Flower Breeders To Debut Hot New Perennials For 2017 At California Spring Trials
Perennials are becoming more mainstream as consumers look for that long-term, added value of lower maintenance, season-long color, and reblooming plants year after year. And perennial growers and retailers like them for the higher price point perennials offer. So if you’re keeping your eyes open for what’s coming next year, you’ve clicked on the right story.
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Adenophora ‘Fairybells Gaudi Violet’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Praised for its free-flowering habit, terminal racemes of elegant, soft-violet, drooping, bell-shaped flowers, held on upright stems well above the foliage, Fairybells blooms from early summer to fall and is hardy to Zone 4. Strong, healthy, green foliage forms a tight clumping habit. Reaching 18 inches in height and spread at maturity, this first-year-flowering, vernalization-free perennial is ideal for garden borders and mass landscape plantings.
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Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
The newest genus to the Proven Winners Perennials lineup is also the most exciting! Stems emerge near black and stay dark throughout spring. Olive-green leaves form a wide, mounded habit. Periwinkle-blue, star-shaped flowers cover the plant in late spring to early summer. This native cultivar will thrive in both Northern and Southern growing regions.
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Carex ‘Feather Falls’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
A vigorous, super-sized variegated carex that will work in almost any landscape condition. ‘Feather Falls’ proves its toughness in the summer months by tolerating full sun conditions without burning and it also thrives in shady conditions. Hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 9, it reaches 12 to 18 inches tall by 18 to 24 inches in spread.
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Coreopsis ‘SunKiss’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Another color breakthrough, ‘SunKiss’ has the brightest yellow with large blotch available in seed. It has a controlled habit, which means no PGRs in certain conditions.
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Coreopsis UpTick (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
The UpTick series has a tidy, mounded habit that makes it easy to ship. It’s very attractive in the landscape, and offers bigger flowers and longer blooming for more color at retail and in the garden.
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Dianthus ‘Devon Cottage Pinball Wizard’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
A standout, unique variety, Pinball Wizard has masses of fragrant, fancy, pink and white striped flowers that flower from spring till fall. Foliage is blue-silver and the plant has a compact, mounding habit with a 12-inch height and spread. Growing best in full sun and well-drained soil, it benefits from vernalization. Flower stems are sturdy and don’t flop, and flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies in containers, borders, and mass landscape plantings. Great as a cut flower.
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Dianthus Flow Series (Flamingo Holland, at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
This new perennial dianthus series features six beautiful colors, extremely large flowers, and long-lasting blooms. Ideal for a quart to gallon container, it’s hardy to Zone 5.
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Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Fuchsia’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
A vibrant, beautiful dianthus that performs well in the South, this variety’s single fuchsia flowers have attractive glaucous blue foliage (typically, this type of dianthus has green foliage). Best flowering is in early summer, with rebloom through early fall.
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Echinacea ‘Kismet Intense Orange’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
This new echinacea has an amazing number of intense, orange flowers that bloom from early summer until frost and remain attractive for weeks. Plant habit is upright and compact with excellent vigor. Intense Orange reaches 16 to 18 inches in height with a 24-inch spread. It thrives in full sun and is hardy to Zones 4 to 10.
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Echinacea ‘Prairie Splendor Compact Rose’ (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Echinacea ‘Prairie Splendor Compact Rose’ is a new addition to the award-winning perennial series. With its upright habit, fewer plant growth regulator applications are needed. Prairie Splendor has fragrant blooms and will flower the first year.
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Gaillardia ‘Mesa Red’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
A top-three gaillardia color joins the Mesa series – Red is redder and more consistent in color than the market leader. Its uniform plant vigor and habit matches the series.
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Gaillardia Spin Top Series (Dümmen Orange, BarrelHouse Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, and Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, CA)
A brand new series introduction for 2017, Gaillardia SpinTop from Dümmen Orange showcases large, dazzling blooms that do a great job of attracting pollinators. This exciting new series is first-year flowering, mid-sized in the landscape and blooms continually for loads of color and long-season interest.
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Gaura ‘Bantam Red’ (Green Fuse Botanicals, Santa Paula, CA)
‘Bantam Red’ presents a distinct color within the gaura genera, showing off a burgundy-red flower. The flowers of the Bantam series develop more of a mounded display, allowing for easier movement to retail. Green Fuse also concentrated on selecting earlier flowering for this new addition. Garden height is 14 to 20 inches.
