Best Plant Performers From the University of Tennessee Gardens Trials
December 11, 2019 The University of Tennessee Gardens in Jackson, TN, trialed more than 190 varieties of annuals, perennials, vegetables, and herbs in 2019. Trials were planted during the month of May, and data was taken from June to September.
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Overall, the growing season was good, with 65 days from June through September 20 at or above 90°F, which is above average. Nightly low temperatures were above average. Rainfall totals for June and August were slightly above average. In July, the area had more than 11 inches of rain, but no rain in September. Supplemental overhead irrigation was used as needed.
Check out the slideshow above for a closer look at some of the varieties on display. More information on these and other stand-out selections is below. Click here to learn more about other plant trials that took place this year.
Top Performers:
Angelonia angustifolia ‘Serenita White’ (PanAmerican Seed): Masses of pure white flowers make it a standout in the garden. The seed-grown Serenita series has always outperformed the cutting grown selection in the garden. A 2014 All-America Selections Winner.
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Dreamsicle’ (Proven Winners): As with the rest of the Superbells series, this plant is dependable, with a vigorous and uniform growth pattern. Performing well in pots, these plants are sure to provide attractive foliage with blooms that are reliable sunset-orange with dark veins.
Jalapeño ‘Emerald Fire’ (All-America Selections): A jalapeño in every way, this plant is a prolific producer of large, 3-inch peppers with plenty of jalapeño heat. If left on the plant, the peppers will turn a beautiful bright red. The plant also features attractive, dark-green foliage.
Cuphea ‘Honeybells’ (Ball FloraPlant): Small, tubular, bicolor rose flowers are tipped with light yellow and were produced in great abundance all summer. Plants reached 10 to 12 inches tall and 14 to 16 inches wide. It was a good performer in the ground, but with its semi-trailing habit, it looks great hanging over the side of a pot.
Helianthus ‘Suncredible Yellow’ (Proven Winners): This is a bright sunflower that produces a profusion of 3-inch flowers that continue all summer. The plants reach 3 feet by 3 feet and make a delightful addition to the garden.
New Guinea Impatiens ‘Bounce’ and ‘Big Bounce’ (Selecta): The team was happy to have this series of proven performers in the garden again this year. Big Bounce Cherry, Lilac, and Lavender Flame, and Bounce Bright Coral and Pink Flame were standouts amongst them all.
Petunia ‘Supertunia Sharon’ (Proven Winners): A medium-sized, double flower is produced on mounding plants throughout the summer. With white and fuchsia striped flowers, this plant is a vast improvement over past doubles.
Portulaca ‘Mojave Red Improved’ (Proven Winners): This plant grew vigorously from the beginning, making a nice ground cover, and produced a nonstop display of eye-popping electric-pink blooms all summer.
Nemesia ‘Aromance Pink’ (Proven Winners): As charming as its name, this plant features a fragrant bloom that draws your attention with its soft, lavender-pink petals. This is the first Nemesia the team has grown that has lived past July, producing flowers all season. They recommend growing it in morning sun and afternoon shade.
Coleus ‘FlameThrower Salsa Verde’ (Ball FloraPlant): Bright chartreuse foliage on a dense, compact plant will stand out in the garden. The plants did not set flower.
Best in Show:
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Blackcurrant Punch’ (Proven Winners): These plants are appropriately named as they feature a rich fuchsia flower with blackcurrant eye. Grown in pots, these plants thrived all season long, adding brilliant color to the garden.
Pepper ‘Mad Hatter’ (All-America Selections): This pepper is a favorite for its incredibly unique lobed-bell shape, which is sure to draw attention. The flavor of these peppers is usually sweet, but you will occasionally find mild heat close to the seeds.
Gaillardia ‘Heat it Up Red’ (Proven Winners): Reaching a height of 1 foot, old flower heads were masked by new ones. These plants produce a profusion of densely grown blooms with yellow-tipped scarlet petals all summer with no deadheading.
