| Smithers-Oasis | |
| Foundation: | 1954 in Kent, Ohio, United States |
| Founder: | V.L. Smithers |
| Location: | Kent, Ohio, United States |
| Industry: | Floristry |
| Products: | Floral foam |
Smithers-Oasis is a company specializing in floristry products headquartered in Kent, Ohio, United States. The company created water-absorbing foam in 1954.[1]
The company was founded in 1954 by V.L. Smithers in Kent, Ohio after he developed a water absorbent foam to use in floral arrangements. Since then, other products have been developed including floral accessories, cellular growing media, and post-harvest plant products. The company is headquartered in Kent and operates a manufacturing plant there. Corporate offices were returned to Kent in late 2013 from Cuyahoga Falls, where they had been located since 1992.[2]
Oasis is a trademarked name for wet floral foam, the spongy phenolic foam used for real flower arranging.[3] It soaks up water like a sponge and acts both as a preservative to prolong the life of the flowers and a support to hold them in place. The foam's structure is similar to that of plants and has capillary action to move water to the surface and up the stem.[3] It is often green, but is also available in many other colors, such as purple, red, yellow, and brown.[4] It is usually supplied in a brick shape, but can be bought in spherical shapes.[5] Oasis can be bought wholesale[6] or in arts and craft and gardening stores, particularly ones that feature large faux flower collections for creating artificial arrangements.
Sahara and Sahara II are the trademarked names for dry floral foam distributed by the Smithers-Oasis Company and used for supporting arrangements of artificial flowers. They do not manufacture this product. The company also offers products using extruded polystyrene and molded urethane which are also distributed, not manufactured.[7]
Rainbow Foam is the trademarked name for colored floral foam produced by the Smithers-Oasis in France. It doesn't contain the same formulation as the regular wet floral foam, thus requires other soaking directions before use.
Floral foam is non-biodegradable, non-recyclable and toxic for both humans and animals.[8]
The Royal Horticultural Society announced in January 2020 that floral foam would be banned from all RHS Shows from 2021.[9]
Floral foam has also seen use in ASMR videos due to the crispy sounds produced from crushing it. Its increased use has led to concerns of improper disposal, leading to an increase in microplastic pollution.[10]