Sandersonia

Common Names: Sandersonia, Chinese Lantern, Christmas Bells, Chinese Lantern Lily

Botanical names: Sandersonia aurantiaca, san-der-SO-ni-a a-ran-ti-A-ca

Availability: Summer through Fall

Vase life: 7 to 10 days

Storage temperatures: 36 - 38 degrees Fahrenheit

Ethylene Sensitive: Yes

Description: Small, lantern-shaped or bell-like flowers resembling miniature Chinese lanterns borne on long, wiry stems. Slender, grass-like leaves with a glossy green appearance.

Color: Bright orange or yellow

Botanical facts: Native to South Africa. Named for John Sanderson, ~1820-1891, honorary secretary of the Horticultural Society of Natal.

Design notes: Sandersonia with its delicate, lantern-shaped flowers, makes an elegant and versatile design element in floral arrangements. Incorporate Sandersonia to establish vertical or diagonal lines in contemporary arrangements. Its long stems provide a natural flow that enhances the arrangement’s structure.

Purchasing hints: Purchase when clusters have one or two flowers open and other buds showing color.

Conditioning: Remove all of the foliage below the water line. Cut stem ends with a sharp knife. Hydrate in water mixed with commercial floral food for two hours before storage or usage.

Additional notes: This species was reportedly first commercialized as a cut flower in the 1980s in New Zealand. Now grown in many countries.