View source for Everlastings

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Everlastings. A term applied to flowers or plants that retain their shape and other characteristics after being dried; equivalent to the French word "immortelle." With everlastings are also included various artificial or manufactured articles that imitate flowers or plants.

The most important commercially of the flowers that retain their form and color in a dried state have been the French immortelles, Helichrysum arenarium. These flowers are used very extensively in France in their natural yellow color, for the manufacture of memorial wreaths and crosses, which, being constructed very compactly, are exceedingly durable, even in the severest weather, and are exported in large' numbers to all parts of the world. The flowers bleached white, or bleached and then dyed in various colors, are shipped in enormous quantities, either direct to this country or by some of the large exporting houses of Germany. In the United States, however, the use of these immortelles has fallen off on account of the high duty.

Approaching the French immortelles in aggregate value have been the so-called "cape flowers, Helichrysum grandiflorum, which formerly reached an enormous sale in this country, and they largely supplanted the immortelles on account of their silvery texture and greater beauty every way. They are naturally white, but require bleaching in the sun to give them the desired luster. They came from the Cape of Good Hope, and reached this country mainly from Hamburg. Of recent years, these products have been less important in the American trade because of the uncertainty of the crop; poor quality, and the competition of artificial materials. There is now being made hi Germany an artificial "cape flower;" this flower is made from paper and waxed, and is an excellent imitation African cape. Large quantities of these goods are being imported into this country, and they have given great satisfaction to all florists that have used them. Probably in time the German product will entirely supersede the natural African cape, more particularly as each flower has a wire stem which the florists attach to the toothpicks or sticks, and this eaves considerable labor.

The common everlasting of American and English country gardens, Helichrysum bracteatum, is the only one of these flowers grown to any extent in North America, and more or less extensive cultivation of it, commercially, has been practised in this country but a large percentage is still imported. These plants come in white, straw and brown colors naturally, and take readily to a variety of artificial tints; together with Ammobium alatum and the well-known globe amaranth, Gomphrena globosa, they are grown and used to a considerable extent by the country folk in the construction of the many forms of wreaths, stars, and other Christmas forms, which they sell in the city markets in large quantities, but their sale by wholesalers and jobbers for general consumption is very limited. Statice incana, cultivated or wild from the swamps of southern Europe, and Gypsophila in several species are used to a considerable extent; and the sale of statice especially, which is popular in combination with cape flowers in memorial designs, is quite an item with the dealers in florists' supplies.

Of the dried grasses, the pampas plumes of California, Cortaderia argentea, native of South America, are the only American production attaining any great commercial importance. Their beautiful silky plumes, unapproached by any other horticultural product, are used in enormous quantities for decorative purposes, and are an important item of American export. They are used mainly in a sun-bleached state, but more or less dyeing, often parti-colored, is also done. Bromus brizaeformis is the most extensively used of the smaller grasses. It is mostly imported from Europe. It can be imported, however, including duty, for about 25 per cent less than it is possible to grow it in this country. It is handled in the natural state. Briza maxima, another popular grass, is grown in Italy. Briza media, a medium-sized grass, and Briza minima, the flowers of which are as fine as sawdust, are also handled in the same way as Briza maxima, very little of the B. minima being used dyed, however. Phleum pratense, Stipa pennata, and various kinds of oats have more or less commercial value, being used considerably in the manufacture of imitation flowers and straw goods, but from a florist's standpoint they are not important. The most important commercially of the imported grasses is the Italian wheat, the quantities used in this country for the manufacture of sheaves for funeral purposes being enormous, and increasing yearly. It comes in many grades of fineness and length of stem. In this country all attempts to cultivate it in competition with the European product have failed. Of late years, a decorative natural grass called "Minerva" and treated artificially is being imported in large quantities, and is used by florists in combinations, making a very effective setting-off to flowers in basket decoration.

Much use is now made in this country of the dried twigs and foliage of ruscus. This is grown in Italy, and is shipped to Germany where it is prepared and dyed in many attractive colors. It holds its form well. It is made up into wreaths and other articles, and provides a good foliage effect.

Enormous use is now made of magnolia leaves prepared and colored in brown, red and green. In former years these goods were secured from Germany and Italy, but they are no longer imported for the reason that they are prepared in this country as good, if not better than they are on the other side, and much cheaper. They are gathered and prepared in Florida, and shipped to all parts of the United States, put in cartons containing about 1,000 leaves. They are used very extensively by all classes of florists on account of their lasting qualities and fine appearance. They have almost entirely superseded the galax leaf, which has been in use for so many years in the making up of mortuary emblems.