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Geum ‘Rustico Orange’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
With red-orange flowers and a medium, dense, mounding habit, ‘Rustico Orange’ is a heavy bloomer that flowers for a long time. Its foliage is very clean-looking, and reaches up to 9 inches in height with a 14-inch spread, while flowers reach up to 10 inches. Hardy to Zones 5 to 9, the Rustico series grows best in full sun.
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Helenium Orange (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
This perennial novelty Helenium from Innova breeding is compact compared to free varieties on the market. With a long flowering period, early potting helps to grow a bigger plant. Finish outdoors to get best results. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
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Heliopsis ‘Sole D’Oro’ (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Heliopsis ‘Sole D’Oro’ is a stunning long day perennial with focused flowering in summer and fall. A true perennial for Zones 3 to 9. Plants are sure to flower first year and do not require vernalization. Grow plants in gallon cans for a great retail display.
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Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Glenda’s Gloss’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
A shiny new cultivar from the breeding program of Rodney Davey, Glenda’s Gloss sports marbled foliage with violet-white bicolor flowers, which give the look of a white flower dipped in violet paint. Growth habit and bloom time will be similar to that of Glenda’s sisters, Penny and Anna. Hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 8, it reaches 24 inches in height and spread.
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Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Pippa’s Purple’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
A new Rodney Davey hybrid that is keeping up with the trends, Pippa’s flower color is a near match to the PANTONE 2015 color of the year, Marsala. Pippa accessorizes her flowers with some deep burgundy speckles. Combine that with her marbled foliage for a red-carpet-ready variety. Growth habit and bloom time will be similar to that of Penny’s Pink and Anna’s Red. Hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 8, this variety reaches 24 inches in height and spread.
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Heuchera ‘Dolce Appletini’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
This delightful Coral Bells boasts both attractive foliage and flowers. Bright lime green leaves have a silver overlay, a color best brought out in part shade. Rich ruby red flowers top the plant starting in early summer and occasionally reblooms until fall.
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Heuchera ‘Primo Black Pearl' (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Meet the new black Heuchera in town! You’ll want to get your hands on this beautiful foliage plant. Incredibly glossy, jet-black leaves are scalloped and ruffled for a one-of-a-kind look. White flowers with pink calyxes appear in midsummer. This requires vernalization to flower, but the foliage is stunning on its own.
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Heucherella ‘Plum Cascade’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
This small-leaf trailer has lovely purple-silver leaves that are deeply lobed and free-flowering, light-pink flowers. Great as a groundcover or in a hanging basket, ‘Plum Cascade’ is vigorous, easy to grow, and rust-resistant. Foliage reaches nine inches tall by 32 inches in spread, with a 12-inch flower height. Hardy to Zones 4 to 10, it thrives in shade to part shade.
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Hibiscus ‘Summerific Ballet Slippers' (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Get a feminine flare for your hardy hibiscus lineup with this bold beauty. Seven-inch flowers are white with a deep red eye, and the overlapping petals are edged with blush pink. Flowers appear from the top to bottom of the plant. Bright green leaves form a polished, upright habit.
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Hibiscus ‘First Editions French Cabaret’ (Bailey Nurseries at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Hibiscus ‘First Editions French Cabaret’ blooms profusely from mid-summer through October with large, double pompom-like flowers. Dark pink buds open to a delicate blush pink with shades of white. French Cabaret is sterile, producing no seed, which encourages its heavy blooming.
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Lavender ‘Lavance Deep Purple’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Lavance is the deepest purple-blue Lavendula angustifolia for Summer color with no bleaching. The most controlled English lavender, it bulks up well and does not break in shipping.
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Lavender LaVela (Selecta, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
A new series of Lavendula stoechas, LaVela flowers four weeks earlier. It has a tight habit and great branching for quarts and gallon containers. Available in three strong, vivid colors, it is a tender perennial that’s hardy to zone 8.
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Leucanthemum ‘Realflor Real Sunbeam’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Colorfast, deep-yellow, single-bloom petals with contracting deep golden centers are carried on very strong stems from early to midsummer and then repeating in fall. Tight, clumping, mid- to dark-green foliage provides a contrast on these plants that reach 36 inches tall by 18 inches in spread. These genetics feature improved disease resistance and once established, drought and wind resistance. Hardy to Zone 5, this variety is ideal for pots, containers, garden borders and landscapes and is great for cut flower bouquets.
