PDSI releases new varieties and joins in cultivate education sessions
The future is bright as Plant Development Services Inc. (PDSI) debuts a new lineup of on-trend perennials full of color breakthroughs and award-winning blooms at Cultivate 2023.
In addition to showcasing new varieties at Cultivate’23, July 15 – 18, in Columbus, Ohio, PDSI will be participating in three engaging sessions at the intersection of marketing strategies and future industry trends.
“Translating Trends: Turning Trends from Concept into Social Media Content” spotlights timely and relevant social content that galvanizes consumers. “Purpose Powered Marketing” channels brand identity and company culture into marketing that moves and inspires. Finally, YouTube creator and PDSI expert Jim Putnam hosts “Plant It and Forget It: These Plants Are Selected to Survive,” highlighting the top plants garden centers can carry to ensure gardener success. For schedule and registration information, visit CultivateEvent.org.
Translating Trends: Sunday, July 16th from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Union Station Ballroom C
Purpose Powered Marketing: Monday, July 17th from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Room A110
Plant It and Forget It: Tuesday, July 18th from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on the Cultivate Live! Stage
“Our priority is to bring innovation to the time-honored plant traits consumers love and support our grower and retailer partners with game-changing marketing and merchandising support,” said Kip McConnell, business development director with PDSI. “We’re particularly excited to unveil these new releases at Cultivate, which were selected for their resilience and dynamic coloration.”
In addition to recent releases from Encore azalea, Butterfly Candy buddleia, and the new BetterBoxwood collection, PDSI is proud to showcase the following new trade releases from Southern Living Plant Collection and Sunset Plant Collection:
Agapanthus ‘Blackjack’
Named RHS 2023 Plant of the Year, ‘Blackjack’ offers superior performance and exceptional blooms in a color breakthrough: near-black purple flower clusters soaring atop tall stems. This resilient agapanthus variety combines a compact growth habit with abundant blooms, offering an extended flowering season surpassing conventional varieties. Ideal for Zones 8-11. Size at maturity is 14 to 20 inches high by 14 to 16 inches wide.
Colocasia ‘Redemption’
A dramatic new colocasia color, leaves are jet-black with a hot pink center and pink veining that intensifies in the heat. Polished with a shiny, rippled finish to its leaves, Redemption makes an exceptional addition to containers, poolside plantings, and accent plantings. Ideal for Zones 7-11. Size at maturity is 3.3 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide.
Aspidistra ‘Tokyo Skies’ – An attractive evergreen groundcover that showcases broad leaves with unique variegation, this water-wise cast iron plant has vibrant dark green foliage accented with irregular cream and white. ‘Tokyo Skies’ meets a growing consumer demand for visually dynamic shade plantings, thriving in partial to full shade conditions in Zones 8-10. Size at maturity is 2 to 3 feet high by 1 to 2 feet wide.
Begonia ‘Lunar Lights Dark Side of the Moon’
As black-hued plants soar in popularity, this sumptuous dark-leafed begonia delights with generous clusters of shiny foliage that cascade outward over time. Perennial in Zones 7-9, delicate sprays of bright red blooms decorate the variety from May until the first frost. Size at maturity is 24 to 30 inches tall and wide.
Begonia ‘Lunar Lights Harvest Moon’
True to its name, this variety of begonia thrills in the fall with rust-green leaves that glow with orange-red undersides. Its bright pink flowers glow in a gorgeous gradient from fuchsia to pale pink. ‘Harvest Moon’ thrives in shade to part shade settings. Ideal for Zones 7-9. Size at maturity is 24 to 30 inches tall and wide.
Yucca ‘Mellow Yellow’
Sword-shaped arching leaves lend a unique architectural quality to this high-performing water-wise variety. Offering an attractive upright growth habit that develops with age, this yucca exhibits superior heat, drought, and humidity tolerance in full sun conditions. Ideal for Zones 6-10. Size at maturity is 4 to 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide.
These varieties will be available to consumers through Southern Living Plant Collection and Sunset Plant Collection at select garden centers and retailers nationwide beginning in spring 2024.
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