Holiday Color Series: Essential Red

Holiday Color Series: Essential Red

Christmas flowers Holiday flowers ilex verticillata LA Hybrid red red flowers red holiday flowers red matsumoto asters red tulips Sumatra lilies

Welcome to Part Two of our Holiday Color Series. Now that we are fully in December, it is time to talk about the official color of Christmas: Red.  Not only is it adorning the windows of shops and the sweaters of my coworkers, I can also see it appearing more and more in our greenhouses, fields, and shipping coolers. 

Origin of Christmas Red

The use of red at Christmas has its history rooted in both pagan and Christian beliefs, tracing back to the Middle Ages, when using red and green symbolized the end of cycle and the beginning of a new one—typically around the winter solstice.  Christians associated red with this tradition as well, but they used it to indicate the sacred color of Christ's blood.  They celebrated the change of season with medieval miracle plays about the story of creation and Adam and Eve, featuring a "paradise tree" hung with red apples.  The holly berry, too, became associated with Christ's blood, along with the red robes of church bishops.  All these uses preceded the red of Santa's suit (which was actually made popular by artist Fred Mizen and Coca-Cola in the 1930s).

Regardless of the origin of using red with Christmas, it is here to stay.  All the better, I say, as there is a wealth of holiday flora that come in that nostalgic and symbolic, Christmas Red.

Red Matsumoto Asters

Matsumoto asters cheer up grey, winter skies with their warm and vibrant colors. They are especially fitting for the holiday season, as they come in that bright, enviable Christmas red.  Their soft petals gather tightly around a golden center, illustrating the Latin root of their name, which means “star."  Their lengthy stems and long vase life make Matsumoto Asters an essential addition to any Christmas decor.

Red Ilex

Ilex Verticallata (also known as winterberry) is the quintessential winter botanical.  We are unabashed ilex devotees here at Sun Valley, and as explained in Flower Talk before, it's because our ilex program has been hand-picked, bred, and cultivated by Lane DeVries for decades, and his long-term dedication to grow the best ilex is evident in what we offer today.   Have a look at these lovely greenery enhanced bunches below.

(Top L-R) Ilex Enhanced Bunches with: Cedar, Tulips and Cedar, Ilex M, Princess Pine

Also, the singular beauty of ilex displayed by itself is an arrangement that should not be overlooked.  The effect is both stunning and graceful.  Below are some gorgeous holiday ilex displays found on Pinterest, and there are hundreds of more ideas!

Red Tulips

We are also unabashed tulip lovers at Sun Valley! Tulips were one of our original bulb crops, and for the last thirty years, we have been working to provide high-quality, soil-grown tulips all year long.  During winter, we use bulbs from our Southern Hemisphere suppliers in order to have a fresh and timely supply of tulips during the "off-season." Red tulips pair amazing with all kinds of holiday greenery--cedar, pine, or fir, it doesn't matter--they all provide a great backdrop (and holiday scent) to bright red tulips. 

(From L-R): Rococco Red Tulips with Eucalytpus and Fir, Red tulip enhanced bunches with holiday greens

Red Lilies

Sumatra

Looking for a deeper red this holiday season? Consider Sumatra lilies, which have Bordeaux petals intensified by dark burgundy brushstrokes, ruby freckling, and a thin white ruffle at the edges of its petals.  Because they are part of the Oriental Lily family, Sumatra blooms are quite large and very fragrant.  If you're looking for an elegant and fragrant red flower for this holidays, try the dark hues of the Sumatra Lily.

LA Hybrids

LA Hybrids are perfect for those who want a long-lasting, red holiday lily with no fragrance. LA Hybrids fulfill that scentless need, making them a great option for those who have floral allergies or for those who want the notes of gingerbread and apple cider to reign supreme.  We've branded our LA Hybrids as Love and Royal Lilies, and they come in a range of red hues to fit any kind of holiday theme.   Their petals are velvety and strong, and their long vase life will help them last through the holiday season.

Some of our red-hued LA Hybrids

In case you need a re-cap of our list of Essential Red Flowers, I've rewritten a one a holiday classic to help you remember, called The Five Days of Flowers.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - an ilex verticillata..
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me -two LA Hybrids, and an ilex verticillata.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me - three red tulips, two LA Hybrids, and an ilex verticillata.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Four Sumatra Lilies, three red tulips, two LA Hybrids and an ilex verticillata.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Five Red Asters, Four Sumatra Lilies, three red tulips, two LA Hybrids, and an ilex verticillata.

Happy Holidays.

A Terrain of Thanks (Drone Flower Field Video!)

