Berzelia Flowers: A Unique Element in Floral Designs

Floral design is a captivating art that allows creativity and individual expression through the means of nature. When it comes to adding a unique touch to bouquets and arrangements, few flowers can rival the allure of Berzelia, commonly known as button bush. With its distinctive spherical blooms and textured foliage, Berzelia is the perfect choice for flower lovers looking to create something unique.

Berzilia Lanuginosa and Red Jelly

Berzelia is native to South Africa and is part of the Restionaceae family. It’s recognized for its flower heads, which are comprised of tiny, round florets. The flowers bloom in clusters, creating a beautiful button-like appearance hence its common name. Berzelia flowers come in a range of colors, from soft whites to vibrant greens, making them an excellent addition to diverse palettes.

One of Berzelia’s standout features is its texture. The round, fluffy flower heads add a playful and soft touch to arrangements. This textural variety can complement many flower types, from the delicate petals of serruria to the sleek bracts of protea.

When it comes to floral designs, longevity is also key. Berzelia is a durable flower that can last for weeks when properly cared for, maintaining its charm and structure long after other more delicate blooms have wilted. This makes it a fantastic option for arrangements that require a shelf life, such as event displays.

To ensure that Berzelia remains vibrant and fresh in your arrangements, here are a few care tips: 

1. Keep the stems submerged in clean, cool water. Change the water every few days to prolong life. 
2. Trim stems at an angle before placing them in water to enhance absorption. 
3. Keep arrangements away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
   
4. Adding floral food may help extend the life of your arrangements further by providing essential nutrients.

In the world of floral design, Berzelia stands out as a unique and versatile botanical. Its striking appearance, durability, and ability to adapt to a range of styles makes it a favorite choice among designers. Berzelia reminds us of the intricate, often overlooked beauty that exists in the natural world, waiting to be admired.

Berzelia Berries

Looking for stems of beautiful berries for cut flower bouquets, arrangements or even wreaths? How about using Berzelia or often referred to as Buttonbush? Clusters of round-shaped flowers adorn these lush evergreen plants, complemented by soft, fern-like foliage that surrounds the entire stem from top to bottom in a spiral-like design.

Berzelia lanuginosa

Berzelia Red Jelly

These ‘other-worldly’ botanicals flower from early winter and last well into spring. The berries are often massed in spherical heads and range in color from several shades of green, yellow, creamy-white and some varieties are even two-toned. Berzelia’s unique texture not only appeals to your sense of sight, but also to your tactile senses. Whether it is the lanuginosa or Red Jelly variety, these berries are certainly engaging, making you want to just reach out and touch them. It’s easy to see why this amazing botanical has become popular among designers around the world for its exotic appearance and fabulous texture that complements a range of stylist moods.

Berzelia, is one of approximately eight species found in the Bruniaceae family, one of the few families that is endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom. It grows naturally in the wild from the northwestern to the southwestern parts of the Western Cape.

Spring Floral Topiaries

Topiary… the term may sound unfamiliar, but there’s no doubt you’ve seen the art around. Those hedges and shrubs that have been trimmed into amazing sculptures of everything from shapes to animals to people are topiaries. The art is defined as the horticultural practice of clipping shrubs or trees into shapes.

Topiaries date back to ancient Egypt, when rows of date palm were force-cut into shapes of cones. They returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then again during the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century, the Dutch became intrigued with creating topiary that resembled animals while the French preferred creating topiary into geometric shapes. Topiaries have continued to evolve, they’re not only restricted to formal landscaping structures, some are crafted from potted plants, like ivy or rosemary.

Designing a topiary no longer requires that you adhere to live plants, floral topiaries have become quite popular as well. Crating a floral topiary is a simple way to bring a touch of nature indoors. All you need are the flowers and foliage of your choice, floral foam, as well as a tree branch (or stick) and container to act as the support and showcase for your design. For my first topiary, I gathered Serruria, Leucadendron, Phylica, Berzelia, Calycina and waxflower.

As the spring season’s floral options transitioned from soft mute colors to more vibrant hues, I mixed Leucospermum, Isopogon, Leucadendron and sprigs of lavender and Jasmine Vine.

Many of the botanicals I gathered for these toparies will retain their structural design and to some extent their color long after they’re vase-life. Simply put… they don’t die, they dry… Beautifully!

Capture the Colors of Mardi Gras: Purple, Green & Gold

Did you know part of what makes this New Orleans event fun includes adding some color to your life? The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. If you venture to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, you will see variations of these colors everywhere, from large Christmas-like decorations to the beads that people wear and how the New Orleanians decorate their homes. These colors have been around since 1892 and are part of this pre-Lenten celebration that ends on Mardi Gras (which is French for Fat Tuesday).

One of the wonderful things about a ‘color-based’ celebration like Mardi Gras is that as long as you use the traditional colors, you can make just about any kind of design and it will feel like Mardi Gras. Yes, the joie de vivre doesn’t have to be confined to only this region of the country. You can join in and capture the flavor of New Orleans from wherever you are. So, get ready to turn up the music, simmer the Gumbo, arrange the flowers… and let the good times roll.

When creating Mardi Gras floral décor, you don’t have to make it a specific way. It can be as simple as a few colorful vases with a mixture of flowers and foliage, a large centerpiece or even a bountiful wreath. The main thing is to use hues of purple, green, and gold and then let your imagination run wild!

For the Love of Texture

A couple bunches of Berzelia or ‘Buttonbush’… is all you need for that occasional texture fix. This ‘other-worldly’ botanical is a BIG favorite of ours here on the farm. For all the visual impact these bobbles offer, their unique element of texture not only appeals to your sense of sight, but also to your tactile senses as well. Whether it is Berzelia Lanuginosa or Red Jelly, these small, round buttons are engaging, making you want to just reach out and touch them.

