Italian Ruscus

Hi everyone! I hope you're well. Today, I want to share the secret behind a floral industry favorite—Italian ruscus. This greenery is great for everything from decorating ceiling beams to building arches.

The Usefulness of Italian Ruscus

Italian ruscus stands out for its reusability. You can use it for one event and then save it for another, days, even weeks later. It's ideal for those who appreciate economical decor.

Sourcing and Growing

If you're searching for Italian ruscus plants, you may face challenges. The plant's scientific name is dane racemosa, it’s also called Poet's Laurel. It’s an evergreen plant, perennial in zones 7b to 9b. If you live in these zones, you can grow it outside in partial shade with moist, well-draining soil—similar to a fern's needs.

The plant's crown looks like a fern, and features thin, sturdy stalks from a woody base. When dividing the plant, cut the woody root into parts, ensuring each division has stems and buds for growth.

I got my plants from Woodlanders, a nursery in South Carolina. The packaging wasn’t ideal—packed in plastic bags with wet newspapers—but the plants survived! After waiting a year due to the nursery's move, I received 20 small plants. These should grow to about four feet wide and tall, providing the long pieces of Italian ruscus loved in the floral industry.

If you're outside the best growing zones, try container-growing these plants, like I am in my basement. This controlled space suits them well, keeping them from extreme heat, cold, or sun. I’ll monitor their water needs and they’ll thrive with my ferns.

To acquire these plants look into wholesale landscaping businesses in the southern US. I founds some at Adcock’s Nursery.

If I were in zones 7b to 9b, I'd plant a lot of these. I hope this insight interested you as much as it did me.

Have a great day, and I’ll talk to you next time!