A Terrain of Thanks (Drone Flower Field Video!)

drone flower fields flower magic Ilex fields ilex verticillata Soaring over California Ilex videos Willow Creek

Our Willow Creek Farm is a breathtaking, humbling place—colorful flower fields nestled alongside the Trinity River, set against a backdrop of redwoods, wildlife, and morning fog.  This Northern California landscape truly inspires gratitude, and its beauty, paired with the dramatic colors of our ilex and rosehips, has been captured in this short movie by local drone filmmaker, Chad Johnson.


Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

Ilex in Autumn

Ilex in Autumn

autumn berries branches fall botanicals flame ilex gold ilex ilex verticillata Lane Orange ilex red ilex Willow Creek

Can you feel it? Halloween has passed, election season is reaching its apex, and pumpkin spice is everywhere—Fall is here in all its glory and you don't even need a calendar to know.  The same goes if you're a flower farmer...the flowers tell you.

Orange Ilex

Take ilex verticillata for example... our ilex season kicks off in early October with gold and orange berries which echo the changing seasons perfectly.  November brings an overlap of all the colors—gold, orange, and the brilliant red-orange variety, flame. November is also when we start offering our famous, cherry-red ilex, which we continue harvesting through December.

From left to right: Flame, Red, Gold, and Orange Ilex

 Ilex Farming

We grow ilex at our  Willow Creek Farm, located 40 miles inland from coastal Arcata in Northern California.  This canyon in the hills provides the perfect micro-climate for ilex—a long, extended autumn, mild weather, and rich soil.  These elements come together to help us produce our high-quality ilex, renowned for its long stems and large berries.

Our Willow Creek Team Lead showing off some ilex

Mature ilex plants produce berried stems every other year, which means they are a long-game crop that requires devotion.  And for the last three decades, devotion is exactly what they have been receiving from Lane.   Soil-grown tulips aside, ilex is one of Lane's favorite crops and growing and breeding them has become quite the labor of love.

As mentioned above, ilex is not a short-term project—over the last 30 years, as Lane found desirable characteristics in individual plants (such as strong stems, great laterals, and good berry density), he marks that particular plant, and later, cross-breeds them with others in order to produce the best of the best.  Lane has created some of the finest ilex in the industry this way—ilex that you cannot find anywhere else.


The leaves on ilex will naturally drop off as the season progresses; however, when demand is up, we employ a few natural tricks to get ilex to drop their leaves.  Ilex berries are a fruit, and like most fruits, they emit ethylene gas.  By covering up a cart of freshly picked branches with plastic and leaving it overnight, ethylene gas becomes trapped and causes the leaves to drop off, leaving us with clean, berried stems.  Once ilex has shed its leaves, it remains a sturdy, dependable product that can last the entire season.

  Ilex Design

Ilex branches add incredible lines, depth, and height, and their berries provide a powerful focal punch. The sky is the limit when designing with ilex.  Gold, orange, and flame-hued ilex make great additions to autumn arrangements, wreaths, and bouquets...and of course, there's nothing prettier than a vase full of ilex berries by themselves. Just check out the versatile and gorgeous combinations below: 
 

Orange and Gold Ilex Arrangements

 We sell cut ilex with stem lengths ranging from 16-32 inches, and also offer mixed color boxes, allowing our customers to choose what best fits their purposes.  Order now to get our range of autumn ilex, grown with love, and exclusively bred to be the best of the best.

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How to Create the Perfect Ilex

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

#CAGrown American Grown ilex verticillata Lady Aster Lane DeVries Willow Creek winterberry

If you are familiar with Sun Valley, then you know we are the industry go-to for bulb crops, especially soil-grown tulips.  However, we also have a seasonal crop which is just as renowned, and always wows our customers and blows the socks off of our competition--Ilex Verticillata.

Ilex Verticillata (aka Winterberry) paired with Blue Prince Holly

I say that last statement with confidence, as our ilex program has been hand-picked, bred, and cultivated by our own Lane DeVries for over a decade.  His long-term dedication to grow the best ilex verticillata is evident in the product we offer today.

So, what are the requirements for high-quality ilex? Deep, saturated colors of the berries, a large concentration of berries on each stem, good positioning and length of laterals, and, of course, overall lasting power.  It's these floral characteristics which make our ilex a joy to use in design and a pleasure to share with others.

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

The ilex we currently grow is the “Oosterwijk” variety, which is the female cultivar of the ilex plant, known for the holding power of its color and berries as a cut branch.  Our original plants came from Holland a little over 10 years ago, and we've been growing them at our Willow Creek farm since then. 

Ilex growing in Willow Creek

Years ago, Lane started working with some test plants which had planted in 2006.  He ranked each individual plant using a 30-point scale based on the positioning of the berries on the stem, the saturation of color, the size and number of berries, and stem length.
 

Quality branch: high concentration of colorful berries, many laterals with good positioning, and great stem length.

