Perennials, Tropicals And More: 2012 California Spring Trials Introductions

Dianthus ‘EverLast Lilac + Eye’

Plants of all shapes, sizes and species are rolled out during Spring Trials each year, the vast majority of which, of course, are annuals. The numbers of new introductions can be almost overwhelming, and every stop on the tour offers at least a few welcome surprises.

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Peruse these great-looking new perennials we saw during the 2012 California Spring Trials and see which ones you might want to add to your mix for 2013.

Dianthus EverLast series

Dianthus EverLast series

Selecta
Gardeners’ wishes for longer-blooming dianthus were answered with the introduction of the EverLast series. Plants bloom early and stay in bloom, and then flower again in late summer when nighttime temperatures drop. This low-maintenance dianthus combines double flowers and perennial hardiness into a compact eight- to 12-inch plant.

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Viola Halo series

Viola Halo series

Darwin Perennials
The Halo series offers extra-large flowers in bright, rich colors of lilac, sky blue and violet. The plants won’t stretch during the summer growing season and make a nice addition to autumn perennial programs. This series has excellent heat tolerance and hardiness.

Heuchera Carnival series

Heuchera Carnival series

Darwin Perennials
High-impact colors in shades of light green, bronze-and silver-streaked burgundy, and dark green, plus heat tolerance and a mounding habit, make the Carnival series an excellent landscape plant for shady situations.  A height of 10-12 inches with a slightly larger spread make them easy to use in large containers as a foliage plant.

Sunblaze Roses

Sunblaze Roses from Greenheart Farms

Greenheart Farms
Sunblaze roses offer a bright range of colors on plants designed for  outstanding potted plant production and garden performance. At only 18 to 24 inches tall, they’re ideal for containers or small gardens. Colors range from yellow, salmon, red, pink and white to bicolor. Sell as a 4.5-inch gift plant or in a 3-gallon pot for landscape use.

Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Purple’

Monarda didyma 'Pardon My Purple' from Proven Winners

Proven Winners
A vibrant fuchsia-purple flower 2.5 to 3 inches wide is what first catches your eye. Next is the glossy mildew-resistant foliage. The combination makes ‘Pardon My Purple’ a winner in the landscape. At only 10 to 12 inches tall, it is shorter than most monardas and will work in containers as well as in traditional landscape plantings, patio beds and herb gardens.

Ligularia ‘Bottle Rocket’

Ligularia 'Bottle Rocket' from Proven Winners

Proven Winners
Heat tolerance and compact size set ‘Bottle Rocket’ apart from others in this genus. Hardy from Zones 4 to 9, it has mustard-yellow flowers on sturdy stems just above the foliage. At 28 to 34 inches high with a slightly smaller spread, ‘Bottle Rocket’ has large serrated green leaves and forms a dense clump. It is nice addition to a shady garden.

Colocasia ‘Maui Gold’ and ‘Hawaiian Punch’

Colocasia 'Maui Gold' from Plant Haven

PlantHaven
Meet the two newest additions to the Royal Hawaiian series: ‘Maui Gold’ and ‘Hawaiian Punch.’ Both add two striking new foliage colors to this series. ‘Maui Gold’ has golden yellow leaves with white stems, and ‘Hawaiian Punch’ sports dark green leaves on bright red stems. The entire series performs well in gardens and containers, providing striking bold foliage and a tropical look.

Dahlia Dahlinova Hypnotica series

Dahlia Dahlinova Hypnotica series from Fides Oro

Fides Oro
Radiant colors, uniform flowering, excellent branching and a short crop time set the Dahlinova Hypnotica series apart from other dahlias. Thirteen stunning colors are available,from deep burgundy, bronze, lavender, coral, yellow, pink and several beautiful bicolors. Growers will like the short crop time – eight to 10 weeks in early spring and seven to eight weeks in late spring and summer – as well as the excellent branching habit.

Cordyline Garden Dancer series

Cordyline Garden Dancer series from Cultivaris

Cultivaris
Selected for the best tissue culture and garden performance, the Garden Dancer series offers a variety of foliage colors from green to bronze on a graceful plant. For gardeners in the Midwest and Southeast, who cannot grow phormium, this plant is an excellent substitute. This is a high-value crop that will get retailers and consumers excited.

Salvia xsuperba ‘Merleau’

Salvia xsuperba 'Merleau' from Syngenta Flowers

Syngenta Flowers
The introduction of ‘Merleau’ represents a technical breakthrough in Salvia ×superba, because it flowers in the first year, just 100 days after sowing. Winner of the Fleuroselect award, the judges particularly recommended ‘Merleau’ for its outstanding pot performance.

‘Merleau’ produces purplish-blue spikes on a 16-inch uniform, well-branched plant. It will attract consumers at retail level with its mature appearance and early flowering. It flowers from June to September, providing long-lasting garden interest.

Helleborus xballardiae ‘Pink Frost’

Helleborus xballardiae 'Pink Frost' from Skagit Gardens

Skagit Gardens
Just one member of the outstanding Gold Series of hellebores, ‘Pink Frost’ produces an abundance of burgundy buds that open to soft pink flowers. As the flowers age, they darken, but as new flowers emerge the display becomes a stunning combination of white, pink and red flowers all at once. Dark green foliage has a marbled silver surface and red stems. Hardy to Zone 5, ‘Pink Frost’ blooms January to March and grows to 15 inches tall.

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