The economic results from cultivating flannel flowers—as distinct from bush harvesting—are encouraging with a grower achieving a gross margin of $32 000 per hectare in 1996–97.

The grower was one of five commercial cut flower growers selected for a research project funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) to conduct trial plantings in conjunction with the Mount Annan Botanic Garden—the native plant garden of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

Huge increase in cultivation

It is estimated that the number of flannel flowers in cultivation has at least quadrupled during the last three years. With improved cultivars and seed lines being investigated at Mount Annan, the flannel flower has the potential to rival other emerging and newly established Australian native plant export crops.

Japan is the largest current market, while other Asian countries, Europe, Canada and the West Coast of the US have potential. Export prices of about $0.47 to $1.25 per cultivated stem can be achieved.

There are 14 species of flannel flowers (Actinotus spp.) in Australia. The best known is the Sydney or Eastern flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi). It occurs in areas of good drainage, low fertility and low pH, and is found in abundance after bushfires mainly on the eastern seaboard of Australia from the South Coast of NSW to southern Queensland.

Prior to the RIRDC project, more than 99 per cent of flannel flowers sold as cut flowers were bush-harvested, but quality and quantity varied greatly from year to year. Natural stands of flannel flowers also are becoming fewer, mainly through urban encroachment, and ultimately bush harvesting will not be a sustainable practice.
 

Trials highlight potential

• developing propagation techniques (seed, cuttings and tissue culture);
• optimising agronomy (plant spacing, nutrition, soil and climate);
• establishing a germplasm collection for research;
• selecting and developing suitable varieties;
• involving growers.

The total number of stems, the number of salable stems, each plant’s height, the stage of flowering and growth habit (seed, cuttings and tissue culture) was assessed just as flowering commenced during September 1996.

Soil samples from the test sites, along with samples from two areas where flannel flowers grow naturally and in abundance, were given full chemical analyses, including trace elements, to show the range of tolerance of flannel flowers to various nutrients.

Climatic data for areas near all the field sites – including rainfall, the number of rainy days, the maximum/minimum temperatures and the occurrence of frosts – also were assessed.

The trials showed flannel flowers grow well in very sandy soils and in a wide range of extremely well drained soils. They respond to fertiliser and even greater yields are gained by pinch-pruning young plants. Plant densities of 25-50 plants/m2 (approximately 15-30 cm between plants) give maximum yield.

In most areas flannel flowers need some irrigation. During hotter weather they respond well to drip or trickle irrigation, but not overhead watering as this can lead to fungal problems. Areas with adequate summer rainfall may not require irrigation, although low production and losses could be expected during prolonged drought.

Flannel flowers tolerate humidity between 60 and 85 per cent and higher during summer and autumn. Frost does not seem to be a problem.
 

Marketing and maintaining the product

Flannel flowers are best treated as a biennial crop although they may be productive for three to four years. They are affected by few pests. Occasional outbreaks of mealy bugs may be controlled by systemic insecticides. Root rot caused by fungus can contribute to plant losses.

Growers say the flowers are relatively easy to handle as cut flowers as long as they are cut early in the day, the stems placed in water in buckets and refrigerated until reaching the customer. Because of possible allergic skin and respiratory reactions from flannel flowers, care needs to be taken in handling seed and harvesting the flowers.

Florists reported vase life of 14 days, similar to that recorded at Mount Annan. When flowers of six different varieties were placed into water with no other additives, four lasted for 21 days and two selections survived up to 35 days. Further work is required to select suitable cut flower lines that have the longest possible vase life.

Future outlook

There are no named cut flower varieties of flannel flower currently available although the Mount Annan researchers are now working on the commercial development of seed technology and propagating high yielding cultivars, with results due in 2000.

Meanwhile, prospective growers should ensure that the source of their stock material is suitable for cut flower production, that is, it is the long-stemmed form and not short stature forms found growing in some coastal areas.

As with other emerging crops, production and marketing may take some years to stabilise and there may be periods of under and over supply. For this reason flannel flowers should be a complementary crop for cut flower growers, rather than an alternative one.
Natural populations of flannel flowers (Actinotus helianthi)
 

Notes
a Japanese auction market '96; data from IHM P/L
b Based on average for riceflower growers; IHM P/L
c Growing & loss costs may reduce with increasing experience & researchd
d Amortised plant cost may reduce with self-seeding in subsequent crops.
e Salable stems, averaged over 2-year crop
f 40–50% of production may be longer stems; may increase prices up to 50%.
g Mountain Nursery '94–'96
h Plant cost may reduce with propagation R&D; plants in limited supply
i Gross margin/ha is sensitive to plant density; optimum density may decrease with better varietal selection; however, this may improve yield.