Lane then took cuttings from 20 of the outstanding performers, and these were repropagated and replanted.  This process creates identical genetic copies of the strongest plants.  Ilex may be one of the most difficult crops to repropagate, but it's worth it to follow the achievable dream of the "most perfect" ilex.   Lane plants, tests, replants, retests, and so on in order to continuously improve and innovate--one of Sun Valley's guiding principles at work. 

Lane in his element

Another method that Lane uses to create the most perfect ilex is cross-pollination. He will plant two highly ranked bushes next to each other, and let the bees do their work of cross-pollinating the flowers, creating entirely new strains of ilex. Lane has the fields diagrammed like a stadium, each plant has an assigned section, row, and seat so that it can be closely tracked and monitored.

And while Lane has created the most perfect Ilex you can find on the market, the rest of the Sun Valley team ensures that it makes it to you that way.

Bunching and sleeving room

 Our Willow Creek team harvests the branches, places them in buckets and then they get hauled down the mountain to our Arcata farm. Once in the warehouse, our processing team removes the foliage to expose the striking red berries, and then bunches and sleeves the branches.

Large bucket of de-foliated ilex in our sales office

The end product is stunning. We offer simple bunches of the brilliant red ilex as well as enhanced bunches.  A very popular holiday favorite is our red ilex paired with cedar and white tulips or lilies--the contrast of color and texture is dynamic and beautiful.

The years of work (and love) that have gone into creating the best product in the market is a testament our floral devotion, and has made Sun Valley THE dependable source for ilex.  Not only that, Lane is continuing to improve and innovate, which makes the future look very berry bright, indeed.

Our exceptional red ilex is available NOW until it sells out, so get it quickly before Santa takes the rest of it up to Mrs. Claus! 



Whole Lotta Verticillata | The Ilex Chronicle

Whole Lotta Verticillata | The Ilex Chronicle

Ilex ilex verticillata Lane DeVries

Our Red Ilex Verticillata in a beautiful vase from The Blacksmith Shop in Ferndale, CA.

One person at Sun Valley is absolutely obsessed with Ilex Verticillata. His name is Lane DeVries. I walked into Lane’s office last week and asked the foolish question,

“Why is our red ilex so special?”

Lane’s eyes popped open, he flipped the top down on his laptop, took off his Bluetooth and grinned a huge smile, like a cat that had new toy. 

  

“So, you want to know about our ilex program, aye?”

Little did I know Lane had been patiently waiting for someone to come ask him about our ilex so he could expound on all the interesting developments in the Sun Valley ilex program.

Lane inspecting the ilex, bush by bush.

The following is distilled down from a reeeaaaally long discussion about ilex verticillata.

The ilex we currently grow is the “Oosterwijk” variety, which is the female cultivar of the ilex plant. Our original plants came from Holland, and we have been growing it at our Willow Creek farm for about 10 years.

Over the course of the fall we have gold, orange and red berries come to harvest.  Now through Christmas we have the classic red coming on strong. We usually sell out about seven days before Christmas, so get your ducks in a row now, because this year Thanksgiving is coming later than usual, and December is going to be a mad dash.

Ilex berries in mid-August.

Our picking team harvests the branches, places them in white buckets and then they get hauled down the mountain to our Arcata farm. In the warehouse, we removing the leaves to expose the stunning red berries, bunch and sleeve the branches.

Over the last several years Lane has been propagating the bushes with the best floral characteristics.  He has been doing this in a couple ways. The first way is making cuttings, and reproducing identical genetic copies of the strongest plants. By “strongest” I mean the plants that lives up to a set of 30 characteristics which Lane has established.  Characteristics include berry color, amount of berries on stem, position of the berries on the stem and stem length.

Ilex!

The other way Lane is working to create the perfect ilex is by cross pollination. He will take two highly ranked bushes and plant them next to each other, so that the bees will cross pollinate the flowers, creating entirely new strains of ilex bushes.

Lane has the fields diagrammed like a huge theater, each plant has an assigned seat so it can we tracked and monitored over the years.

 

This diligent and a bit compulsive behavior is leading to a breakthrough in fall foliage that will benefit all floral professionals, and ultimately consumers that will enjoy these berries as part of their fall and holiday traditions.

Ilex in the warehouse, ready to be sleeved.

Of course the berries are the star of the show, but I actually like the branch itself just as much. The main stem is a warm brown with gray and maroon highlights, and the stems holding the berries have an olive green tone that very subtly sets off the red berries with a lovely contrast.  The laterals of the branch are pretty stiff, so design wise you need to be conscious of this. The branches are much more rigid than a rosehip branch, and if you use this to your advantage you can easily go vertical or horizontal.

The Queen of Greens, Debbie Hartman, about to make some beautiful arrangements featuring our ilex.

Sun Valley is your dependable ilex source, and with Lanes' work, it shows that we are in this for the long haul.  Breeding this bush to be the best floral product is a testament to the effort and devotion we share in bringing the best flowers and foliage to market.