Farmer Bailey: “Do Not Buy” List for Cut Flower Plugs
I grow a number of cut flower varieties from professional plugs here in Southeast Michigan, including Danziger genetics distributed through Farmer Bailey. The notes below come from growing these plants in the field: how they establish, when they flower, what kind of stem length and uniformity I get, and whether I think they’re worth the cost for a small flower farm.
I also think it’s important to know where this plant material comes from. Commercial cut flower varieties pass through a surprisingly concentrated network of breeders, propagators, and distributors, and some of the genetics available through Farmer Bailey originate with Israeli breeding companies. For growers who participate in BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions), or who simply want to understand the supply chains behind the plants they buy, that history matters. I’ve included it here alongside my growing notes rather than separating questions of performance from questions of sourcing.
EVERY VARIETY LISTED BELOW ORIGINATES WITH DANZIGER, AN ISRAELI AGRICULTURAL COMPANY THAT OPERATES ON THE SITE OF BAYT DAJAN, A FORMER PALESTINIAN VILLAGE THAT WAS DESTROYED AND FORCIBLY DEPOPULATED.
Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath)
XLENCE®
MILLION DAISY™
MILLION STARS® II
MY PINK®
MOONDANCE™
CASSIOPEIA™
WHITE VICTORIA™
Veronica longifolia (Skyler™ series)
Skyler™ Blue
Skyler™ Pink
Skyler™ White Improved
Skyler™ Splash ‘Blue’
Skyler™ Splash ‘Pink’
Skyler™ Splash ‘White’
Solidago (Glory™ series, cut-flower goldenrod)
Golden Glory™
Romantic Glory™
Solar Glory™
SUNNY GLORY™
Moonlight Glory™
Lepidium (Pepper/Penny Cress)
Green Dragon
Hypericum (berry hypericum)
BRISK™ Series
BRISK™ ‘Cosmopolitain’
BRISK™ ‘Green Lime’
BRISK™ ‘White Coconut’
GLOBO™ Series
GLOBO™ ‘Applegreen’
GLOBO™ ‘Burgundy’
GLOBO™ ‘Champagne’
GLOBO™ ‘Coral’
GLOBO™ ‘Punch’
GLOBO™ ‘Raspberry’
GLOBO™ ‘Ruby’
Scabiosa (SCOOP™ programs)
SCOOP™ Series
SCOOP™ ‘Banana’
SCOOP™ ‘Red Apple’
SCOOP™ ‘Blackberry’
SCOOP™ ‘Candy’
SCOOP™ ‘Coconut’
SCOOP™ ‘Cotton Candy’
SCOOP™ ‘Dark Cherry’
SCOOP™ ‘Lavender’
SCOOP™ ‘Hoop Strawberry’
SCOOP™ ‘Marshmallow’
SCOOP™ ‘Marshmallow Improved’
SCOOP™ ‘Milky’
SCOOP™ ‘Raspberry’
SCOOP™ ‘Red Velvet’
SCOOP™ ‘Soft’
SCOOP™ ‘Sweet Cherry’
FOCAL SCOOP™
FOCAL SCOOP™ ‘Blackberry’
FOCAL SCOOP™ ‘French Vanilla’
FOCAL SCOOP™ ‘Pink Shwarz’
FOCAL SCOOP™ ‘Watermelon’
FOCAL SCOOP™ ‘White’
BON BON SCOOP™
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘French Vanilla’
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘Pink’
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘Strawberry’
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘Vanilla’
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘Watermelon’
BON BON SCOOP™ ‘White’
Craspedia
PAINTBALL™ Pop
PAINTBALL™ Poppy
PAINTBALL™ Jumbo
