Begonias, Dahlias, and More for 2018 from California Spring Trials
As always, there are lots of new annual varieties that breeders plan to show off at California Spring Trials (CAST) 2017, each one bred with strong garden performance and consumer success in mind.
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Begonia Be Adore Series (HilverdaKooij)
Be Adore is available in a range of lovely colors. The deep-green foliage of these plants contrasts beautifully against the bright color of the flowers, and the plants will grow and bloom all summer long. Be Adore cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, so plants should be taken indoors before Jack Frost arrives.
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Begonia ‘Unbelievable Miss Malibu’ (Dümmen Orange)
After winning the FleuroStar award in 2016, ‘Unbelievable Miss Malibu’ will cross the pond and join the Unbelievable Begonia series. Fitting perfectly into the existing lineup of strong branching, double-flowering begonias, ‘Miss Malibu’ features excellent garden performance in both sun and shade locations. It boasts rich bronze foliage, an enchanting bloom color, and a compact habit.
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Begonia elatior 'Carmen' (Beekenkamp)
In 2016, ‘Carmen’ was the overall winner in the European trial garden, where thousands of consumer and trade participants could vote for their favorite plant during the whole summer. ‘Carmen’ is obviously a strong lady being in semi shade. Plants have dark leaves in contrast with beautiful bright-red flowers.
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Begonia tuberhybrida 'Nonstop Joy Mocca White' (Ernst Benary of America)
Mocca White is the second color in the Nonstop Joy series. It pairs well with Yellow in habit but has large, pure-white flowers against dark, chocolate foliage. ‘Nonstop Joy Mocca White’ is easy to sleeve and ship for full baskets, making it an excellent choice for premium basket programs.
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Bidens ‘Beedance Yellow’ (Suntory Flowers)
Yellow is a sunny addition to the Beedance Bidens Series that brings a nice solid to the two bicolored varieties. Plants are more compact and retain a nice mound through the season. They work well for combination plantings. Sales of Beedance bidens support honeybee health research through the Pollinator Partnership.
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Bidens ‘Pretty in Pink’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm)
There’s a new color in Danziger’s bidens assortment ─ Pink. Bidens ‘Pretty in Pink’ is an upright, compact variety decorated with an abundance of pink flowers with purple stripes. Fast-growing and early-blooming, ‘Pretty in Pink’ excels as a single plant in a pot and can be used as a tall element in mixed plantings with low and cascading plants.
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Bidens 'Funny Honey' (Kientzler)
Bidens commercial development is occurring at a rapid pace. ‘Funny Honey’ is a great example of enhanced flower size and extension of additional color into the genus of Bidens. This particular bidens is developed by Concept Plants and available through Kientzler North America.
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Calendula officinalis 'Crown Orange' (Thompson & Morgan)
This reselected calendula has fully double crested, high-quality blooms in bright orange. It is easy to grow, quick to flower, and can be direct sown. Flowers are edible and perfect for cutting and flower arranging. ‘Crown Orange' is a Fleuroselect Novelty Award winner and makes a bright impact in beds, borders, and containers. It can grow to 24 inches in height.
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Calocephalus ‘Bed Head’ (Ernst Benary of America)
‘Bed Head’ is the first calocephalus from seed. Its unique texture and feel gives it versatility for use in combos, vertical gardening, and topiaries. ‘Bed Head’ also makes a great novelty item in fun seasonal containers.
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Canna ‘Cannova Bronze Leaf Orange’ (Ball Ingenuity)
Cannova was the first seed F1 canna series. It is a versatile, easy-to-grow series that works well in 4-inch pots to 2-gallon containers and is ideal for cart programs. New ‘Cannova Bronze Leaf Orange’ is the second bronze foliage variety in the series. The bronze foliage offers striking contrast with the flowers and is a great option for mixed combinations or in-ground plantings.
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Candy Tops Snapdragons Series (Sakata Ornamentals)
Candy Tops dwarf snapdragons are upright with sturdy stems. Plus, an abundance of blooms on dwarf plants means constant color and sweet fragrance. This series plays well with others in mixed containers.
