Caring for your Wild Thorn

Keep Wild Thorn in a clean vase with fresh cool water

A note on your specific blooms

  • Amaranthus — Recut the stems at an angle and keep the water shallow, as amaranthus drinks heavily and the lower stem softens quickly when submerged too deep.
  • Genista — Recut the woody stems on a sharp diagonal and refresh the water every two days; Genista can dehydrate quickly, so never leave the stems standing dry.
  • Hydrangea — Hydrangea takes up water through its petals — mist the heads and keep the vase topped up.
  • Orchid — Keep orchid stems in cool, clean water away from ripening fruit, whose ethylene gas makes the blooms drop early.
  • Palm Leaf — Submerge the cut frond fully in cool water for an hour before arranging, as palm foliage rehydrates best when the whole leaf is steeped and loses moisture quickly across its broad surface.

How long your flowers last

With this mix of Amaranthus Genista Hydrangea Orchid and Palm Leaf expect a realistic display life of 7 to 10 days

The story behind these flowers

A closer look at the blooms gathered into this arrangement.

Amaranthus

Origin

Tropical Americas (Andes & Mesoamerica)

Cultivated since

For thousands of years by Andean & Mesoamerican peoples

Fragrance

Virtually scentless

Symbolises

Immortality, unfading love & endurance

Grown across the Americas for millennia as both grain and ornament, amaranthus is best known for its long crimson tassels that spill downward in soft, trailing ropes. Its name comes from the Greek for unfading, a nod to blooms that hold colour and form even as they dry. In an arrangement it adds movement and weight, draping over the edge of a vessel to break a clean silhouette and lend an Amicis piece an unhurried, sculptural fall.

Genista

Origin

Mediterranean & the Canary Islands

Cultivated since

European gardens for centuries

Fragrance

Soft and sweet, lightly honeyed

Symbolises

Humility, neatness & light movement

A cultivated cousin of the wild broom that gilds Mediterranean hillsides each spring, Genista arrives as arching sprays of tiny pea-shaped blooms. In an Amicis arrangement it does the quiet work of a filler — lacing airy texture and gentle movement between the focal flowers, and lifting the whole with its soft, honeyed scent.

Hydrangea

Origin

Japan & the Americas

Cultivated since

Reached European gardens in the 1700s

Fragrance

Very light, fresh and green

Symbolises

Heartfelt emotion & gratitude

Named from the Greek for 'water vessel', the hydrangea carries full, cloud-like heads that shift colour with the soil — from blush and cream to deep blue. Its generous volume gives Amicis bouquets their soft, romantic fullness.

Orchid

Origin

Tropical regions worldwide

Cultivated since

Prized in Asia for centuries; carried to Europe across the 18th and 19th centuries

Fragrance

Most cut varieties virtually scentless

Symbolises

Refinement, luxury & rare beauty

Among the largest plant families on earth, orchids took root across the tropics of Asia and the Americas, cultivated in Asia long before reaching the West. Victorian collectors then chased them across the globe, fuelling a famous European craze. Their arched stems and sculptural blooms bring quiet architecture to an arrangement, holding their form for weeks where softer flowers fade.

Palm Leaf

Origin

Tropical and subtropical regions worldwide

Recorded

In the ancient world, for over 2,000 years

Fragrance

Fresh and green

Symbolises

Victory, peace & endurance

Carried as a symbol of triumph and peace across the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the palm frond has signalled honour for over two thousand years. Its long, fanned blades bring architectural line and a calm tropical green to an arrangement, framing softer blooms with quiet structure. At Amicis it is used to give height, rhythm and a sense of composed space.