Optimara Creates African Violet That Never Blooms

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The company that has been the world-wide leader in developing new and more colorful blooming versions of the African violet announced today the introduction of a new African violet for the floral market that doesn't bloom at all.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110224/CL54113 )

Reinhold Holtkamp, Vice President of Optimara, said that this new variety, called the NeverFloris, is an African violet that was created by the company as part of its ongoing botanical research and development efforts.  It is designed for floral shops and floral decorators to provide them an attractive but monotone color base for their designs.  The NeverFloris can replace the oasis block, that familiar part of the florist's arsenal that serves as the base for so many arrangements.

"The NeverFloris is an African Violet that presents a beautiful green color across the entire plant," Holtkamp said.  "It has hundreds of stems with buds, but not a one will open.  Instead, they form a rich, textural base for hundreds of floral designs, performing much like a foliage plant, and lasting for many months.  We've shared it with numerous florists who find it to be an exciting and unusual canvas, even a playground, for the creative minds of their designers."

He went on to say, "For a floral company such as ours, which is known for producing full blooming violets with a variety color and beauty, to develop a non-blooming violet seems strange.  In fact, we have termed this plant as bizarre.  But it's that type of innovative thinking that has always characterized our company.  Our focus remains on finding unusual products that help our customers succeed."

The NeverFloris was developed at the company's research center in Germany by Markus Holtkamp, Reinhold's cousin.  Through a series of breeding experiments he was able to grow an African violet whose blooms would not open.  The resulting plant has the leaf color and is the size and shape of the traditional African violet.  It has been honored with the Taspo Award in Berlin and received the distinguished Rabensteiner Award, presented for the Best Marketable Plant Novelty of the Year in Europe.

Optimara is the brand name of products by the Holtkamp Greenhouses, Inc.  The company began operations in 1904. More information is available at optimara.com or selectivegardener.com.

SOURCE Optimara