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Coleus 'Hipsters Jasper' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
‘Jasper’ is a compact coleus targeted for combination planters and baskets. These genetically compact coleus were bred by Terra Nova and are offered through Kientzler North America. Terra Nova coleus feature full multi-branching habits on distinct color combinations.
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Cosmos Apollo Series (Floranova)
Apollo cosmos boast large flowers with rich colors and fully overlapping petals. The robust canopy of flowers covers a compact and full plant. Full branching requires less plant growth regulators. Apollo cosmos exhibit greater tolerance to mildew and better overall garden performance all season long.
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Cuphea FloriGlory Series (Westflowers)
The FloriGlory series of cuphea (Mexican heather) has five times the flower power with excellent garden vigor compared to the industry standards. Colors in the series include: Diana, Maria (pictured), and Sofia.
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Dahlia LaBella Maggiore Series (Beekenkamp)
Maggiore is the newest addition to the LaBella Dahlia series, which includes seven colors where the flower size varies between the 4½ to 6½ inches. The ideal pot size for them is 9 to 10 inches. ‘LaBella Maggiore’ works well for the patio or garden. Pictured: Yellow
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Dahlia ‘Mystic Sparkler’ (PlantHaven)
‘Mystic Sparkler’ has unique, hot flamingo-pink flowers with warm yellow halos and dark central discs set against glossy, mahogany-black foliage. The nectar-rich blooms are great for beneficial pollinating insects. ‘Mystic Sparkler’ blooms in early summer to fall and has a compact, rounded habit.
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Painter Dahlias Series (PlantHaven)
The Painter Dahlias from PlantHaven has extra-large dahlia blooms with great shelf appeal at retail. These selections can be featured in 8-inch pots and have good height for landscape appeal. Consumers can use them as cut garden flowers and expect rebloom in the landscape. The Dahlia Painter Series is offered by Kientzler. Pictured: Sunfire
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Dahlia 'Rebel' (HilverdaKooij)
‘Rebel’ is a cheerful, saucy, brightly colored dahlia that loves sunshine. It is an attractive, decorative plant with firm stems and flowers that have flat petals and a few petals rolled up in the middle. ‘Rebel’ can be quickly and easily grown in pots of 4½ inches and upwards.
View all
Begonia Be Adore Series (HilverdaKooij)
Begonia ‘Unbelievable Miss Malibu’ (Dümmen Orange)
Begonia elatior 'Carmen' (Beekenkamp)
Begonia tuberhybrida 'Nonstop Joy Mocca White' (Ernst Benary of America)
Bidens ‘Beedance Yellow’ (Suntory Flowers)
Bidens ‘Pretty in Pink’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm)
Bidens 'Funny Honey' (Kientzler)
Calendula officinalis 'Crown Orange' (Thompson & Morgan)
Calocephalus ‘Bed Head’ (Ernst Benary of America)
Canna ‘Cannova Bronze Leaf Orange’ (Ball Ingenuity)
Candy Tops Snapdragons Series (Sakata Ornamentals)
Coleus 'Hipsters Jasper' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Cosmos Apollo Series (Floranova)
Cuphea FloriGlory Series (Westflowers)
Dahlia LaBella Maggiore Series (Beekenkamp)
Dahlia ‘Mystic Sparkler’ (PlantHaven)
Painter Dahlias Series (PlantHaven)
Dahlia 'Rebel' (HilverdaKooij)
We asked breeders to give us a sneak peek of some of the new annual varieties they are introducing this year for the 2018 retail season. The response was so great that we couldn’t fit all of the new annuals in one slideshow, so we’ll provide them in two installments. This annuals slideshow from CAST 2017 includes begonias, dahlias, bidens, cosmos, and lots more. The second annuals slideshow will feature everything from pentas and snapdragons to verbenas and zinnias. And that’s not all, more CAST 2017 slideshows will be forthcoming featuring perennials, shrubs, blooming potted plants, and berries and vegetables.
And in case you missed it, check out the slideshow of new petunias and calibrachoas from CAST 2017.
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.