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CAST 2026 showcases new ornamental genetics with improved color, habit and performance. See standout varieties and review key introductions shaping production.
A curated sneak peek of what breeders will showcase during the 2026 California Spring Trials
California Spring Trials continues to set the tone for what’s next in ornamental genetics, and the 2026 introductions are no exception. From bold color breakthroughs to improved habits, disease resistance and garden performance, breeders are once again raising the bar.
This visual roundup highlights new varieties debuting at CAST 2026, offering growers a first look at plants designed to meet evolving production, retail and consumer demands — and signaling where the industry is headed.
Schoneveld Breeding
Cyclamen ‘Super Serie Sweet Lips Midi’
This could be your midi cyclamen for special holidays. Sweet Lips has a soft pink edge, with the color contrast at its best during winter cultivation. This cyclamen is future-proof, with low energy input to produce high quality plants.
Hishtil
Thymus ‘Compact POM POM’
Native to Spain and Portugal, this thyme boasts broad, distinctive leaves and elegant white pom-pom-shaped flowers during summer. Suitable for ornamental and culinary uses, it enjoys popularity among pollinators, including bees, butterflies and hoverflies.
Jaldety
Oxalis ‘Burgundy’
Deep purple, clover-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers bring contrast to containers, hanging baskets, low borders and garden beds. The leaves close at night and open during the day. It’s a low maintenance, well-branched small shrub.
Dümmen Orange
Dahlia ‘Summer Bees Salmon Bicolor’
New to the Summer Bees series, introduced last year, Salmon Bicolor features large, open blooms that attract pollinators. Its well-branched, upright habit showcases single bicolor flowers, perfect for 6- to 12-inch containers and as a standout in Garden Party combinations.
Selecta One
Dahlia City Lights Compact series
A new series size enhances the City Lights assortment. City Lights is known for its dark foliage contrasting with its bright floral blooms; this series is more compact and well-branched. A magnet for butterflies and birds.
Plant Development Services Inc. (PDSI)
Ilex ‘Golden Sky’
Delivering bold, golden foliage in a naturally narrow form, this ilex matures to 8 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Ideal for mixed containers or hedging in full sun to part shade. Available through Southern Living and Sunset Plant Collections.
Benary
Verbena ‘Flair’: 2026 Fleuroselect Gold Medal Winner
The most compact V. bonariensis available, ‘Flair’ eliminates the need for PGRs or pinching, enabling efficient production. Heat-tolerant, pollinator- friendly and landscape-ready, it earned the Fleuroselect Gold Medal for innovation and performance.
Darwin Perennials
Hemerocallis DayScape series
This new garden daylily series blooms multiple times during the season and is among the earliest to bloom in spring. Plants are highly resistant to diseases and insects. The series launches with nine colors to choose from.
Suntory Flowers
Pericallis ‘Senetti Orchid Glow’
Senetti varieties offer cool colors for the cool season, tolerating temperatures down to the low 30s. New for 2027, Orchid Glow features petals fading from magenta to blue violet, with bright white and yellow disks creating a glowing contrast.
PanAmerican Seed
Sedum ‘Spectacular’
A seed alternative to vegetative S. spectabile, ‘Spectacular’ has sturdy flower clusters, a more compact habit, strong stems and less breakage. Supply is programmable and flexible with seed, plus good plug quality, seeding uniformity and a convenient multi-pellet seed form.
Danziger
Calibrachoa ‘OMBRE Tyler Glam’
This new addition features bigger flowers and bolder blooms in red, orange and yellow. It glows with on-trend tropical color that creates eye-catching, color-changing mono baskets and adds a punch to combinations.
Ball FloraPlant
Petchoa CitraNova series
The best attributes of petunia and calibrachoa come together with large flowers in vibrant colors and a strong root system. CitraNova produces full, bloom-covered hanging baskets and patio pots with a semi-mounded, spreading habit that delivers long-lasting summer color.
HilverdaFlorist
Gerbera Melodiva series
The Melodiva series delivers uniformity, with 90% to 100% of plants ready at the same time, each showing three blooms and two strong buds. Available in nine colors, the series boasts strong retail performance and excellent shelf life.