Get A Glimpse At New Annuals For 2017, Debuting At California Spring Trials
California Spring Trials (CAST) is coming up, but before you hit the trail, here’s your chance for a glimpse at the new annuals that will be hitting the market in 2017.
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Begonia ‘Evi Bright Pink’ (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
A begonia elatior type for indoor and outdoor use, 'Evi Bright Pink' is a strong variety with bright-pink flowers, which are beautiful in contrast with the dark foliage. This plant is ideal for the 5- to 7-inch pot with a height of 10 to 12 inches.
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Begonia x hybrida F1 'Funky Pink' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Begonia 'Funky Pink' is a breakthrough in begonia breeding from seed. The novelty flower form, bright color, and fun name are sure to get your customers' attention. It‘s also easy to grow and ship, and plays well in mixed containers.
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Begonia boliviensis F1 'Santa Barbara‘ (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Like Santa Cruz, 'Santa Barbara‘ has huge, clean white flowers that handle the heat and sun, and it has extraordinary garden performance. Ideal for premium baskets and containers, extend summer sales with Begonia 'Santa Barbara.'
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Begonia semperflorens F1 Sprint Plus Series (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
The Sprint Plus Series is 10 to 14 days earlier, has uniform timing, offers great vigor as young plants, and even needs less plant growth regulator than other begonia series on the market.
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Begonia TopSpin (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
The new TopSpin begonia series is an early and uniform green-leaf series. It can be finished cool with other spring bedding plants, leading to lower energy costs in production. TopSpin begonias have great vigor and branching, and the series works well in a variety of pot sizes, including hanging baskets.
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Bellis perennis 'Speedstar Plus' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
The daisy-like flower of Bellis 'Speedstar Plus' is a consumer favorite and complementary to pansies in mixed containers or quarts. Better uniformity and a compact habit with smaller leaves mean that 'Speedstar Plus' is easier to produce even in pot-tight color bowls.
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Bidens ‘Blazing Glory’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Producing a compact abundance of vibrant flowers in orange and yellow, Bidens ‘Blazing Glory’ is excellent for pots and hanging baskets alike.
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Bidens ‘Golden Empire’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Growing very upright, Bidens ‘Golden Empire’ produces an abundance of very large, bright-yellow flowers. It is excellent for both pots and hanging baskets.
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Bidens ‘Mega Charm’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Bidens ‘Mega Charm’ is a compact, ball-shaped variety that very quickly covers itself with plenty of large yellow flowers. A sun lover and heat resistant, ‘Mega Charm’ makes beautiful, tight pots, as well as compact hanging baskets.
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Calibrachoa hybrid Colibri (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Calibrachoa hybrid Colibri series produces a proliferation of large flowers on a compact, mounded growth habit. Flowering in short days (10 hours), it blooms from early spring until late autumn. Colibri is ideal for pots, compact baskets, and mixes.
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Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Hollywood Star’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
‘Superbells Hollywood Star’ bears vibrant pink flowers with a purple and gold star-patterned center from spring into fall without deadheading. It was an early favorite in our plant trials due to its strong greenhouse performance and earliness to bloom in week 7. It has been screened specifically for resistance to Thielaviopsis. It reaches 6 to 10 inches in height and has a spread of 12 to 24 inches, and thrives in full sun.
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Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Tropical Sunrise’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Boasting stable variegated blooms, ‘Superbells Tropical Sunrise’ is a stunning calibrachoa with orange, pink, and coral striped flower petals. Growers can expect more uniform plants with better branching and denser flower coverage beginning early in week 11 compared to ‘Superbells Tequila Sunrise,' which this replaces in 2016. It has been screened specifically for resistance to Thielaviopsis. It reaches 6 to 10 inches in height with a spread of 12 to 24 inches, and thrives in full sun.
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Catharanthus/Vinca F1 Solar Avalanche Series (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Solar Avalanche is a new cascading F1 Vinca series of seven colors: Apricot, White, Rose, Burgundy, Red, Pink, and Violet. Due to their hybrid background, these have better vigor that helps make them more resistant to disease. Prolific flowering with large, overlapping petals make Solar Avalanche ideal for hanging baskets and trailing applications.
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Celosia Kelos Fire collection (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
These plumosa-type celosia are ideal for outdoor use due to their great shelf life and garden performance. Their fiery plumes keep gardens bright and colorful. Kelos Fire fits nicely in production for 5- to 8-inch pots. The Kelos Fire series sets itself apart in that it can grow in natural day and does not need to blacked out during production.
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Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Lemonade’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
Presenting a different color in Cosmos with striking yellow and white bicolor blooms, this variety produces masses of flowers throughout the summer, creating a colorful display in containers and borders. In the garden, it reaches 24 inches in height.
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Dahlia 'LaBella Grande Mix' (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
This series, ideal for the 7-inch pot, has vibrant colors. The new additional color to the LaBella Grande series is the Orange Bicolor, which flowers early. The end consumer will have color the whole season long from this series.
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Dahlia ‘LaBella Medio Crimson Picotee’ (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
This additional color to the LaBella Medio series has striking bicolored white and red flowers. For the 4- to 5-inch pot, the plant will grow to a height of about 8 inches.
