The traditional flower species are fast being replaced by hybrid flowers due to market dynamics.
With hybrid flowers being more suitable for the market than desi flowers, the native flower species are being replaced by the hybrids.The growth rate, colour, size and other aspects of the hybrids have helped them replaced the traditional flower species in the market.A hybrid flower is basically the offspring of two distinct species, bred by human manipulation. The market friendly qualities of the hybrids are giving a stiff competition to the traditional species which are seen as smaller in size and lacking the intense colours and varied shades of the hybrids. However, the traditional species are not only used for ornamental and aromatic purposes but also for medicinal purposes. However, with the market preferring to accord value to appearance and other factors which the traditional varieties lack, the demand for costlier hybrids has left the demand for cheaper traditional species far behind.
Talking to The Pioneer, the supervisor of the nursery at the Secretariat, Yashpal Singh Chauhan said that everybody loved flowers. "There is a big market for hybrid flowers which are preferred more by customers who find them more suitable than the traditional species for decoration purposes at various types of events," he said.
A flower seller AP Joshi said that people prefer hybrid flowers because compared to the desi flower species, they are bigger in size and have deeper colours which attract the people. They also grow at a faster rate than traditional flowers, he added.