Jun 27, 2016

Begonia ‘Miss Malibu’ Wins FleuroStar Award By Jasmina Dolce

Each year, during the Flower Trials in Europe, Fleuroselect holds the FleuroStar contest, where an independent panel — of more than 30 industry experts — visits nine competition locations and choose a winner. The winning variety is judged based on “wow” factor.

This year’s FleuroStar entries were:

• Argyranthemum ‘Grandaisy Yellow’ (Moerheim New Plant)
• Dahlia ‘Dahlegria Red Yellow Bicolor’ (Florensis)
• Dianthus ‘Capitán Colón’ (Selecta)
• GineTato ‘Egg and Chips’ (Beekenkamp)
• Begonia ‘Miss Malibu’ (Dümmen Orange)

‘Miss Malibu’ was announced as the new “Winner with the ‘Wow’ Factor” at the Green Inspiration Event on June 16 in Amsterdam.

Judges enjoyed the new begonia’s tropical flare and masses of dark pink blasts of color. ‘Miss Malibu’ displays an abundance of huge double flowers and a semi-trailing habit, making it perfect for containers, hanging baskets and beds.

Gardeners will appreciate it’s garden performance and continuous color throughout the summer until first frost.

To learn more about Fleuroselect and the FleuroStar contest, go to www.fleuroselect.com.

The awards don’t stop there. Fleuroselect also honors multiple varieties each year with its Gold Medal, which is awarded to “innovative varieties that surpass the limits in breeding and beauty.”

Fleuroselect conducts trials of new ornamental varieties at 18 private trial grounds throughout Europe, and entries are evaluated against existing comparison varieties on criteria including innovation, practical use, quality and exclusivity.

This year’s Gold Medal winners are:

Begonia ‘Senator IQ Rose Bicolor’ (Sakata)

This striking new variety has deep, dark bronze leaves, and its rose bicolor bloom shows a delightful contrast between flower and foliage. It is an excellent garden performer, thriving in full or partial sun with impressive heat and drought tolerance.

Lupine ‘Mini Gallery Blue’ (HM Clause)

‘Mini Gallery Blue’ is compact and very early flowering. It performs best in full sun and well-drained soil. Growers will love its shorter production cycle and zero PGR requirements. The compact plants are easy to transport and allow production in smaller pots.

Penstemon ‘Twizzle’ (Van Hemert & Co.)

This first-year flowering perennial has taller flower stems than comparable varieties on the market. ‘Twizzle’ is a beautiful border plant that loves the sun and will bloom over a long period, stretching from summer to autumn. An added benefit: it attracts beneficial insects in the garden.

— Jasmina