Lisianthus Can Can Carmine Rose seeds - Eustoma grandiflorum

The Lisianthus Can Can® F1 Carmine Rose (Eustoma grandiflorum) is a reliable choice for summer cut flower arrangements. It produces long stems bearing flowers resembling small roses, in two shades of pink. Its flowers open in small clusters at the top of slender yet sturdy stems, giving each one the appearance of a small bouquet ready for cutting. Sown early in the season, this variety flowers in summer and until early autumn. It will also add a sophisticated touch to annual flower beds.

This lisianthus belongs to the Gentianaceae family and the Eustoma genus, of which the species Eustoma grandiflorum is also known by the synonymous names Eustoma russellianum or Lisianthus russellianus. It is native to the dry prairies and sandy plains of the southern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows on well-drained calcareous soils.
The Can Can® F1 series, including Carmine Rose, was selected by the American company PanAmerican Seed based in Illinois, specifically for cut flower production; the branched "spray"-type stems bear several flower buds that open quite closely together. The plant, a short-lived perennial in its natural medium, is grown as an annual in our gardens. It forms an upright and relatively narrow clump, 70 to 90 cm tall when in flower and about 20 to 30 cm wide. The stems, glabrous and bluish-green, become highly ramified in the upper half of the plant. The foliage is formed of ovate to lanceolate leaves, 4 to 8 cm long, of a matt bluish-grey-green colour, slightly fleshy, and covered with a thin waxy film. The root system is mainly taprooted, with fine, deep roots that are sensitive to compaction and excess water.
The inflorescences are terminal panicles, bearing several buds that open successively; each flower, 5 to 7 cm in diameter, is formed of numerous thick, slightly undulate petals, in a deep carmine colour, washed with pink, lighter in the centre. Flowering occurs from July to September for sowings done in winter or very early spring.

Priority planting for the lisianthus Can Can® F1 Carmine Rose should be in a cut flower patch or a very well-tended border. Young plants are planted out after all risk of frost, in a cold frame, under a tunnel or directly in the ground. To create delicate bouquets, pair this lisianthus with other varieties such as F1 ‘Cessna Vogue IV’, but also with the fine flowers of Cosmos ‘Double Click Cranberries’, with Gypsophila paniculata ‘Bristol Fairy’ or with the light spikes of statice Limonium sinuatum ‘Qis Apricot’.

In cut flower producing countries, particularly Japan, lisianthus has become a very popular wedding flower, sometimes nicknamed the "thornless rose" for its resemblance to the rose and its excellent vase life, often exceeding ten days.