Allan Armitage: Plants That Caught My Eye on the Third Day of California Spring Trials 2023

By Allan Armitage|April 2, 2023

At the California Spring Trials (CAST), every day is as good as the one before. Here are a few plants that caught my eye on our third day of CAST 2023, when we visited Sakata, American Takii, and Danziger. So much to share, so little time.

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Supercal Premium Red Maple (Sakata)
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Gerbera 'Majorette Orange & Yellow Bicolor Dark Eye' (Sakata)
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Zinnia Belize series (American Takii)
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Bidens 'Blazing Star' (Danziger)

Supercal Premium Red Maple (Sakata)

All of the Supercal are eye candy, and I have commented on their versatility, form, and weatherability many times before. Just as I believed there could be no more improvements in the series, I was stopped in my tracks by ‘Red Maple’. The color is vibrant, the branching excellent, and even after the winds, storms, and rain here in California, those planted outside never missed a beat.

Gerbera ‘Majorette Orange & Yellow Bicolor Dark Eye’ (Sakata)

I have always enjoyed the beauty of gerbera daisies, and there are many fine choices out there. However, my eyes immediately went to this new addition to the Majorette series. Large blossoms covered the foliage, and the orange and yellow colors complemented the flowers beautifully. This is perfect for the patio container where the bright flowers can be appreciated. The only question I have is, who makes these names? I understand that describing the flower is a good thing, but I dare anyone to say this name more than once without boring the listener to death.

Zinnia Belize series (American Takii)

Another potentially excellent disease-tolerant dwarf zinnia has jumped into the market. I was pleased to see this push because zinnias are still very popular and the more choices we have with these hybrid tough, compact zinnias, the more successful my daughters will be, and the more plants we will sell in the future. The branching, uniformity, and compactness appear to fit what growers and landscapers and my daughters are looking for in this category. The series consists of both single and double-flowered forms.

Bidens ‘Blazing Star’ (Danziger)

Remember when all that was available in this genus was yellow, lanky plant material, perhaps used in baskets where lanky did not matter? My, how Bidens has been transformed in the last few years! The vibrant two-tone flowers of ‘Blazing Star’ were impossible to walk by without taking a second look. I can see plants standing alone in a landscape as well as complementing combination plantings throughout the country. It was absolutely a stunner.