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Passiflora ‘Riverside Snow Queen’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Striking, large pure-white flowers bloom on dark green, leathery foliage in spring, with repeat bloomingin summer and fall. Due to polyploid vigor, flowers are larger and longer-lasting than regular hybrids, and blooms last for two or more days. Vigorous and strong growing, this variety begins to flower on a small plant, ideal as a climbing vine and larger containers. It’s hardy to Zone 8b.
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Penstemon ‘Cherry Sparks’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Cherry Sparks is a sterile, interspecific hybrid that starts flowering in May and has double the flowering window of other penstemon, giving it a longer shipping and selling window. It is heat tolerant and winter hardy (Zones 5 to 9).
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Penstemon Series (Hishtil Nurseries at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
A new penstemon series bred in the UK by Fred Yates & exclusively available from Hishtil Nurseries was bred for the best of both worlds – for the pot plant grower and the home gardener. Plants have broad leaves with short, stiff stems holding the blooms clear of the foliage. For the pot plant grower, varieties are compact and genetically dwarf, with good branching, a flowering height up to 30 centimeters, and uniformity in height and flowering time. For the home gardener, plants have multiple uses in patio pots and the front of borders. Short, stiff stems mean no supports are needed in the garden.
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Penstemon ‘Mission Bells Deep Rose’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
This new Penstemon series is non-invasive or self-seeding. Plants are loaded with flowers on attractive dark stems for a spectacular show from spring to fall. It fills a container quickly and provides a long flowering window. It’s slightly taller than ‘Penstemon Cherry Sparks.’
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Perovskia ‘Blue Steel’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
A perennial first: high-quality, affordable seed perovskia. Aromatic, silvery foliage carries clouds of small blue flowers. Its sturdy, controlled landscape habit is comparable to the vegetative market leader.
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Phlox Early series (Dümmen Orange, BarrelHouse Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, and Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Three new additions to the popular Early series from Dümmen Orange include Cerise, Pink Blush, and White Improved. With the earliest bloom time of any paniculata-type Phlox, Early is smart and reliable choice for early spring through fall perennial programs. Plants are compact and first-year flowering with an exceptionally long flowering period.
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Rhythmix Perennial Combos (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Rhythmix combos are choreographed with seed and vegetative varieties, each thoroughly trialed and selected to help manage costs, put on a good show of color at retail, and provide long-lasting flower power through summer heat. Choose from five exciting combinations.
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Salvia x microphylla collection (Cultivaris at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
This excellent series of gregii-type, compact, bushy salvias includes the varieties ‘Berkeley Barb,’ ‘Dazzler,’ ‘Elmira,’ ‘Free Speech,’ ‘Gleneden,’ ‘Roseburg,’ and ‘Syracuse.’ All varieties feature flexible, non-brittle stems that improve sell through and retail appeal. Offering excellent performance all season long, from May to October, the collection is hardy to Zone 7.
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Salvia microphylla ‘Killer Cranberry’ (Southern Living Plant Collection at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Masses of magenta flowers on tall spikes lure honeybees and hummingbirds. Prolific flowers are a killer attraction for people, too. This variety features dense, fragrant foliage, long –blooming and drought resistance. It can be used in borders, garden beds and containers, thriving in full sun to part shade. Growing to reach two to three feet high by three to four feet wide, it’s hardy to USDA Zones 8 to 10. This variety was introduced by Cultivaris.
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Salvia ‘Mirage’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Heat-tolerant ‘Mirage’ provides early-season and summer-long blooming, offering gardeners more color for their landscape and patio. Its full, mounded habit requires no maintenance to manage. Available in nine colors.
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Sedum telephium ‘Chocolate Cherry’ (Cultivaris at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
This superb dark-leaved hybrid from Dutch breeder Marco Van Noort has been impressive in both field and pot trials. Strong disease resistance, an excellent well-branched habit, and beautiful red blooms in summer atop the charcoal-black leaves make this a sedum to beat.
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Sedum ‘Rocky’ and ‘Painted Pebble’ (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
These compact varieties of rich-flowering Sedum flower over a long period. Offering a nice plant for rocky gardens, they are suitable for 4- to 6-inch pots. These easy care, drought- tolerant plants start to flower at the end of July to early August.
