Spring Trials Preview: Floranova

Wallflower F1 ‘Sugar Rush’

This new cheiranthus livens up a narrow fall and early spring bedding plant assortment by flowering in as few as 70 days from a mid-summer sowing. It flowers 120 days from a fall sowing. Unlike most existing wallflower varieties, this variety does not require vernalization to induce flowering. Being an F1 hybrid, it also has much better vigor and basal branching than existing varieties. ‘Sugar Rush’ also boasts fantastic uniformity and excellent cold tolerance. Available initially as three separate colors and a four-color mix, ‘Sugar Rush’ projects a sweet scent. It’s ideal for use in either mono or mixed containers, window boxes or even in the middle of a winter hanging basket.

Streptocarpus ‘Cape Cool’

Once a favorite house and pot plant, production difficulties have gradually led to a decline in popularity for streptocarpus. Floranova hopes to restart that trend with the introduction of the new seed-raised variety ‘Cape Cool,’ which is available now as pelleted seed with 90 percent germination. The modern ‘Cape Cool’ genetics have a neater plant habit and produce more flowers than old heritage varieties. They are also less prone to disease than varieties raised from leaf cuttings. Available in four colors and a formula mix, ‘Cape Cool’ thrives in a warm, shaded environment and can be used both indoors and out.

Pansy F1 Freefall

Following up on the 2011 series introduction, a new color and three designer mixes will be available. The new color, Cream, shares the characteristics of the first five colors: a flat spreading habit, prolific flowering and earliness. For a spreading pansy from seed, Freefall has a wide color range available. According to Floranova, Freefall flowers “reliably” on Christmas Day in some climates.