California Spring Trials 2018 is the horticulture version of fashion week, with the newest ornamental and vegetable varieties on display. The Greenhouse Grower team of Editors Laura Drotleff and Janeen Wright, along with Contributing Editor Allan Armitage and Andrew Scheldorf, winner of the Dr. Allan Armitage Scholarship for the Ornamental Spring Trials, will be on the road soon, sharing the latest varieties with you and keeping you current you on the latest news and marketing ideas.
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Alstroemeria 'Colorita Lisa' (Royal Van Zanten)
Colorita’s available in eight different vivid colors
Plants flower continuously until late autumn with many long-lasting flowers per plant
Low maintenance, low temperature input, and very easy to cultivate
Lisa is new addition to series
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Alstroemeria 'Colorita Tamara' (Royal Van Zanten)
Colorita’s available in eight different vivid colors
Plants flower continuously until late autumn with many long-lasting flowers per plant
Low maintenance, low temperature input, and very easy to cultivate
Tamara is new addition to series
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Aster Showmaker Series (Royal Van Zanten)
Two new additions: Blossom Pink (pictured) and Magenta
Decorative flowers in pink and purple
Suitable for mixed color arrangements
Suited for indoor and outdoor cultivation in different pot sizes
Natural finishing period in week 39 to 40
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Rex Begonia Dibs Series (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Strong vigor eliminates weeks of crop time
Brightly colored leaf patterns glow in even the heaviest shade
Breeding breakthrough
Pictured: Moonlight
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Buddleja 'Leah Violet' (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Compact, tidy habit
Daylength neutral
Works well for shipping higher density racks
Zone 5
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Calibrachoa Chameleon Series (Vivero Internacional)
Plants continually change color throughout the season, reacting to light levels, daylength, and other seasonal factors
Blooms don't fade
Unique blend of colors on a single plant
Season-long durability
Pictured: Berry Daring
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Celosia 'Bright Sparks Burgundy' (Floranova)
Bears massive plumes on well-branched plants
Works well for mass plantings and fills containers of any size with ease
Blooms retain their vibrancy to provide lasting color throughout the season
Watch for daily news during the week in special Benchrunner editions with insider views on promising plants, slideshows of new introductions, and Allan Armitage’s top plant picks.
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Until then, we’ll give you a peek at some of the 2018 introductions breeders shared with us that will hit the retail market in 2019. During the weeks leading up to CAST, watch for preview slideshows covering all the stops along the CAST route.
This slideshow covers some of the stops in the Central Region:
March 27, 2018 