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Delphinium Planet Mix (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
Planet is a versatile, new series that is great as a cut, bedding, or potted crop. It is early blooming and is available in two striking colors. Delicate star-shaped flowers make Planet a perfect bouquet component, and both Blue and Light Pink color options are on trend with Pantone’s colors of the year.
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Gazania Enorma Series (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Enorma is a new, large-flowered series of gazania with six colors plus a mix. Bred with glossy leaves and a more open plant habit, these varieties do better in humid areas. Ideal for landscape beds and containers, Enorma comes in Orange, Vanilla, Yellow, Orange with Ring, Red with Ring, and Yellow with Ring.
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Geranium ‘Calliope Medium Dark Red’ (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
The new 'Calliope Medium Dark Red' geranium is perfect for quarts and pots 12-inches or larger. It has a more controlled habit than larger geraniums but similar growing and vigor. ‘Calliope Medium Dark Red’ has intense color and outstanding heat and drought tolerance.
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Gomphrena ‘Ping Pong Mix’ (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
The Gomphrena Ping Pong series delivers an explosion of color in containers and mass plantings. It also adds height and dimension making it terrific as a garden cut flower. Some other benefits of Ping Pong include easy production, drought tolerance, and few maintenance requirements.
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Impatiens 'SunPatiens Compact Fire Red' (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
Over the years, SunPatiens popularity has soared due to its three-season flower power, adaptability to both sun and shade, and impressive three-to-one coverage in the garden and the landscape. This year, SunPatiens wows with four new colors: Compact Fire Red, Compact Orchid, Compact Tropical Rose with variegated leaf, and Spreading Pink Kiss.
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Melampodium ‘Jackpot Gold' (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Melampodium ‘Jackpot Gold’ provides hardy performance, flowering from early summer until the first frost. Flower size is larger than ‘Million Gold,’ and flowers have an attractive, round shape.
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Osteospermum 'Bright Lights Yellow' (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
With strong impulse appeal at retail, the bright daisy-like flowers of Osteospermum ‘Bright Lights Yellow’ appear all season long on mounded plants. Its heat tolerance is greater than older cultivars, but it also retains its tolerance to cool temperatures, making it an extremely versatile annual with a long sales window. It reaches 8 to 12 inches in height and spread, and thrives in full sun.
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Pentas BeeBright (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
The new BeeBright compact pentas is a uniform, well-branched series with great performance. Flowering earlier than other pentas, BeeBright is ideal for high density production in 4-inch pots, quarts, or gallons. With its continuous flowering, it attracts pollinators, as well as consumers at retail.
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Petunia hybrida Amore' (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia hybrida Amore' series features a semi-trailing growth habit displaying an abundance of large, colorful flowers, decorated with contrasting stripes. Varieties bloom from early spring until late autumn. Colors include Fiesta, Joy, and Mio. Amore' is excellent for pots, baskets, and mixed containers.
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Petunia hybrida 'Classic Blue Ray' (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia hybrida ‘Classic Blue Ray’ is an early flowering variety showcasing large flowers with great longevity. It grows in a pleasing mounded growth habit. Ray is excellent for pots, baskets, and mixed containers.
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Petunia grandiflora F1 Limbo *GP* (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Limbo *GP* is the result of the latest breeding in petunias, with no need for using chemicals in production. Plants stay compact in the greenhouse without using PGRs but perform beautifully in the landscape. New colors are Mid Blue, Sky Blue, Burgundy, and Heather’s Mixture, a homage to creator Heather Will-Browne, the color guru from Disney Horticulture, who is celebrating her 45th year with Disney this year.
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Petunia multiflora F1 Mambo *GP* (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Mambo *GP* Petunias are bred to provide growers with natural compactness without the use of PGRs to make production more eco-friendly. The GP part, Garden Performance, provides improvements over the original series to get better spread in the landscape. New are: Mid-Blue, Orchid Veined, Rose Morn, and Red Morn.
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Petunia x hybrida trailing F1 'SUCCESS Coral' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Another SUCCESS story - a new color in the earliest, most uniform trailing petunia series on the market! New ‘SUCCESS! Coral’ has excellent garden performance and the same color impact.
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Petunia ‘Supertunia Picasso in Purple’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
The new Picasso in Purple bears an artistic palette of bicolor purple and green blooms that really pop against the backdrop of deep-green foliage. Its habit is similar to the popular ‘Supertunia Honey,’ forming a well-branched plant that is covered in flowers from spring into fall without deadheading. It reaches 8 to 12 inches in height, has a spread of 24 to 36 inches, and thrives in full sun.
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Petunia ‘Supertunia Vista Fuchsia Improved’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
‘Supertunia Vista Fuchsia Improved’ now matches and even surpasses the legendary ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ in its vigorous growth. It starts early and powers through hot, humid, summers with ease while maintaining a blanket of fiery fuchsia blooms all the way into the fall months. It reaches 16 to 24 inches in height, has a spread of 24 to 48 inches, and thrives in full sun.
