10 New Edibles For 2015
Breeders are responding to consumer demand for tasty edibles with a colorful, varied number of introductions. Consider these new varieties in your planning for the spring season.
-
-
1 of 10
Zucchini ‘Z’Oro’ (Sakata Seed America)
The blocky, cylindrical fruits of ‘Z’Oro’ are extremely straight, with no bulbing and very little curving. Uniformly colored, medium-yellow fruits show well with a small blossom scar. It is a prolific yielder with rare greening at the spine or blossom end. Well adapted.
-
2 of 10
SimplySalad ‘Wonder Wok’ and ‘Endless Summer’ (PanAmerican Seed)
This is an extension of PanAmerican Seed’s popular SimplySalad line that blends several different lettuces and greens into a single, easy-sow multi-seed pellet. It grows quickly and makes great color bowls for retail sales. New ‘Wonder Wok’ includes varieties that stand up to stir fry methods (mustards, kale and bok choy). ‘Endless Summer’ produces red- and green-leaf lettuces that offer higher heat tolerance for longer harvests.
-
3 of 10
Sweetberry honeysuckle ‘Sugar Mountain Blue’ (Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs)
The new, award-winning ‘Sugar Mountain Blue’ sweetberry honeysuckle produces bigger, tastier super fruit with a sweet flavor reminiscent of raspberries and blueberries. This native edible is super hardy and needs no special soils. At 5 to 6 feet tall and wide, it makes a great edible hedge or specimen in the garden. Plant one of three ‘Sugar Mountain’ pollinator varieties for even heavier fruit crops. USDA Zones 3 to 6.
-
4 of 10
Blueberry ‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ (Fall Creek Farm & Nursery)
With both spring and fall foliage, new ‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ is sure to stand out in any garden. Spring brings a lovely new foliage color that has varying shades of pink mixed with blue and deeper greens. In winter, ‘Pink Icing’s’ foliage takes on an iridescent turquoise blue foliage hue, which looks striking when planted en masse. Perfect for small spaces on patios or decks, ‘Pink Icing’ will grow 3 to 4 feet tall with a slightly spreading habit. It will have large, sweet berries during mid-summer. Grow in full sun in Zones 5 to 10.
-
5 of 10
Eggplant ‘Patio Baby’ (PanAmerican Seed)
This compact plant produces baby-size eggplants — early and often. They are easy to grow and easy to harvest in patio planters and small-space gardens. ‘Patio Baby’ is also a 2014 All-America Selections winner. The fruit is perfect for grilling, dips and small servings, and it has a wide harvest window.
-
6 of 10
Cucumber ‘Fresh Pickles’ (Burpee Home Gardens)
This cucumber produces loads of crunchy, flavorful picklers on compact, controllable vines. Sell in large containers in bloom, or with small fruit developing. Fruit grows to 5 inches (13 centimeters) long and makes exceptional pickles.
-
7 of 10
Collard ‘Tiger’ (Sakata Seed America)
‘Tiger’ is an exciting collard variety with many of the same characteristics as ‘Top Bunch.’ It has an upright Georgia plant habit with slightly-savoyed, blue-green leaves. This variety is suggested primarily for fresh market but will work well for processing. ‘Tiger’ has a high ratio of blade to stalk. It has very fast regrowth and excellent yield potential.
-
8 of 10
Squash ‘Honeynut’ (PanAmerican Seed)
This is the first widely available small-fruited butternut squash. ‘Honeynut’ produces sweet, smaller fruit that are manageable for consumers to prepare. It has exceptional yields of tasty, mini-fruit on a trailing plant with intermediate resistance to powdery mildew. Great individual serving size.
-
9 of 10
Zucchini ‘Brice’ (Syngenta)
‘Brice’ produces tasty 3- to 4-inch circular zucchini that can be stuffed or sliced. Its compact plant habit, small footprint and silvery leaves make it attractive in patio containers or in-ground. Healthy productive plants are easy to grow due to multiple resistances to powdery mildew and viruses.
-
10 of 10
Basil ‘Emerald Frills’ (Burpee Home Gardens)
Distinctive ruffled leaves give this novel variety a unique, ornamental look. ‘Emerald Frills’ is a late-flowering basil that is easy to grow, with an extended shelflife. Gardeners will love its long harvest season. Cooks will love its bold, spicy flavor. Also available: ‘Ruby Frills’ with purple foliage.
View all
Zucchini ‘Z’Oro’ (Sakata Seed America)
SimplySalad ‘Wonder Wok’ and ‘Endless Summer’ (PanAmerican Seed)
Sweetberry honeysuckle ‘Sugar Mountain Blue’ (Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs)
Blueberry ‘BrazelBerries Pink Icing’ (Fall Creek Farm & Nursery)
Eggplant ‘Patio Baby’ (PanAmerican Seed)
Cucumber ‘Fresh Pickles’ (Burpee Home Gardens)
Collard ‘Tiger’ (Sakata Seed America)
Squash ‘Honeynut’ (PanAmerican Seed)
Zucchini ‘Brice’ (Syngenta)
Basil ‘Emerald Frills’ (Burpee Home Gardens)
[blackoutgallery id=”121616″]
Subscribe to eNewsletter
Brian D. Sparks is Editor of Greenhouse Grower and GreenhouseGrower.com. See all author stories here.