Highlights from 2025 Field Trials: University of Minnesota
(Information provided by Emily M. Moore, Director of Horticultural Research)
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At the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris, MN, the 2025 trial season ran slightly cooler than average but much wetter than usual. Planting took place on a normal schedule the week of and after Memorial Day, but nearly daily rain events followed. WCROC recorded 7.4 inches of rain in June, 9.4 inches in July, and 9.2 inches in August.
All that moisture took a toll. Many plants lacked vigor and showed signs of overwatering, and one visiting breeder even noted that some varieties still looked “greenhouse-sized” later into the summer. Frequent rain also made it difficult to apply bloom-booster fertilizer without it washing away and prevented regular use of Deer Scram, leading to more deer browsing than normal. However, the single biggest challenge in 2025 was dealing with flooding from heavy, repeated rain events. Standing water collected in low areas of the garden and had to be removed to protect the trials.
Emily notes that the team worked closely with other WCROC staff to pump water out and direct it away from the plantings. Over time, they’ve become adept at reading the garden’s drainage patterns and moving water where it needs to go to minimize damage.
Overall scores came in lower than a typical year, with more plants receiving a 1 or 2 on WCROC’s 1–5 rating scale (1 = poor, 3 = average, 5 = excellent). Even so, there were plenty of bright spots, and several cultivars rose above the weather-driven challenges.
In 2025, WCROC trialed 179 cultivars from nine breeding companies. Entries were planted across the nearly 4-acre WCROC Horticulture Display Garden in a mix of beds and display settings. Trial plants arrived as seeds or vegetative cuttings early in the year and were grown on in WCROC’s greenhouses before moving outside around Memorial Day.
Once in the ground, plants were evaluated four times during the growing season (twice in July and twice in August) using the 1–5 scale to rate vigor, flower power, uniformity, and disease. Plant performance was generally softer than usual due to the constant rain, but WCROC still compiled a strong Top 10 based on season-long performance.
WCROC’s Top 10 Annuals for 2025
- Begonia Begonia hybrid iCandy™ Inferno (Syngenta Flowers)
- Begonia Begonia hybrid Surefire® Rose (Proven Winners)
- Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire® Marshmallow™ (Proven Winners)
- Cleome Cleome hybrid Señorita Rosalita® (Proven Winners)
- Coleus Coleus scutellarioides ColorBlaze® El Brighto (Proven Winners)
- Sunflower Helianthus hybrid Suncredible® Yellow (Proven Winners)
- Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Medusa™ Black (Proven Winners)
- Petunia Petunia hybrid Supertunia Vista® Jazzberry® (Proven Winners)
- Portulaca Portulaca hybrid Mega Pazzaz™ Papaya Twist (Danziger)
- Vinca Catharanthus roseus Cora® XDR Red Glow (Syngenta Flowers)
Standout Varieties at WCROC’s 2025 Field Trials
While it was difficult to choose among the Top 10, three plants stood out in WCROC’s 2025 trials:
Begonia Begonia hybrid iCandy™ Inferno (Syngenta Flowers)
Begonia Begonia hybrid iCandy™ Inferno (Syngenta Flowers)
iCandy™ Inferno delivered fiery blooms all season that lit up the shade against its chocolate-brown foliage. Plants formed compact, mounding habits covered with large flowers and required no pinching or deadheading to keep performing. Even with excess moisture in the garden, this begonia stayed healthy, colorful, and showy from start to finish.
Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire® Marshmallow™ (Proven Winners)
Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire® Marshmallow™ (Proven Winners)
Campfire® Marshmallow™ was a pollinator favorite and a consistent crowd-pleaser. Plants were covered in flowers all season, with excellent flower power and clean, healthy foliage from the greenhouse through to the field. Emily notes its strong uniformity and self-cleaning blooms, both of which helped it stand out and draw attention throughout the summer.
Portulaca Portulaca hybrid Mega Pazzaz™ Papaya Twist (Danziger)
Portulaca Portulaca hybrid Mega Pazzaz™ Papaya Twist (Danziger)
Mega Pazzaz™ Papaya Twist was one of the most asked-about flowers in the garden. Its striped blooms opened with the morning sun and seemed to glow on the plant. Uniform in habit and vigor and healthy all season, this low-maintenance portulaca proved versatile enough for containers, hanging baskets, or in-ground plantings.
The WCROC horticulture team extends its thanks to the many seed and vegetative companies that continue to participate in the annual trials. Their support makes the work at the gardens possible, and planning is already underway for next year’s entries.
The WCROC Horticulture Display Garden is free and open to the public from sunup to sundown daily. Trial annuals are labeled and on display from planting in late May through the end of the growing season, typically in September or October. Outside of the annual trial window, visitors can still enjoy the garden’s many perennials, shrubs, and trees that provide structure and interest year-round.
For more 2025 field trials information and variety highlights, click here.
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