The introduction to commercial floriculture of recalcitrant Australian native plants

The strategy for introduction used in our program relies on collaboration with a commercial partner and market research. Our aim is to identify commercially desirable Australian native species that have not yet been introduced into floricultural markets because they are difficult to propagate or grow. Species are collected and preliminary studies on the ecology, distribution and growth cycle are conducted. The barriers to propagation or production are identified and strategies to overcome the barriers devised. Several species are investigated at the same time to reduce risk and to increase the likelihood of synergistic discovery. The team consists of several University and commercial members with expertise in propagation, horticulture, breeding, pathology and microbiology. This paper will illustrate the research being done with various species, show the continuum from exploration to the market place, and how this approach differs to that described by Armitage, 1998