Standouts at the Trials

In June, you read about some of the overall trends we observed during our week-long trek through California. This month, we would like to focus on the impressive new varieties that made their debut in April.

These introductions stood out and grabbed our attention, and will be available to growers next season. It’s certainly not easy to pick favorites, but we did our best to put together a list of new varieties worth your consideration.

With hundreds of new introductions on display, it’s impossible to include them all here, so make sure to go to www.californiaspringtrials.com to check out more photos from the trials.

Calibrachoa

‘Lindura Cosmos Strawberry’ (Dümmen Orange) pops with vibrant color. It has a fantastic compact habit that shows well in baskets and containers.

Boasting a novel, two-toned bloom, ‘Superbells Holy Moly!’ (Proven Winners) has rich pink and yellow petals. It features masses of color throughout the season and is specifically screened for resistance to Thielaviopsis.

Pansy

‘Inspire DeluXXe Deep Blue Blotch’ (Benary) is one of the newest additions to the uniform series of giant-flowered pansies. Inspire DeluXXe is early to flower and features superior pack performance in spring or fall.

Asclepias

The bright orange-red flowers of ‘Monarch Promise’ (Hort Couture) attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. It has beautiful green and white foliage tinged with red, orange and pink leaf tips.

Ocimum

‘Balsamic Blooms’ (EuroAmerican Propagators) is a totally edible basil that grows leaves and blooms simultaneously. The deep purple blooms are long lasting and attract pollinators.

Leucanthemum

A genetically dwarf variety, ‘Luna’ (Terra Nova Nurseries) offers showy double flowers above a dense, upright mound of foliage. Flowers bloom yellow, then gradually change to a two-toned yellow and finally finish white.

Alyssum

‘North Face’ (Floranova) is a new tetraploid alyssum that exhibits a wonderful cascading habit. It is ideal for hanging baskets or as a container filler. The large, pure white flowers will show well at retail, while the low growing habit is easy to handle for growers.

Bidens

A striking new bicolor, ‘Beedance Red Stripe’ (Suntory) presents a stunning show of color. Bright yellow blooms feature unique red stripes that are more visible in cooler temperatures. This variety has a high flower count with continuous blooming.

Impatiens

Rounding out the Sun Harmony series, ‘Sun Harmony White’ (Danziger) has large white flowers on a mounded plant. It offers impressive garden performance in full sunlight or partial shade. Sun Harmony is highly tolerant to both high and low temperatures.

Salvia

New Grandstand Salvia splendens (Green Fuse Botanicals) is early to flower and will not cycle out of color with maturity. Ideal for use in the landscape and in containers, three colors are currently offered and more are in the works (Red is pictured).

Geranium

‘Dandy Merlot Mex’ (Elsner-PAC) is an ivy geranium that is not too leggy and does not crack. It does very well in pots and hanging baskets. The bicolor variation remains stable.

Coreopsis

Hardy to Zone 5, ‘Solanna Glow’ (Danziger) will thrive in full sun and is ideal for the garden, pots, patios and groundcovers. It features brilliant light yellow flowers that bloom from early spring to fall.

Dianthus

An All-America Selections Winner, ‘Jolt Pink’ (PanAmerican Seed) is bred for extreme heat tolerance. It provides electrifying color and is great for the summer landscape as well as container programs.

A new addition to the Star collection, ‘Stargazer’ (PlantHaven) is a perfect match for top sellers ‘Neon Star and ‘Fire Star’. It is bred for stronger fragrance and is Zone 5 hardy.

Celosia

An ideal choice for gallons and landscaping, ‘Dragon’s Breath’ (Sakata) has gorgeous bright red plumes. A late-flowering variety, it exhibits excellent performance under hot and humid conditions.

Petunia

‘ColorWorks Homare’ (Sakata) boasts a unique tricolor pattern. It is extremely floriferous with a strong semi-trailing habit, making it ideal for both basket and pot production.

The unique neon color of ‘Hells Fruit Punch’ (Westhoff) will make a statement in gardens and on retail shelves. With a vigorous, horizontal branching habit, this plant fills up baskets fast.

Recognized as an All-American Selections winner, ‘Trilogy Red’ (American Takii) boasts a strong habit and non-fading blooms throughout the season. It keeps its tidy compact habit and stands up to humid conditions.

The new TriTunia series (Syngenta Flowers) features selections from top performers to simplify petunia programs. It is matched for uniformity in habit and flowering. A full range of 23 colors is offered (Rose Star is pictured).

Scilla

‘Caribbean Jewels Cayman’ (Golden State Bulb Growers) is the first compact addition to the collection. Cayman’s glossy striped buds open to violet blooms with true-blue centers and striking yellow anthers.

Gerbera

The new Bengal gerbera series (Syngenta Flowers) is big brother to top-selling Jaguar; it is more vigorous with a bigger plant habit. A year-round favorite for patio gardening, indoor decorating or gift giving, this new series is available in six classic colors (Orange is pictured).

‘Garvinea Sweet Spice’ (Florist Holland) is the newest addition to the Sweet range of Garvinea gerbera. Is has super-sized flowers that will make a statement in container displays and garden borders.

Part of a new series, ‘Hello! Sunshine’ (Proven Winners) features true yellow blooms that stand tall on long stems. The series is long blooming, will perform well in the landscape, and is heat and humidity tolerant.

New Guinea Impatiens

A brand new series, Sunstanding (Dümmen Orange) boasts large true New Guinea flowers. These plants will perform in full sun and heat. A complete range of color is offered (Lilac Borealis is pictured).

Begonia

Sister to ‘Santa Cruz’, ‘San Francisco’ (Benary) is a competitive alternative to cuttings. It has bright salmon flowers and extraordinary garden performance. This easy-to-grow plant is ideal for pots, hanging baskets and mixed containers.

Catharanthus

‘Soiree Ka・wa・i・i Pink’ (EuroAmerican Propagators/Suntory) is a micro blooming vinca that will light up gardens with vivid flower color and deep glossy green foliage. This self-branching plant is extremely compact, measuring on average less than 10 inches tall.

Scaevola

‘Scampi Pink’ (Green Fuse Botanicals) is the third color in the series. Blue, White and Pink form an ideal mixed color basket. Scampi is compact with short internodes that form a beautiful mounded shape. The large flowers will produce plenty of color, even in shady environments.

Marigold

‘Chica Orange’ (Hem Genetics) is a new dwarf French marigold with large flowers. Chica delivers early flowering and superior uniformity under various conditions. This marigold will give color all season long in home gardens and commercial landscapes.

Verbena

A unique color for verbena, ‘Lascar Mango Orange’ (Selecta) will make a great impulse item. It is early to flower with medium vigor, and is ideal for 1-gallon pots and hanging baskets.