Introduction
We all know what it is like to be quizzed about what we are presently doing with our lives. Whether it is by somebody on a bus, a customer at the restaurant you are working in or that relative you have never met before. Being a university student, I am frequently asked the question, "So, what are you studying dear?". Now this sounds like the beginning to any other conversation, but when I reply in my delicate, feminine voice, "I'm studying forestry" , I couldn't tell you the number of times the conservative middle aged person has replied, "Floristry, that's nice dear".
The misconception of forestry being all chainsaws and sawmills, with the only aim being to produce timber, has lead me to do some research into floriculture actually being directly related to forestry. My research has concentrated on the Australian cut flower and foliage industry, as this industry has branched primarily from the use of native, bush-grown, forest flora in commercial floral arrangements. I have found that there are many non-wood forest products that are utilised by the human race and cut flowers and foliage are definitely an economically important Australian forest product.

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The Australian Native Flower Industry
The Australian native flower industry is part of the overall floriculture industry, which also includes the growing of a large variety of exotic flowers. However, the native flower market is largely export oriented with 90% of all Australian cut flowers sold on the export market being native to Australia (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). Native flowers and foliage were originally bush-picked, but with growing market demand there was a shift towards artificially cultivated flowers. Native flower plantings started in 1981, (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993) which meant that the flowers could be grown faster and their aesthetic value improved. At present some native flowers and foliage are bush-picked but the majority are artificially cultivated in an open field arrangement (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). The industry is concentrated in Western Australia and Queensland, with most of the produce being sold to the "filler" or "focal filler" market.

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Native Floriculture Permits
Dealers, wholesalers and florists who are involved in the native cut flower industry do not require a license unless they are directly involved in the taking of flora. Flora, however, must be bought from a licensed dealer and all purchases must be recorded. All records must be kept for at least 12 months to avoid prosecution for the sale of unregistered protected flora (CALM 1997). To commercially pick protected flora from private land, the owner or dealer must have a Commercial Producer's license, which costs only $25. This license is required when picking any native or cultivated Australian flora (CALM 1997). Further information involving the taking of native flora can be found at the CALM web site,

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Bush-picked Flowers and Foliage
Up until 1980, most native Australian flowers and foliage were picked from the natural forest (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). Today the native flower industry relies mostly on artificially cultivated flora with less than 35% of commercial native flora being cut from the bush. This figure includes all flowers and foliage that are collected from private native forest, state forest, or forested crown land (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993).
It is estimated that the amount of flora harvested from the bush will continue to be reduced. Improved cultivation methods and a stronger awareness towards conservation are the main reasons behind this shift. Many species have already had restrictions imposed on them due to their rare or protected status. Certain species of Banksia have also been removed from the "picking list" due to disease considerations (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). The most economically important disease that is restricting the legal taking of flora, is that caused by Phytopthora cinnamomii, which is having a devastating effect on the Jarrah forests of Western Australia.

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Cultivated Native Flowers and Foliage
The artificial cultivation of native flowers and foliage is concentrated in Western Australia with a large number of plantings in Queensland and a limited number in other states (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). The move towards cultivated flora was driven by a market demand for large quantities of Australian flora that could be produced almost year round. The expected aesthetic standard could be more easily controlled in an artificial environment, as fertilizer could be added and insect pests controlled. The move towards cultivated native species, such as the waxflower (Chamelaucium uncinatum) in Western Australia, has lead to a dramatic increase in production. For example, in 1981, the sale of the waxflower produced a revenue of $13 000 and by 1992 the sale of the same species produced a revenue of $5.25 million (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). Artificially cultivated native flora is generally grown in an open field arrangement without the protection of a greenhouse. Plants are usually planted in a row-cropping set up for ease of machinery access and harvesting operations (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996).

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Eucalypt Foliage for Floral Arrangements
Eucalypt foliage is commonly used in native Australian floral arrangements as a "focal filler"(Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). The most frequently used species are those that posses a glaucous leaf and include: E. pulverulenta ; E. gunni ; E. cinerea and E. globulus. The juvenile foliage of these species has a rounded shape and the sought after glaucous appearance. The foliage of E. pulverulenta and E. cinerea remains in the juvenile phase indefinitely (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998). This is an advantage for the production of foliage for the floriculture market but most other species develop a less sought after leaf morphology as they mature. To retain eucalypt trees with leaves in the juvenile phase it is necessary to prune the trees almost down to a stump. Removal of all mature leaves will promote the growth of juvenile foliage, which can then be harvested for the floriculture market. Species that are able to coppice are therefore the best because they respond quickly to this harsh method of pruning (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998). Stems of foliage are to be greater than 40cm in length and must be "hardened off" before they are picked. The process of "hardening off" involves withholding water from the trees for 2 weeks prior to the harvest. If this process is successful the harvested stem should last for at least 2 weeks when stored in a solution of 2% sucrose (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998).

