Ocean View Flowers

Common Name: Rice Flower

Family Roots: Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family. Native to Australia. Common relatives include chrysanthemum, marigold, zinnia, sunflower, and lettuce. Should not be confused with Pimelea, another Australian native flower with the same common name of rice flower.

Personality: Has many tiny white flower heads in dense clusters at stem ends. Stems are mostly woody, with many linear leaves, one half inch long. Plant is a woody shrub, classed as a dicotyledon. Flowers are not fragrant.

Availability: Spring

Stem Length: 18–32 inches

Flower Length: 4–6 inches

Care & Handling: Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water, and place into a flower food, hydration, or bleach solution made from about 20 drops (1/4 teaspoon) per quart of water. Stem tips dry out easily, so maintain a good quality solution.

Storage Specifics: 32°–34°F

Tidbits: The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a “composite” of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one “petal” off at a time, saying “she/he loves me, loves me not, they” are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.