May 9, 2017

2017: A Year for Firsts By Jasmina Dolce

For those of you who have attended the California Spring Trials, I’m guessing you have probably noticed recurring themes and trends each year. I think that’s part of the fun of it — discovering which colors are going to be hot or what specific traits breeders are really focusing on or even what types of messages are being marketed to the consumer.

Each year, I play a lot of connecting the dots during the week in California. This year, one recurring theme stood out to me because I haven’t observed this type of trend since I’ve been attending the event. We always take notice of how many new introductions make their debut. Some years are greater than others. While this year didn’t see as many new introductions as years past, it seems breeders are hard at work developing never-before-seen genetics. This year was definitely the year for many “firsts.”

At many of the stops, I kept hearing the phrase — “This is the very first [fill in the blank] on the market.” It was very exciting to witness the release of so many new breeding breakthroughs, and I’m sure there are many more coming down the pipeline.

For now, I’d like to share some of the “firsts” we saw along the coast last month.

Lantana Bloomify series
Ball FloraPlant

Bloomify is the first certified sterile lantana series, which means it will not cycle out of color or go out of flower in summer heat. It is nicely branched and will have a nice appearance at retail. It is also a pollinator magnet.

Verbena Obsession Cascade series
Syngenta Flowers

The Obsession Cascade series is the first trailing verbena from seed, so it offers flexibility and makes production easier to execute. It is ideal for premium baskets and combinations.

Cosmos ‘Lemonade’
Thompson & Morgan

Promoted as the first true yellow cosmos, ‘Lemonade’ is striking with its masses of yellow and white bicolor blooms. It continuously blooms throughout the summer, creating quite the display.

Oregano ‘Kirigami’
PanAmerican Seed

This is the first ornamental oregano from seed. It is the perfect patio plant and features large purple-green bracts. ‘Kirigami’ is not edible, but it has a slight fragrance that attracts pollinators.

Lavandula stoechas Madrid Lavish series
Green Fuse Botanicals

The lavender Madrid series now has a subseries, Lavish. These are being promoted as the first “double lavender” with their multibracted flower heads. These are very showy plants with an excellent habit.

Ipomoea SolarTower series
Ball FloraPlant

SolarTower is the first self-climbing ipomoea series. It is ideal for use with a trellis, as a topiary or on a vertical wall planting. It is available in two colors: Lime and Black.

What do you think of these breeding breakthroughs? Are you excited about trialing any of these new products and sharing them with your customers? Are there any other “firsts” that you observed recently? If so, let me know — shoot me an email at jdolce@greatamericanpublish.com.

— Jasmina