Colombia’s annual Chrysanthemum Week brought breeders, growers, exporters, wholesalers and buyers together in Antioquia to compare new genetics under commercial growing conditions and assess which varieties may shape future floral programs.
The Aug. 24–28 event included open houses from nine chrysanthemum breeders and hundreds of established and experimental varieties. The format gives growers and buyers an opportunity to evaluate flowers side by side in the region where many will ultimately be produced.
According to the International Association of Horticultural Producers, the event has grown from individual breeder open houses into an important meeting point for the international chrysanthemum trade. Colombia’s chrysanthemum production area has expanded from approximately 716 hectares in 2012 to an estimated 1,000 hectares in 2026.
Commercial performance matters beyond color
New colors and flower forms attract attention, but commercial decisions depend on a longer list of characteristics. Growers must consider productivity, crop timing, disease tolerance and consistency. Bouquet makers and distributors need stems that withstand processing and transportation, while retailers need reliable opening and vase performance.
Chrysanthemum Week allows participants to examine those traits in local conditions rather than relying only on catalog photography or isolated samples. That distinction matters in Colombia, where breeders work with farms supplying high-volume programs in North America and other international markets.
The event also demonstrates how breeding decisions connect the entire supply chain. A variety must perform in the greenhouse, move efficiently through postharvest handling, meet bouquet recipes and arrive at retail with the color, strength and remaining vase life promised to the buyer.
Breeders broaden the chrysanthemum offer
Displays covered major chrysanthemum types, including daisy, cushion, anemone, santini, button and spider forms. Breeding companies used the week to show commercial assortments alongside new selections and trials.
Danziger presented Amor Fancy, a deep-purple daisy-form chrysanthemum with a green center that the company says has already been selected by several Colombian growers. Floritec emphasized new santini selections, while other participating breeders demonstrated additional advances in color, form and performance.
Because the information comes partly from breeder presentations, individual performance claims should be evaluated through grower trials and the specifications required by each retail program. A promising variety at an open house still must prove that it can deliver repeatable results at commercial scale.
A planning opportunity for mass-market buyers
For floral buyers and bouquet makers, breeder events can provide an early look at products that may support future seasonal palettes, price points and consumer trends. They also create an opportunity to compare similar introductions from several breeders during one trip.
That comparison is particularly valuable for chrysanthemums, which serve multiple price points and occasions. Their range of forms and colors makes them useful in everyday bouquets, fall programs and mixed arrangements, while their durability supports long distribution chains.
The broader lesson from Chrysanthemum Week is that innovation cannot be judged by appearance alone. The strongest introductions will be those that balance consumer appeal with yield, uniformity, transportability, processing efficiency and vase performance.
Source: International Association of Horticultural Producers
Travis Rigby is the publisher of SuperFloral, the news source for the mass-market floral industry. He leads its website and weekly newsletter, covering what matters to growers, breeders, supermarket floral buyers and category managers. Travis studied journalism at the University of Utah, founded and led PosterGarden.com for 27 years, and is president of FlowerBox.com.
