CAST 2022 kicks off on March 30, and your experience will be different depending on which route you take along the California coast.
1
of
16
1
of
16
Petunia ‘Fun House Peach Melba’ (Syngenta Flowers)
Retailers love unusual varieties that capture consumers’ attention. Fun House petunias are sure to be a social media favorite with their unique flower colors and patterns. Their habits make for a fun addition to hanging basket and patio container programs.
2
of
16
SunPatiens Vigorous Impatiens – Two New Colors (Sakata Ornamentals)
Vigorous vegetative impatiens have the same great performance as Compact SunPatiens, but with 20% to 25% more vigor. New Peach Candy has large, eye-catching flowers with splashes of vibrant orange and dark-bronze foliage for a striking contrast. Pretty Pink offers beautiful, baby-pink blooms covering the entire plant. Both new colors offer strong retail appeal and are very grower friendly. Pictured: ‘Peach Candy’
3
of
16
SunPatiens Compact Impatiens — New Bicolors (Sakata Ornamentals)
The heat-loving, vegetative impatiens are now available in gorgeous bicolors. New Lavender Splash has large orchid flowers highlighted with splashes of lavender that when coupled with bronze foliage provide a striking contrast in a strong, mounding habit. New Lilac Improved offers an endless supply of vibrant lilac blooms all summer long. Purple Candy has large rose flowers with dark magenta and is early to bloom and well branched. Classic White is very floriferous with tons of large, clear-white flowers. Plants have exceptional heat tolerance and strong mounding habit. Pictured: ‘Lavender Splash’
4
of
16
Primula Dania Series (Sakata Ornamentals)
Dania is an ideal seed series for the early flowering segment. For growers, its compact plant habit requires little to no use of plant growth regulators, while a vibrant color range and good uniformity make Dania a true eye-catcher at retail. With eight colors and a mix available in the series, Dania offers color variety that works well in pots or beds.
5
of
16
Petunia Kuyamba Series (Kientzler)
The Kuyamba series is bred for garden performance. This petunia series is broad and includes six colors. The Kuyamba Series has vigor and will fill the landscape garden well.
6
of
16
Pentas ‘Beehive White’ (Syngenta Flowers)
The first seed-raised spreading pentas offers an economical alternative for cuttings. It has a spreading habit that works well for use in landscape and in mixed containers. Full basal branching produces quick, full, and floriferous packs and small pots.
Compact Purple is a new addition to the Javelin Series of Spanish lavender. This variety has a densely branched habit with tightly stacked internodes. The flags are large for excellent bursts of color with plenty of stability built on every stem.
9
of
16
Lantana ‘Bandolista Mango’ (Syngenta Flowers)
The outstanding vigor, habit, and color coverage of Bandolista lantana combine for an amazing summer-long performance. Their well-branched, slightly trailing habit is ideal for hanging baskets and mixed combinations. Sterile variety selections ensure maximum flowering and are perfect for pollinator-friendly gardens.
10
of
16
Helianthus ‘Suncatcher’ (Kientzler)
This Helianthus is perennial to Zone 5. It can flower in its first year without vernalization. Suncatcher is a great garden plant and will add height in the garden.
11
of
16
Grandio Pansies – Two New Colors (Sakata Ornamentals)
New Grandio colors in the seed series include Red with Blotch and Silver Blue. Red with Blotch is early with uniform flowering that matches the series. Silver Blue is excellent for fall to winter flowering and has excellent uniformity to match the series. New colors are also available for the Spring Grandio series, which is intended for early spring production.
The award-winning Calliope geranium series continues to innovate with the industry’s first cascading interspecific geranium. ‘Calliope Cascade’ has large, intense colored semi-double flowers. It blooms all summer and has a vigorous spreading habit. Plants work well for growing in high-impact premium hanging baskets, large pots, or landscape plantings.
13
of
16
Cyperus ‘Cleopatra’ (Kientzler)
This compact cyperus can be used as a focal point in combinations. As for the consumer, this cyperus serves as a great foliage conversation piece in the garden.
14
of
16
Celosia Flamma Series (Sakata Ornamentals)
Flamma is a new seed series that is coming in hot! Not only does Flamma have exceptional heat tolerance in the field, but this celosia also stuns with early, uniform flowering. The series is available in five vivid colors and one mix. Flamma provides vibrant plumes of color that won’t fade.
15
of
16
Calibrachoa Pocket Series (Kientzler)
Pocket Calibrachoa is a compact series not needing plant growth regulators in production. This series of seven colors can mix and match and work well in container plantings.
16
of
16
Begonia ‘Summerwings Compact Orange’ (Kientzler)
‘Summerwings Compact Orange’ has the strong garden performance seen in boliviensis types of begonia. Unique to this breeding is the compact target to make it easy to produce and ship.
Advertisement
View all
1
of
16
Petunia ‘Fun House Peach Melba’ (Syngenta Flowers)
2
of
16
SunPatiens Vigorous Impatiens – Two New Colors (Sakata Ornamentals)
3
of
16
SunPatiens Compact Impatiens — New Bicolors (Sakata Ornamentals)
Overall, plan on ten stops this year. PlantHaven, Pacific Plug & Liner, Southern Living/Sunset Western, Suntory Flowers, and Vivero Internacional plan to showcase their plants at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria. Kientzler will join Sakata at its venue this year. Finally, Dümmen Orange has a new location at Filipponi Ranch in San Louis Obispo. For more information on the stops along the route and participating breeders, visit 2022cast.com.
Advertisement
Check out the slideshow above for a closer look at just a few of the new varieties that will be on display at the Sakata Ornamentals’ trial site in Salinas, CA, and at Syngenta Flowers in Gilroy (which will also include ThinkPlants).
March 25, 2022 