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Petunia F1 ‘Trilogy Deep Purple’ (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Petunia F1 ‘Trilogy Deep Purple’ has the same outstanding habit as the other varieties in the Trilogy series, and is a vibrantly lush, eye-catching color. Deep Purple has the same dome-shaped, prolific blooming plant habit for which the Trilogy series is known. The series has critically important benefits for growers, retailers, and consumers.
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Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ is a 2016 AAS Regional Winner. Lavender is a beautifully unique color for a Salvia coccinea, and joins the three other varieties in the series (Red, Pink, and White), all of which are AAS winners. The Summer Jewel series is early to bloom, continues flowering until frost, and attracts pollinators.
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Snapdragon Snaptastic (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Snaptastic snapdragon is a new series that produces large flowers and long-lasting color. Its strong root system makes it more resilient to heat and its tough stems support lateral branching, which leads to less breakage. Snaptastic is available in Pink, Magenta, Red, Orange Flame, and Yellow.
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Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cream’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
An unusual nasturtium with chameleon-like flowers, the color changes from cream with a red splash to fully red, and the final flower color depends on weather and temperature. Ideal for planting en masse in borders and landscapes, ‘Orchid Cream’ reaches up to 12 inches in the garden.
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Viola hybrid ‘Bunny Ears’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
This small-flowered viola has unusual, bunny-shaped flowers, each with two upright petals, just like rabbit ears. The compact, bushy plants are ideal for containers, and reach up to 6 inches in the garden.
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Viola F1 'Corina Terracotta' (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
F1 Corina Violas as a series are extremely free-branching and make a perfect mound covered with flowers, good for both landscape use and containers. Corinas last longer into the warm weather than pansies, and are more tolerant of frosts and winds. New are Terracotta, and the mix Black and White.
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Viola hybrid Frou-Frou (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
Highly ruffled, pansy-size flowers are available as a formula mix and in five separate colors in the Frou-Frou series. Featuring beautifully ruffled, large, brightly colored blooms, the two-toned flowers are produced in abundance and are ideal for cool-season flowering. They reach up to 6 inches in height in the garden.
View all
Begonia ‘Evi Bright Pink’ (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
Begonia x hybrida F1 'Funky Pink' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Begonia boliviensis F1 'Santa Barbara‘ (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Begonia semperflorens F1 Sprint Plus Series (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Begonia TopSpin (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Bellis perennis 'Speedstar Plus' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Bidens ‘Blazing Glory’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Bidens ‘Golden Empire’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Bidens ‘Mega Charm’ (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Calibrachoa hybrid Colibri (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Hollywood Star’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Tropical Sunrise’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Catharanthus/Vinca F1 Solar Avalanche Series (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Celosia Kelos Fire collection (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Lemonade’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
Dahlia 'LaBella Grande Mix' (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
Dahlia ‘LaBella Medio Crimson Picotee’ (Beekenkamp, at Floricultura in Salinas, CA)
Delphinium Planet Mix (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
Gazania Enorma Series (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Geranium ‘Calliope Medium Dark Red’ (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Gomphrena ‘Ping Pong Mix’ (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
Impatiens 'SunPatiens Compact Fire Red' (Sakata Seed, Salinas, CA)
Melampodium ‘Jackpot Gold' (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Osteospermum 'Bright Lights Yellow' (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Pentas BeeBright (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia hybrida Amore' (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia hybrida 'Classic Blue Ray' (Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm at Headstart Nursery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia grandiflora F1 Limbo *GP* (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Petunia multiflora F1 Mambo *GP* (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Petunia x hybrida trailing F1 'SUCCESS Coral' (Benary, Watsonville, CA)
Petunia ‘Supertunia Picasso in Purple’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia ‘Supertunia Vista Fuchsia Improved’ (Proven Winners, Kirigin Cellars Winery, Gilroy, CA)
Petunia F1 ‘Trilogy Deep Purple’ (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ (American Takii, Salinas, CA)
Snapdragon Snaptastic (Syngenta Flowers, Gilroy, CA)
Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cream’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
Viola hybrid ‘Bunny Ears’ (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
Viola F1 'Corina Terracotta' (Hem Genetics, at Speedling, San Juan Bautista, CA)
Viola hybrid Frou-Frou (Thompson-Morgan at Speedling, San Juan Bautista)
We asked breeders to share with us pictures and information on some of the great new annuals introductions they will debut at CAST 2016. They didn’t let you down. These new annuals introductions have all the great characteristics you’ve come to rely on from breeders — excellent branching, good uniformity, flower power, and most important, long-lasting garden performance.
Check out the slideshow to see some of the new annuals making their debut to the trade this spring. And 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. This week we’ll focus on the Northern Region, but stay tuned for the Central Region annuals slideshow, coming up soon.
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In the coming weeks, you can also see new blooming potted plants, perennials, and woody ornamentals that will be hitting the consumer market in 2017. Also, look for our March issue to see these varieties, up close and personal, in Greenhouse Grower magazine.
If you’re planning on attending California Spring Trials, 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 8-14. 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.