Colorado weather was quite warm in July with several days over 90°F, but most of the annuals in the Colorado State University (CSU) trials performed extremely well overall, says Jim Klett, Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulturist for CSU. More than 1,000 different plant varieties from 22 participating breeders filled the trial gardens this year, with 350 that were new varieties for 2016. CSU hosted the Home Garden Seed Association National Meeting this summer and had more than 100 of the association’s entries in the trials, including 50 vegetable varieties. Results for top performing perennials from CSU field trials will be out in late October.
Dr. Klett’s Comments About The Best Of Show Plants:
Best of Show- Argyranthemum ‘White Butterfly’ (Proven Winners)
‘White Butterfly’ came covered with white flowers in 2016. Plants had continuous bloom all through the growing season and looked fresh even during the summer heat. The plants maintained excellent uniformity and the continuous growth helped them “bury the dead,” so no dead-heading was required.
Best New Variety – Lantana ‘Lucky Red’ (Ball FloraPlant)
The flowers on this plant were abundant. The blooms had many citrus tones but were predominantly noted for a good dark red. This plant was unique for combining both red flower color with a uniform growth habit. Blooming started early, and it was noted that it didn’t cycle in and out of flowering like other lantanas.
Best Novelty – Begonia ‘Jurassic Red Splash’ (Ball Ingenuity)
Red Splash had fantastic foliage color, which gave this plant great interest as soon as it was planted in the garden. The foliage was a dramatic combination of red and silver, with large jagged edges. This is a good choice for shady areas as it has iridescent foliage with the occasional beam of sunlight. Plants were well branched. This also does well as an indoor plant.
015Colorado State University 2016 Field Trials Results
November 13, 2016 
