Blue Ribbon Bloomers For Greenhouse Production
Grow what consumers want! Surveys show that blue is one of the top preferred colors of today’s consumers. Here are twelve top recommended blue-flowering Proven Winners annuals and perennials to suit your spring production cycle.
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Blue My Mind® Evolvulus
Blue My Mind® has quickly gained in popularity since its introduction, grown for its true sky-blue blossoms and its ability to tolerate heat, humidity and drought with ease. It combines easily with other medium-vigor pastels, whites and deep purples in hanging baskets and upright containers.
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Laguna™ Sky Blue Lobelia
Displaying greater heat tolerance than many lobelias, Laguna™ Sky Blue is a terrific performer in hanging baskets and combination containers. Growers will appreciate its compact habit that keeps its shape throughout production. Provide high light levels and longer days to finish and flower early.
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Bluebird Nemesia
This top-selling nemesia is a key component to early spring programs, but its value as a mid-season crop is just as important. Frost-tolerant and easy to grow, this cool-season annual is the first to move out in spring.
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Intensia® Blueberry Phlox
Add this juicy blue annual to your mid-spring production cycle, as it requires heat and high light for optimal growth. Once established, Intensia® Phlox are drought, heat and humidity tolerant annuals. They make colorful mid-height fillers for hanging baskets and uprights.
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Playin’ The Blues™ Salvia
This vigorous landscape-sized salvia features long, blue-purple flower spikes over an extended period atop a large clump of aromatic green foliage. It prefers to be grown lean and on the dry side in a well-drained soil mix. Try it in large specimen containers and in gallons.
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Whirlwind® Blue Scaevola
One of the top 50 Proven Winners varieties for 4-inch production, Whirlwind® Blue looks dynamite in containers and is also ideal for landscapes. Its purple-blue flowers won't fade in the sun and keep on coming all season long.
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Snowstorm® Blue Bubbles Sutera
The brand-new Snowstorm® Blue Bubbles is living proof of what happens when you work with the top genetics. Its double blue flowers have unbelievable coverage all over the compact, mounding plants. It makes a beautiful 4-inch pot, hanging basket and upright container.
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Catalina® Midnight Blue Torenia
A suitable alternative to Impatiens walleriana, Catalina® Torenia blooms all summer in shades of blue, purple, pink, yellow and white. Midnight Blue bears large, striking deep indigo blossoms with a yellow throat. Torenia prefers warmer production temperatures; cold, wet conditions can slow their growth.
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Superbena® Royale Silverdust Verbena
The color of your favorite well-worn Levis, Superbena® Royale Silverdust bears an early shower of cool blue blooms atop compact, disease-resistant plants. The Royale series of Superbenas have a superb shelf life and are great for Grande™ container production. They remain compact in production, but mature into vigorous, spreading plants for the consumer.
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Decadence® ‘Blueberry Sundae’ Baptisia
Vibrant indigo blue flowers adorn this durable native perennial in late spring followed by decorative seed pods in fall if plants are not deadheaded—two sales opportunities in one! Like all five members of this series, 'Blueberry Sundae' is much more compact than the species, topping out at 3 feet. For best results, start 72ct plugs in 2-gal containers the summer prior to sale.
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Sweet Romance™ Lavandula
One of the few hardy lavenders to bloom without vernalization, Sweet Romance is a breeze for growers starting their crops in spring from fresh or vernalized liners. Either way, you'll have outstanding color on these plants from early summer through fall.
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Color Spires® ‘Crystal Blue’ Salvia
A breakthrough new color for perennial salvia, 'Crystal Blue' bears light sky-blue flowers in abundance atop the dense, mounded clump of aromatic, grey-green foliage in late spring. When cut back after blooming, it reblooms again and again in greenhouse production, extending its sales window well into summer.
View all
Blue My Mind® Evolvulus
Laguna™ Sky Blue Lobelia
Bluebird Nemesia
Intensia® Blueberry Phlox
Playin’ The Blues™ Salvia
Whirlwind® Blue Scaevola
Snowstorm® Blue Bubbles Sutera
Catalina® Midnight Blue Torenia
Superbena® Royale Silverdust Verbena
Decadence® ‘Blueberry Sundae’ Baptisia
Sweet Romance™ Lavandula
Color Spires® ‘Crystal Blue’ Salvia
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Robin Siktberg is a contributing editor for Meister Media Worldwide. You can eMail her at [email protected]. See all author stories here.