Breeding Synergies At Kieft
March 30, 2009 
At Kieft’s trials, we learned more about Florensis–the Dutch breeding, production and distribution company that has an ownership stake in Kieft–and how the two companies are working together on breeding. While Florensis is more focused on vegetative crops, the breeders are working together on seed and vegetative, combining resources and capabilities. Vegetative lines on display include the Glow petunias, which have been very well received by growers for uniformity and daylength neutrality, Vegas verbena, and a dark new sedum, ‘Black Beauty.’
In seed perennials, the big introduction was the green-leaved heuchera ‘Malachite’ as a companion to last year’s burgundy colored ‘Melting Fire.’ Seed alternatives to popular vegetative perennials have been a strong direction for Kieft. Scabiosa ‘Blue Note,’ a very compact alternative to ‘Butterfly Blue’ is expected to be a strong introduction, but is still in the experimental stage. Salvia is another genus Kieft is working on.
In seed annuals, Revolution gerbera have become the flagship line, now spanning 15 colors in the highly uniform series. Promising experimentals were shown in pansies, violas and French marigolds.
Click here for more of Kieft’s stop, including new varieties.
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