Chapter 8 Flower Selection 187 • Tuberose—white fl owers, sometimes with a blush of pink, that have a strong, candy-like fragrance. • Freesia—fl owers of various colors that have a sweet, fruity fragrance with a hint of mint or citrus. • Wisteria—purple or white clusters that have a mild, sweet scent. • Lily of the valley—small white or pink fl owers with a sweet fragrance. • Strawberry-scented geranium—pink fl owers with a light strawberry- lemon fragrance. • Stock—single or double fl owers with a pleasing clove-like scent. Flower Pollen Consumers may shun cut fl owers because they feel as though they may cause allergies to fl are up. Goldenrod (Solidago) is a cut fl ower that often gets a bad rap. Its natural blooming time is late summer, which coincides with the time ragweed is in bloom. While ragweed and other wind-borne pollens cause many people discomfort, solidago’s pollen is too heavy to be borne on the wind. It must be carried by pollinators such as honeybees. Thus, it is not usually a trigger for allergy problems. Lily pollen tends to be messy. The pollen is on the anthers at the tip of the stamens, which extend beyond the fl ower petals. The sticky pollen transfers to anything it touches, including clothing and skin, and pollen stains are diffi cult to remove, Figure 8-21. If you buy lilies that have anthers, remove them as soon as the lily bloom begins to open. At this point, the pollen is not dry and messy. Simply pluck the anthers and discard them to keep petals looking pristine. Ruth Peterkin/Shutterstock.com Elliotte Rusty Harold/Shutterstock.com Figure 8-21. Pollen from lilies stains everything it touches, including your hands. It is best to remove the anthers as soon as the fl ower opens to prevent getting the pollen on your hands or clothes. A honeybee gathering pollen on goldenrod. This pollen is too heavy to be blown by the wind. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.