Pentas ‘Sunstar Lavender’ (Proven Winners): While the Sunstar series were slow to start flowering, these plants should not be counted out. Their soft lavender clusters of flowers made these plants a favorite.
Salvia farinacea ‘Unplugged So Blue’ (Proven Winners): This salvia, which reached 18 inches tall, had upright flower spikes with dense lavender-blue flowers and two-toned silver grey and lavender-blue calyx.
Scaevola ‘Whirlwind Blue Improved’ (Proven Winners): The mass of purple-blue flowers looked great spilling over the edge of mixed pots. This Australian native did not skip a beat in the heat of summer.
Sweet Potato Vine ‘Sweet Caroline Red Hawk’ (Proven Winners): The team loved how the new growth starts out chartreuse, contrasting beautifully with the mature maroon foliage.
Coleus ‘FlameThrower Salsa Serrano’ (Ball FloraPlant): Plants display small serrated yellow leaves with bright red centers and veins on 18-inch plants. The contrast between the maroon and yellow edge is striking. The plants begin to flower in late September.
Marigold ‘Big Duck Gold’ (All-America Selections): The plants reached 2 feet tall and were well-branched, with deep-green foliage and impressive, vibrant-yellow 2- to 3-inch flowers. Plants began to lodge in September, but continue to produce large quantities of beautiful flowers.
Zinnia ‘Holi Scarlet’ (All-America Selections): These are well-branched, bushy 24-inch plants with a profusion of brilliant-red, 3-inch flowers. While they developed powdery mildew late in the season. the gorgeous blooms and overall longevity of the plants warrant it as a favorite.
Consumer Favorites:
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Double Amber’ (Proven Winners): A unique double bloom that is larger than other cultivars in the series. The pale-orange color of the blooms has made this plant a favorite.
Sweet Pepper ‘Just Sweet’ (All-America Selections): These plants produce an abundance of peppers that had reached 4 feet tall by September. The fruit is an elongated bell pepper shape with four lobes that can be up to 5 inches long and ripen to a beautiful yellow-orange. As the name describes, these peppers are super sweet and tasty enough to eat by themselves.
Gaillardia ‘Heat it Up Yellow’ (Proven Winners): This cultivar provides dependable color in the garden with bright-yellow flowers produced en masse all season with no deadheading. Reaching a height of 1 foot, old flower heads were masked by new ones
Lantana ‘Luscious Goldengate’ (Proven Winners): Warm, golden-yellow blooms on a full, sprawling plant reaching 2 feet by 2 feet by September.
Tomato ‘Artemis’ (PanAmerican Seed): This bite-sized tomato produces delicious, cherry red fruit, beginning early and continuing to give a consistent crop through the end of the season.
Basil ‘Everleaf Emerald Towers’ (PanAmerican Seed): All basil lovers will find these plants perfect for any recipe. It will also add texture variation to the garden with its large smooth leaves. Growing to twice as tall as wide, it forms a pillar in the garden.
Geranium ‘Galaxy Pink’ (Ball FloraPlant): A mound of hot pink blooms on plants that surprised us by producing consistent blooms all summer long. We recommend growing it in morning sun and afternoon shade.
Salvia interspecific ‘Big Blue’ (PanAmerican Seed): Upright long 5- to 8-inch blue flower spikes are held on strong stems above clean blue-grey leaves. Plants are very uniform and make good cut flowers. Very impressive performance, especially to have been grown from seed. Great for pollinators.
Coleus ‘ColorBlaze Wicked Witch’ (Proven Winners): Eye-catching burgundy foliage with crisp, chartreuse, ruffled border on a plant that reaches 3 feet is stunning. Adding to its beautiful color presentation, these plants did not bloom, helping to maintain beautiful leaves.
Zinnia Zesty Series (Ball Ingenuity): The series produced large, bright, and consistent flowers and looked wonderful in the garden. Two favorite colors in the series were Fuchsia and White. The Fuchsia plants were slightly taller than the rest in the series and the White plants produced larger flowers than the other colors. While they developed powdery mildew, late in the season the large flowers on a compact plant warrants it as a favorite.
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