2017 Spring Trials Preview — Vol. 1
The 2017 California Spring Trials may be 65 days away, but the event will be here before we know it. Each spring, members of the industry gather together in various locations across the California coast to showcase and evaluate breeders’ latest introductions. It’s one of my favorite times of the year, and I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.
If you plan on attending the trials and haven’t finalized your travel plans yet, now is definitely the time to do so. Many of the exhibitors are offering registration through AmericanHort’s website: springtrials.americanhort.org. You can also use GPN’s Spring Trials Companion, which should be arriving in your inbox soon, to help plan your route.
I’ve been in touch with many of the exhibitors, and they were kind enough to share some “sneak peeks” of their newest varieties that will be on display at Spring Trials. Over the next few weeks leading up to the big event, I’ll be sharing some of these introductions with you.
Here’s a glimpse into what’s in store at Spring Trials this year. Be on the lookout for my next newsletter, where I’ll share even more sneak peeks with you.
Petunia Dekko Series
Syngenta Flowers
With a versatile habit and unmatched garden performance, Dekko ensures success for growers all the way to end consumers. It features vibrant colors (Electric Rose is pictured) and a compact, controlled habit.
Salvia ‘Rose Marvel’
Darwin Perennials
The Marvel family is bred to have the largest flowers of all Salvia nemerosa. ‘Rose Marvel’ brings a rich, deep rose color to the collection. It features a long flowering window and reblooms without being cut back.
Verbena Empress Sun Series
Dümmen Orange
The new Empress Sun verbena was developed to fill the landscape verbena niche. These vigorous growers come in five colors; White Blush is pictured. Featuring impressive heat tolerance and a reduced cyclic blooming pattern, this verbena has serious flower power.
Echinacea Meadow Mama Series
Pacific Plug & Liner
From Plants Nouveau comes a new series of larger, single-flowering echinacea that is available in a wide range of saturated colors and even interesting bicolor combinations. They are great in the garden and also as large planters for patio gardens.
Cuphea FloriGlory Series
Westhoff
The new FloriGlory series of cuphea has five times the flower power with excellent garden vigor compared to industry standards. Three colors are available; Diana is pictured.
This first true-red zinnia has already won multiple awards. It boasts a bright flower color that truly lasts in the garden. Profusion’s uniformity and disease resistance is well known and the new Red fits right in.
Heuchera ‘Forever Red’
Terra Nova Nurseries
This lovely, fast-growing heuchera has extremely red leaves and a great crown. It is a vigorous grower. The leaves are cut and somewhat ruffled, and reddest in the spring and fall when the temperatures are cooler.
Lobularia ‘Marineland White’
Green Fuse Botanicals
Lobularia ‘Marineland White’ will finish compact with an excellent mounded canopy of white flowers. Marineland lobularia are easy to root and will perform in warm summer conditions.
Alstroemeria ‘Inca Ice’
Flamingo Holland
Flamingo Holland will be introducing two new perennial alstroemeria varieties to the Inca series: Joli and Ice (pictured). They are hardy to Zones 4-9, and they grow 16-20 inches tall.
Calibrachoa ‘Butter Pop’
Suntory Flowers
Inspired by buttered popcorn, this new Million Bells variety is two-toned with pale yellow flowers with a dark yellow center. Habit is mounded and bursting with flowers. Plants are earlier to flower than the current yellow Million Bells varieties.
Which varieties are you most excited to check out? Are you attending the trials? What types of characteristics stand out to you? Shoot me an email and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
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