Berzelia, is one of approximately eight species found in the Bruniaceae family, one of the few families that is endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom. It is a wonderful evergreen shrub that grows naturally in the wild from the northwestern to the southwestern parts of the Western Cape.

Berzelia can grow to more than 4 feet tall. Its branches are long, slender and straight. It has soft, fern-like foliage that surrounds the entire stem from top to bottom in a spiral-like design. The flowers are often massed in spherical heads and range in colors from creamy white to several shades of green, yellow and some varieties are even two-toned. Berzelia flowers from winter through spring. Then after flowering, it develops attractive, creamy white seeds that can remain on the shrub for at least one to two years. This wonderful botanical has become extremely popular among designers throughout the world for its exotic appearance and fabulous texture which compliments a range of stylist moods.

Protea Trish Compacta

Few things look more exhilarating during these cold winter days of January than a bounty of gorgeous Protea Trish Compacta, in bloom… stretching high up in the sky on long, sturdy stems against a scenic backdrop. Their bright, vibrant flowers and lush, green foliage certainly have a way of taking the ‘chill out of the air’!

Yes, bring on the Protea Trish Compacta! Think Pink and so velvety soft (don’t you just want to reach out & feel those satiny petals?). This protea cultivar is a wonderful mix of compacta and laurifolia with the classic flawless-colored floral bracts in a rich pink (like compacta) and silvery-white highlights that surround the same pink colored center dome. Trish Compactas bloom winter through early spring… which means you should be enjoying them, umm right now!

When harvested and mixed with other proteas (and some textural Berzelia and eucalyptus), there’s no doubt Trish Compacta can take the chill out of any winter day.

In the Field: Buttonbush

Berzelia, a genus of the Bruniaceae family, is one of the few plants endemic to the Cape floral kingdom and the Western Cape of South Africa. Berzelia or also called ‘Buttonbush’ is typically harvested when the clusters of round flower heads are still closed and green or cream in color, looking like masses of colorful peas attached to a sturdy stem. Below the flowering heads are wispy side shoots of small needle-like foliage which are grouped in whorls going up the long, woody stems.

This gorgeous and other-worldly botanical muse of plant lovers and floral designers around the world, is a longtime favorite of ours here on the farm. For all the visual impact these bobbles offer, their unique element of texture not only appeals to the sense of sight, but also to the tactile senses as well. Whether it’s Berzelia Lanuginosa or Red Jelly, these small, round buttons are engaging, making you want to reach out, touch and feel them.

Berzelia Lanuginosa

Berzelia Red Jelly

The Topiary

Topiary… the term may sound unfamiliar, but there’s no doubt you’ve seen the art around. Those hedges and shrubs that have been trimmed into amazing sculptures of everything from shapes to animals to people are topiaries. The art is defined as the horticultural practice of clipping shrubs or trees into shapes.

Topiaries date back to ancient Egypt, when rows of date palm were force-cut into shapes of cones. They returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then again during the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century, the Dutch became intrigued with creating topiary that resembled animals while the French preferred creating topiary into geometric shapes. Topiaries have continued to evolve, they’re not only restricted to formal landscaping structures, some are crafted from potted plants, like ivy or rosemary.

Today, creating a topiary no longer requires that you adhere to live plants, floral topiaries have become quite popular as well. Designing a floral topiary is a simple way to bring a touch of nature indoors… winter, spring, summer or fall. All you need are the flowers and foliage of your choice, floral foam, as well as a tree branch (or stick) and container to act as the support and showcase for your design. For our topiary, we’ve selected Serruria, Leucadendron, Phylica, Berzelia, Calycina and waxflower, blooms that can last two to three weeks with the proper care. Many of these botanicals will retain their structural design and to some extent their color long after their vase-life. They don’t die, they dry… Beautifully!

Spring Forward

In like a lion, out like a lamb, March is a month of change and revival. The days grow longer and lighter and our souls tend to follow suit as well. Today, we ‘spring forward’ and set our sights on March 20th, the first day of spring. In many ways, this winter in Southern California has been an unusual one, lots of rain, lighting and thunder along with some of the coldest temperatures on record. The nearby mountain tops are snow packed surrounding our valley in a winter wonderland. While spring may still be a little over a week away, we’re ready to begin the seasonal transition. With brighter hues and plenty of texture… we’re 'Spring-Ready', even though winter is still rampaging through the fields like a lion.

Our remedy to ward-off the winter blues: a few gorgeous pink Protea burchellii, a couple stems of creamy-yellow Leucadendron Harvest and green clusters of textural Berzelia.

Waratah Bouquet

Flowers are the special things that can change just about everything. From bouquets of fresh-cut garden flowers to extravagant arrangements, each inspires a burst of joy and a lot of wonderment. With spring’s abundance of blooms and foliage, I ventured into the fields to see what treasures I could find to create something simply elegant.

During this trip into the fields I realized the phrase ‘Better Late than Never’ certainly applied. As I came across two of my favorite spring flowers that typically bloom in March… Waratah and Boronia, I knew I was on the right track. I reminded myself that the name Waratah is an Aboriginal name for “beautiful” and the botanical name Telopea means “seen from a distance’.  There was no doubt that I'd miss any of these Waratah, even if they're late bloomers. The Boronia also couldn’t be avoided as that wonderful lemony fragrance drew me right to the petite, bell-like flowers with delicate deep green leaves.

I found my treasures and knew I could create something fabulous.

As I gathered stems of leucadendron, banksia foliage and berzelia to complete by bouquet, I felt inspired!