Medal Of Excellence Variety Finalists

Medal Of Excellence Variety Finalists

Greenhouse Grower’s Medal of Excellence program has become one, if not the world’s, premier recognitions of flower breeding excellence. The three breeding awards we will present on July 11 during our Evening of Excellence reception at the OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio, include:

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– Industry’s Choice, selected by a panel of industry experts.

– Editor’s Choice, selected by Greenhouse Grower Editor Delilah Onofrey.

– Reader’s Choice, selected through an online vote of our readers.

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Up until this year, readers voted on the slate of finalists for Industry’s Choice determined by our panel. Now we’ve expanded our Reader’s Choice program to include a wider variety of plants. Breeders and plant introducers have entered their best varieties in three categories, and the winners will advance as finalists to face off to win the Reader’s Choice Award.

A portion of the entry fee proceeds will support the Jack Williams Scholarship Fund through OFA. We are thrilled with the response–28 entries including 12 annuals, nine perennials and seven in the catch-all “best of the rest” category, which includes vegetables, tropicals, woody ornamentals and blooming potted plants. As we go to press, we have no idea what the final three competing varieties will be, but we’re excited to see how it all plays out. Stay tuned!

Finalists For Editor’s Choice
3D Osteospermums
Selecta’s 3D double osteospermums stay open all day and night for high-impact retail displays in shades of Pink, Silver and Purple. The plants can be grown along with standard osteospermums. No special culture is needed.
Candy Drops Phygelius
Candy Drops phygelius bred by David Kerley and produced by Skagit Gardens produce clusters of dangling flower in vivid colors–Cream, Deep Rose, Red and Tangerine. Fill your planters, beds and borders with Candy Drops and draw humming birds.
Darwin Perennials’ Echinaceas
Darwin Perennials is breeding echinaceas in new colors and forms with a focus on winter hardiness. While the Sombreros come in Hot Coral, Salsa Red and Sandy Yellow, the Double Scoops come in Orangeberry, Bubble Gum and Raspberry.
Sunvillea Bougainvilleas
Suntory has reinvented another crop, taking bougainvillea to bonsai proportions. Extremely compact for pots, plants come in Rose, Pink and Cream. The Sunvilleas were recognized at the Tropical Plant Industry Expo as a new introduction.
Lady Slippers Streptocarpus
Produced from tissue culture instead of leaf cuttings, the Lady Slippers streptocarpus from Green Fuse Botanicals are fast for growers, blooming in four to five months. Bred for large flowers and small leaf size, the Lady Slippers delight as houseplants and in shade.
Finalists For Industry’s Choice
3D Osteospermums
The 3D osteospermums bred by Selecta are a breakthrough as the first double-flowered osteospermums with a unique flower form and colors. The tufted, button-like blooms stay open and come in Pink, Purple and Silver.
Ornamental Corn ‘Field of Dreams’
Floranova’s ornamental corn ‘Field of Dreams,’ is a versatile accent for containers, gardens and landscapes. Plants produce variegated ribbons of green, white and pink. It grows five feet tall in the garden or can be limited in a container.
Verbena ‘Lanai Twister Pink’
Bred by Syngenta Flowers, this unique bicolor with a dark pink center surrounded by light pink will surely delight consumers. Backed by the performance of the Lanai verbena series, plants are more disease tolerant and thrive in the heat.

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