus, Freesia, once caused a huge sensation when first introduced to cultivation in 1878! In addition to Freesia latifolia, which is also known as Hawaiian Freesia, this is also the world’s sweetest, most delicious of all Freesia varieties. This is the only subspecies of the Freesia genus that produces petals instead of leaves. The flower itself has an orange peel appearance and grows in the wild across the island of Hawaii.
Freesia is used in many floral arrangements; however, its scent is particularly pleasing to the human nose. The scent of the Freesia flower is quite strong and is widely used as a fragrance in perfumes, soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, cosmetics, deodorants, shaving creams, and toilet water. Freesia’s fragrance, upon release, is highly pungent and lasts for long hours. In fact, the entire aroma of the flower is pungent and, when sprayed on humans and pets, can be extremely harmful!
There are several factors that go into growing and maintaining plants of any kind: hardiness, moisture, soil fertility, sunlight, and potting medium. All of these factors are equally important for your plants’ health and blooming. Freesia flower requirements are neither very difficult nor very easy to fulfill. You should consider two main factors: location and season. Planting your flowers or seeds in the right location can go a long way towards ensuring their success; the flowers will be ready to bloom in early fall, for example, but if they are planted in poor soil, they will not be able to survive. Soil fertility is an issue all year round, but your best choice of location is the area nearest to the coast, where there is plenty of drainage and rain is usually not too heavy.
Many varieties of Freesia are hybrids, which means that some have features of both the Freesia plant family (Fristonia and Aloes) and the Paphiopedilum genus. Hybrid varieties will often have characteristics of both, but in general they are closer to their Paphiopedilum ancestors than to any other Freesia varieties. Some of the more common hybrids are the Freesias with the dual stem system, called Hybrasiana, the Agapanthus with the double petals, called the Paphiopedilum, and the Cymbidium with the double spiral shape, called the Pappelia.
When you prune freesia flowers, you are curling or shearing the plant at the base, and then cutting the uppermost leaves off. It is also sometimes necessary to deadhead young growth, because young stems may curl up and intertwine with each other, making it difficult to get a cutting deep enough to cut deeply. Young stems can be trimmed back to about 2 inches long before they grow into a tight ball, called a rhizome. Cut the flower at the base, leaving the flower and the base intact, and follow the plant downwards. Follow the rhizome downwards, cutting straight down at the base again, and then straightening out the flower as it grows.
Freesia flowers come in many different hues of pink, ranging from pale yellow to a bright, intense orange. The flowers themselves are usually borne on short stalks, which are either white or yellow. In some species the blossoms come in a group of four, called a polyantha. These polyantha flowers come in all sorts of colors, ranging from pastel yellows to bright oranges.
To care for your Freesia flower, you will need a number of pots. The best ones are made of terracotta clay, as they tend to dry out more slowly than clay pots, and can retain their shape when placed in direct sunlight, without drying out too much. If you’re going to repot a whole bunch, make sure you use a plastic pot, as plastic tends to retain heat, and therefore will burn your plants. When choosing the right pot, pick one that has a slipper bottom, so your flowers don’t slip out.
Freesia flowers come in many different varieties, some of which are quite rare. Many people, mistakenly though, think that all freesia flowers come from Australia, where they simply aren’t native. There are, however, many rare varieties of these flowers that come from Nepal, and these tend to have fuller blooms, are more colorful, and are naturally darker green than most Australian varieties. With so many types of Freesia available, it’s easy to get carried away with all the varieties and end up with plants you don’t even need. For this reason, it’s important to remember that you’re looking to fill your garden with blooms that you enjoy, so choose carefully!