New expectations: 2026 variety introductions at CAST 2025
Breeders are set to show off the latest genetics at the end of this month at California Spring Trials 2025. It takes years of research, trials and technology to produce new varieties to improve our industry, and we only get a few days to take it all in.
In anticipation of the new 2026 cultivars and improvements that will be announced at the event, I asked participating breeders to send me a sneak peek to help calm the excitement. Here are some seasonal gap fillers, easy-to-program perennials, pollinator attractors and new series to pique your interest before you come back for more CAST event coverage on GPN’s social media channels and upcoming issues.
Ball FloraPlant | Salvia ‘Mystical Blue’
With compact, better-branched plants, more material will arrive at retail in great condition, helping your sell-through. Mystical is naturally more compact than the popular Mystic Spires, while maintaining a lush appearance. Perfect for landscapes and mixed combos, it’s a pollinator magnet. Also available in a white variety.
Benary | Rudbeckia hirta ‘Tablemate Gold’
Meet ‘Tablemate Gold’, a genetically compact and floriferous variety with golden blooms. Perfect for small spaces and patio tables. It’s easy to care for and irresistibly cute — it’s happiness in a pot!
Danziger | Osteospermum ‘Besties Dynamic Bicolor’
This new series features blooms of orange, peach and lavender-pink. The seven colors in the series were selected for consistent habit and bloom timing. Besties can be grown in a warm greenhouse along other spring annuals, offering more flexibility for growers.
Darwin Perennials | Phlox Candy Cloud series
This creeping phlox blooms after phlox subulata and before salvia nemorosa, filling the perennial color gap. It hits peak retail in the early spring market due to its natural bloom time — no need for extra labor or complex scheduling. Available in four varieties.
Dümmen Orange | Dahlia ‘Summer Bees Purple Bicolor’
Dahlia Summer Bees is a pollinator’s paradise with vibrant bicolor blooms and a well-branched, upright habit. It dazzles from May to August and works great in 6- to 12-inch containers, patio pots and combination planters.
Green Fuse Botanicals | Hydrangea Game Changer series
Another milestone in hydrangea breeding, ‘Game Changer Pink Burst’ is a fully double hydrangea that does not require vernalization or set daylength to deliver recognizable mop head flowers. A true Zone 5 perennial, it will bloom off new and old wood. Easy to program with flowers beginning 14 to 16 weeks from cutting.
Hem Genetics | Snapdragon ‘DoubleShot Yellow Red Heart’
DoubleShot is a new series of tall snapdragons with double, open-faced flowers and strong stems in a variety of colors. They branch freely and flower all season long, and their tolerance of frosts and freezes make them good season extenders for early and late use in the garden. Yellow Red Heart joins ‘DoubleShot Orange Bicolor’ as the second AAS winner in this series for both garden and container performance.
HilverdaFlorist | Gerbera ‘Garvinea Sweet Chili’
This garden gerbera is here to spice up the Garvinea Sweet assortment! This variety is the first true red with a black center. Garvinea has great resistance to pests and diseases, can handle extreme weather conditions and fills a 2.5-quart container with 1 unit.
Jaldety | Salvia ‘Peach Melba’
This pollinator attractor blooms with masses of salmon pink to deep peach large flowers with contrasting throat and dark calyx. Free flowering, long flowering period, and a uniform and bushy habit. Great for big containers on the patio, mix borders, waterwise garden planting and beds in Zones 7 to 9.
Selecta One | Dahlia ‘Venti PinkBurst’
Here’s a very special dahlia with a unique flower shape. The “burst” is found in the anemone flower pattern in the center, surrounded by petals in a modern shade of pink. With the Venti series, a grower can produce large garden dahlias reliably and consistently, improving crop yield.
Plant Development Services | Azalea ‘Encore Autumn Kiss’
Autumn Kiss’ semi-double blooms are painted in vibrant pink edges shifting to soft pastel pink and near-white at the center. This prolific bloomer reblooms in spring, summer and fall against its lush evergreen foliage. Perfect for full sun, Autumn Kiss thrives in Zones 6 to 10.
Schoneveld Breeding | Cyclamen ‘Super Serie Dragon’
A groundbreaking innovation in cyclamen breeding: ‘Super Serie Dragon’. The first F1 cyclamen with blue flowers, its captivating blue hue sets it apart from other varieties. These mini cyclamen are available in two blue colors.
PanAmerican Seed | Pansy Top Wave series
Cool Wave has a big sister! The new Top Wave series has the largest flowers of any spreading pansy series. Once established, the plants trail vigorously for the consumer with flowers sitting on top of the plant to disguise the branching.
Westhoff | Petunia ‘Crazytunia Inkblot’
New in the Crazytunia series, Inkblot shows off a bright blue-violet blot in the center of bright white petals. A good choice for containers, hanging baskets and garden beds from spring through autumn with abundant blooms and a well-behaved habit.
Each photo is courtesy of the breeding company.
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