SELECTED NEW VARIETIES 2022/2023
Astilbe arendsii, Rhapsody Mix
30" spreading 30" container, 34" spreading 30" gdn; Quick-germing plants form long slender plume of intense shades of red, pink, carmine and cream. Thrives in partial shade to shade. Crop time about 12 mo. For premium containers in spring mkts, stunning in landscapes. Worth testing as specialty cutflower for multi-yr crops with close spacing to stretch stems.
Begonia x Interspecific, Hula Red
6" pot spreading 20", 10" gdn spreading 27"; Unique new spreading type. Extremely branching and spreading. Produces a large color show of myriad tightly spaced 1" flowers. Day neutral. Blooms and starts spreading extremely early for long color show without extra lighting. For baskets, containers, and landscaping. A few plants fill a lot of space fast.
Celosia, Sunday Green
30-40" spreading 5"; Fragrant, plume-shaped Celosia available for first time as professional cutflower The stem length & strength make great bouquets. Excellent shipper with long vase life. Short, programmable production time and high % yield of useable stems. Well adapted to high density production.
Celosia cristata, Reprise Mix
32" ; Bred for exquisite striking colors, tight, finely structured globe shaped flower heads for high-appeal bouquets. Long robust stems. Harvest begins after a very short 8-11 weeks of cultivation. Plant strucure is very narrow with small leaves which allows lots of light to enter the leaves. This allows the grower to use extra-efficient plant density. It also provides the opportunity for extended harvest using late-season plantings at standard density. The flower combs are resistant to mildew allowing for very long vase life. For professional cutflower production.
Echinacea x hybrida, Artisan Yellow Ombre
16" spr 10" pot, 28" spr 25" gdn; FYF. To compete with tisssue culture varieties. Artisan is a big breeding breakthrough - first-ever F1 Echinaceas. Uniformity of Artisan F1 is unequalled among seed varieties in the genus. Highly branched, full plants, uniform flowering for bench run shipping. Flower development and color intensity is uniform across the population of each variety. Artisans have been tested in 3-year overwintering trials in zone 5 Chicago area. Bred to compete head-on with tissue culture varieties. For premium early season container programs.
Echinacea purpurea, PollyNation Mix
24" pot, 28" gdn; FYF and very early to bloom, with crop time of only 16-18 weeks. Extra large flrs with intense colors including white, orange-red, yellow & magenta. Vigorously branching habit with strong heat and drought tolerance. For 6-8" pot, premium planters, and borders.
Eucalyptus parvula, Small Leaved Gum
4 ft canes, 20 ft mature tree; Stunning pale green leaves with lovely aromatic fragrance adorn neat, airy branches. Premium plant for bouquets and fillers.. A preferred commercial species for several reasons: Rapid annual branching, easy pruning, high yielding, cold hardy compared most other eucalyptus, strong resistance to pests & disease. Compact, neat leaf. For commercial foliage and small-tree production.
Fragaria ananassa, Estavana
10-12 "; Compact, vigorous plants are strongly everbearing and day neutral for long harvest season and easy scheduling. White flowers. Mid long peduncles hold fruit about 6" out from the canopy. Fruit are bright red shiny, conical, and large, with avg weight from from .5 to 1" oz. Very sweet with avg Brix of about 10. Season-long yields of 2 lb per plant were recorded. For edible container & commercial use.
Impatiens x hybrida, Solarscape Orange Burst
10" spreading 18"; Seed grown interspecific crosses with same gdn performance as vegetatives, without the royalties. Thrives in both full sun and shade. Vibrant glowing colors and satiny texture for tropical appeal. Year-round availability allows for easier crop scheduling without the disease buildup problems that sometimes occur in vegetative programs. Cost-effective alternative for landscapers, containers & bedding, with no branding hoops to jump through. Seed shelf-life about 1 yr.
Lisianthus, Can Can Carmine Rose
36", to 45" at closer spacing; Group 3-4. Spray type. Large flowers are densely petalled with a nice rose-form shape. Late flowering for summer crops. Each stem produces a spray of flowers on top that open within a tight window to yield a ready-made bouquet. No pinching needed. These labor saving traits are good for the bottom line. The full spray may reduce the number of stems needed in the arrangement. For professional cutflr, under hoops or ghs and in field during summer.
3ft-4ft with tight spacing; Group 1 for spring to mid-spring crop and Group 2 for spring to mid-summer crop. Double flowers with unique colors. Thick petals make buds durable in shipping with less botrytis. Stigmas do not open so no pollen is shed promoting prolonged shelf life.
Lisianthus, Voyage 3 Champagne
2ft in high light or broad spacing, 3ft in lower light or close spacing; Group 3. Larger flwrs & higher petal count vs Voyage 2. Top-flowering habit. Large lushly double fringed flowers in gorgeous soft apricot. Strong petal texture for enhanced shipping and shelf life. Professional cutflower, spring cropping.
Pansy, Cool Wave Blue
8" spreading 24"; Next generation trailing Pansy with greater vigor, larger blooms and improved seed quality. Outstanding performance worldwide earns it the right to wear the famous 'Wave' name. Forms spectacular trailing, cool season baskets. A profuse spiller in mixed combos, and creates a quick, high-impact groundcover. Unsurpassed for overwintering hardiness. Culture Note: Do not overcrowd; use 128 plug or larger. One plug fills up to 6" pot, only 3 plugs up to 13" container.
Ptilotus exaltus, Matilda
20" pot 32" in ground;' Prolific upright array of beautiful plumes full of fluffy bright silver florets with magenta tips. Tough wiry stems with long shelf life. Highly ornamental and can be used in many ways in cutflower arrangements. Also for large containers and combo planters, as well as a stately accent plant in summer gardens. Ptilotus is sun and heat loving, an extremely durable Australian native.
Rudbeckia fulgida, Goldblitz
24" spreading 14" pot, 28" spreading 18" gdn; Multiple improvements over Goldsturm. FYF. No vern. Less daylength required for bloom, only 14.5 hours. Loads up with 3-3.5" golden flowers which shortens production time 2-3 weeks in natural light. For premium containers, perennial bedding.
Verbena bonariensis, Vanity
32": FYF. Fragrant bright purple blue flrs, more intensely colored than the usual strains. Base branching with sturdy stems. More compact habit lends itself to containers and borders but is still tall enough to be tested as a specialty cutflower capable of multi-year harvest but also capable of being grown as an annual.
Vinca, Tattoo Orange
10" spreading 6" pot, 14" spreading 8" gdn; Unique airbrushed colors new to Vinca, set off by eye-popping central dusky halos. Large flowers have broad overlapping petals, with a fully rounded form that doesn't show gaps in the heat. Uniform upright habit with 3-5 day bloom window across the series. Colors are enhanced and especially showy in hot bright conditions. For packs, containers.