A number of our native composites—of the genera Gnaphalium, Antennaria and Anaphalis—are called everlastings, and are often used in home decorations, particularly in .the country; but they have no commercial rating.

There is an increasing demand for artificial decorative articles, to be used alone and in conjunction with fresh cut-flowers; they are now being used by the best florists and plantsmen. The demand for decorative artificial flowers, plants and like materials, has grown to such an extent that there are now a large number of businesses devoted exclusively to the manufacture of them. This is well illustrated in the product called "Japanese wood frieze," in appearance resembling very much the well-known worsted and silk chenille. It is made from wood-fiber colored in shades to represent the colors of immortelles. This frieze or wood chenille, when worked up in various designs, so closely resembles immortelles that the difference between them can hardly be detected.

One of the interesting artificial greens is the "sea moss." It is an alga-like hydroid (one of the animal kingdom), known as Sertularia argentea, which is commonly distributed along our Atlantic coast northward from New Jersey to the Arctic. The long moss-like strands are dyed bright green, and the "plant" is used in making table decorations and jardiniere pieces. It is sometimes called "air plant." The apparent lateral minute buds clothing all the branches are, of course, the shelter for the zooids of the colony during life. There is another one (Aglaophenia struthionides) found on the Pacific coast, which is even more beautiful, and which is put to the same decorative uses, and is known there as the ostrich plume, the branches haying a beautiful pinnate arrangement along the two sides of a single axis. These sea-mosses are dried, the dirt picked out, and then dyed and fixed in a preparation to make them permanent. They are likely to have an unpleasant odor. 		H. Bayersdorfer.	Wm. N. Reed.

Everlastings for home use.

After much experience with the growing of everlastings for home winter decorations, the three following species have been found the best for plantings: Helichrysum monstrosum, the double form of H. bracteatum, known as "golden ball," Acroclinium (Helipterum) roseum flore-pleno, and the Chinese lantern plant, Physalis Franchetii. These are easily grown, are free bloomers and give better and brighter color in their dried state than other forms. They have a certain warmth in color that is appreciated in zero weather.

The helichrysum and acroclinium are started in the greenhouse or hotbed during the latter part of March, planting them out in full sun as soon as all danger of frost is past. Any good garden soil suits them.

It is most important that the flowers of the acroclinium be picked just as soon as the buds show color, even if they look almost too small, because if too for advanced the ray petals open up flat, exposing the center, which will soon turn brown when dried and spoil the effect. Those cut early will open up part way, presenting only their full color. In full blooming season they should be picked daily. With the helichrysum one can wait until the bud is of fairly good size but all the smaller ones will open up also when dried. Those fully open or showing the center at all will turn brown. With both plants pluck off all foliage, place in bundles and hang them, heads down, in some dry closet. They should be examined at times, as in the drying the sterna shrink and the flower may fall down. They should remain in this dry shelter until the house is heated in the fall, reducing the moisture in the air, otherwise the dry flower-stems would absorb the moisture and become limp.

A certain number of "droopers" is wanted when arranging a bouquet, in order to avoid stiffness. These are easily secured. Take a long sheet of a pliable cardboard about 8 inches wide, tack one edge lengthwise on the top of a shelf, at the front bringing it out and downward so as to form a half circle, and fasten it there. Then lay the freshly picked flower-stems on the shelf, heads hanging down. It is sometimes necessary to place a book or some weight on the stems to keep them in place. They will dry in this curved form. Brown split bamboo baskets make good vases, as they harmonize well with the deep orange of the golden ball and the pink of the acrociinium. A wire mesh in these baskets enables the flowers to be arranged more easily. As there is no green foliage used, it is well to use some short-stemmed flower in the center, midway between the basket and the tallest flowers. These "flecks" of color relieve the bareness of the stems.

The Chinese lantern plant (Physalis Franchetii) is an easily grown perennial, spreading at the roots. The seed-pods are very ornamental, retaining their brilliancy of color when dried, the colors ranging from a pale green to orange and red. They hang like inverted balloons, on slender peduncles and lose their graceful appearance unless the main stem that carries them can be curved outward when dry. They have to be treated differently from the others. Boards on a partition in a wood-shed may be used, driving tacks, one each side, close up to the side of the bottom of the main stem, the heads of the tacks overlapping the stick. Run the stem up straight for about 6 inches, then curve to right or left and fasten in same manner. Then, when dried, the lanterns will hang clear of the stem. The seed- pods of the balloon vine, Cardiospermum Halicacabum, work in well among the lanterns. Cut away part of the side of the lantern, and see the brilliant wick inside.		W. C. Egan.

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==Cultivation==
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==Species==
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==Gallery==
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==References==
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
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