There has been little research into the possible suitability of alternative eucalypt species for the production of foliage for floral arrangements. Wirthensohn and Sedgley studied 17 different species of eucalypt for this purpose. They found that there were a number of species that showed aesthetic potential and could be quite easily used for the cut foliage market.
These species included: E. tetragona ; E. socialis ; E. gillis ; E. bridgesiana ; E. kruseana ; E. crucis and E. cordata. These species posses the necessary visual characteristics except for the last three listed species that have shorter than generally required stems. This would limit the potential of these species for commercial use, but the short stems could still be used in smaller posies (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998). The study also found that the time of pruning is essential for maximum value and growth. E. gunnii trees that were pruned at 19 months of age barely recovered from the harsh pruning operation, while trees of the same species that were pruned in the same way at the age of 22 months produced marketable stems in just 9 months (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998).

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The Export Market
The value of native flowers to the floricultural export market is so great that the majority of Australia's native cut flowers are sent overseas. In fact 90% of all cut flower exports from Australia are cut from indigenous species (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). It is no wonder that Australian florists have taken advantage of the overseas market. Statistics have shown that on average Australian's spend only $4 per person per year on cut flowers, while a European spends an average of $80 per year (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). It is obvious that the overseas market has a greater economic potential than the local market.

The Australian flora is unique to the rest of the World and because of this, Australian flora has been able to fill a niche market. A range of native Australian flora can be viewed at the following web site: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~artgib/fotolink.html. The great seasonal variation experienced throughout Australia is also an advantage to the florist who is involved in the export market. The seasonal variation across Australia means that there is a longer potential growing period and therefore a longer period of cut flower availability (James 1996). This means that a single exporter is capable of supplying a particular species almost year round. In this case the exporter must be capable of setting up a network of commercial growers across Australia who can in turn supply flowers at different times of the year.
The export revenue earned by the sale of cut flowers and foliage is extremely small when compared to the larger export earners. The value of cut flowers, however, is growing each year and is expected to increase at a rate of 9% per year until the year 2000 (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). In 1981 it was estimated that there was a total of 150 hectares available for the commercial picking of native flowers. These flowers were estimated to have an export value of around $1.5 million dollars. With a dramatic increase in export demand the area under commercial native flora production was increased to 570 hectares and by 1993 had an export value of $15.27million (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). Towards the end of 1994 native foliage accounted for $1.9 million worth of export revenue and the export demand for Australian foliage is also continuing to increase (Wirthensohn and Sedgley 1998). During the 1994-95 financial year, Australia exported a total of 3661 tons of cut flowers and it is expected that this tonnage will increase for a long time into the future (James 1996).
Australia exports cut flowers and foliage to over 40 different countries throughout the world with Japan and the Netherlands being the major export destinations (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). Japan has always been Australia's biggest customer for the purchase of cut flowers and foliage (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993) and presently consumes 48% of all Australian cut flora exports (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996).

The exporting of cut flowers and foliage requires careful packaging, with ready-made arrangements and bouquets being packed in individual cartons (Australian native flower web site 1999). The proportion of flowers and foliage that are sold fresh compared to those that are sold dried, dyed or processed in some way is a ratio of 2:1. A large proportion of value added arrangements are dried before they are sold on the export market. The majority of fresh flora is sold in bulk and made into floral arrangements after the export sale (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993). As with all organic exports, cut flowers and foliage must pass a quarantine inspection, which is carried out by the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research 1996). Examples of some beautifully dried and arranged native flowers and foliage are illustrated at this web site: http://www.australiannativeflower.com/anf/frames_frontpage.asp
Australia has a strong floricultural export market but was slow to start exporting its unique flora. Because of this slow uptake, Israel, New Zealand, Columbia and the United States have been able to develop local markets for indigenous Australian flowers. This is bad news for the Australian export market as there is the potential for Australia to lose a unique niche market (James 1996). The ability Australia has to invest in breeding programs that aim to increase flowering and cut stem longevity should, however, ensure that Australia remains competitive in the export market (Department of Agriculture's floriculture team 1993).

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Conclusion
Forestry or floristry? That was the question! Well, it can be seen that the two subjects are relatively different in most instances, but when it comes to the Australian floriculture industry the link between forestry and floristry is quite close. Without forestry and native forests there would never have been native flora to interest the local florist. The use of forests for their flowers and foliage is very different to harvesting an entire tree, but the end product is only one of a large range of non-wood forest products. The export value of Australian native flora is growing rapidly and the industry is definitely worth savoring and protecting

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References

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, The Cut Flower Industry - R & D Issues, Canberra, 1996

Department of Agriculture's floriculture team, Floriculture, a blooming business, Western Australian Journal of Agriculture, 1993

Department of Conservation and Land Management, Protecting our Flora, A Brief Guide to the Legislation and Licensing, Information Sheet No. 2-97, Perth 1997

James, K., The Export and Wildflower Sectors of the Cut Flower Industry in Australia, Canberra, 1996

Wirthensohn, M.G. and Sedgley, M., Effect of Pruning on Regrowth of Cut Foliage Stems of Seventeen Eucalyptus species, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 1998

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Cited Web Sites

Just Natives
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~artgib/fotolink.html

Australian Native Flowers
http://www.australiannativeflower.com/anf/frames_frontpage.asp

Department of Conservation and Land Management
http://www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/protecting_flora.html

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