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Veronica ‘Vernique Shining Sea’ (Green Fuse Botanicals, Santa Paula, CA)
Veronica ‘Vernique Shining Sea’ is a unique new variety. It possesses mid-blue flowers and a few white petals peek through the overall blue tone, revealing a bicolor effect. Like all Vernique Veronica, it requires no vernalization (cold treatment) to flower and are programmable. Garden height is 12 to 18 inches.
View all
Adenophora ‘Fairybells Gaudi Violet’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Carex ‘Feather Falls’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Coreopsis ‘SunKiss’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Coreopsis UpTick (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Dianthus ‘Devon Cottage Pinball Wizard’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Dianthus Flow Series (Flamingo Holland, at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Fuchsia’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Echinacea ‘Kismet Intense Orange’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Echinacea ‘Prairie Splendor Compact Rose’ (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Gaillardia ‘Mesa Red’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Gaillardia Spin Top Series (Dümmen Orange, BarrelHouse Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, and Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Gaura ‘Bantam Red’ (Green Fuse Botanicals, Santa Paula, CA)
Geum ‘Rustico Orange’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Helenium Orange (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Heliopsis ‘Sole D’Oro’ (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Glenda’s Gloss’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Pippa’s Purple’ (Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Heuchera ‘Dolce Appletini’ (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Heuchera ‘Primo Black Pearl' (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Heucherella ‘Plum Cascade’ (Terra Nova Nurseries at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Hibiscus ‘Summerific Ballet Slippers' (Proven Winners Perennials, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Hibiscus ‘First Editions French Cabaret’ (Bailey Nurseries at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Lavender ‘Lavance Deep Purple’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Lavender LaVela (Selecta, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Leucanthemum ‘Realflor Real Sunbeam’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Passiflora ‘Riverside Snow Queen’ (PlantHaven at GroLink, Oxnard, CA)
Penstemon ‘Cherry Sparks’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Penstemon Series (Hishtil Nurseries at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Penstemon ‘Mission Bells Deep Rose’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Perovskia ‘Blue Steel’ (Kieft Seed, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Phlox Early series (Dümmen Orange, BarrelHouse Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA, and Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Rhythmix Perennial Combos (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Salvia x microphylla collection (Cultivaris at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Salvia microphylla ‘Killer Cranberry’ (Southern Living Plant Collection at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Salvia ‘Mirage’ (Darwin Perennials, Ball Horticultural Co., Santa Paula, CA)
Sedum telephium ‘Chocolate Cherry’ (Cultivaris at Pacific Plug & Liner, Watsonville, CA)
Sedum ‘Rocky’ and ‘Painted Pebble’ (Kientzler at Windmill Nursery, Buellton, CA)
Veronica ‘Vernique Shining Sea’ (Green Fuse Botanicals, Santa Paula, CA)
Flower breeders exhibiting at the 2016 California Spring Trials (CAST) have a huge crop of new perennial varieties to show off for the 2017 spring season. Before you head to California in a few weeks, take a look at the slideshow to get a preview of the colorfully delicious perennial genetics coming to the market. These new perennial introductions have all the great characteristics you’ve come to rely on from breeders. Which ones will you incorporate into production for 2017?
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If you missed our annuals slideshows the last couple of weeks, don’t worry — you can check them out here. Because so many annuals are revealed at CAST, we had to build two slideshows — one for the Northern Region and one for the Central Region. In the coming weeks, you can also see new blooming potted plants, woody ornamentals, and edibles that will be presented at this year’s California Spring Trials. Also, look for our March issue to see these varieties, up close and personal, in Greenhouse Grower magazine.
Planning a last-minute trip to California Spring Trials? There’s still time! Find out how to make your appointments to visit breeder locations.
And don’t forget to join us for daily coverage of the 2017 California Spring Trials. Whether you make the trip or not, you can virtually hit the California Spring Trials trail with the editors of Greenhouse Grower. Editor Laura Drotleff and Managing Editor Janeen Wright, together with Dr. Allan Armitage, will visit every stop to bring you the latest varieties and breaking news. Subscribe to Greenhouse Grower‘s Benchrunner eNewsletter to make sure you get our daily updates while in California, April 8-15. In addition to our popular slideshows, full of photos and descriptions of the most exciting new varieties, we’ll also provide the latest news and industry insider perspectives on new introductions.
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Laura Drotleff is a former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. See all author stories here.