CAST 2022 kicks off on March 30, and your experience will be different depending on which route you take along the California coast.
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Calibrachoa ‘Million Bells Orangina’ (Suntory)
The modern calibrachoa market began with Million Bells. Now Suntory Flowers is shaking things up, cobranding a new variety with a globally popular beverage, Orangina.
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Weigela ‘Picobella Rose’ (Plant Development Services International)
Pink blooms abound on this pollinator favorite from May through October. With fine foliage that requires very little pruning and a compact habit, Picobella Rosa can be a color-filled container plant or a low-maintenance addition to any landscape. It is hardy in Zones 5a to 9b.
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Scaevola ‘Surdiva Lilac Mist’ (Suntory)
Compact and colorful Surdiva scaevolas welcome a new color, Lilac Mist. Plants produce fan-shaped flowers on shorter internodes for tidy pots. Mix and match with five other Surdiva colors and heat-loving summer annuals.
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Petunia ‘Surfinia XXL’ (Suntory)
Surfinia XXL represents new breeding for Suntory Flowers. Plants are more upright and controlled in their growth habit, producing grandiflora blooms spanning 4 to 5 inches across. Plus, these varieties are day-length neutral – an advantage for Southern and early markets. New varieties joining XXL Taffy Pink are Salmon Vein and Watermelon Jazz.
Surfinia Heavenly varieties offer the best for growers and consumers. They are earlier to flower and have a more controlled, semi-trailing growth habit, while still delivering the outstanding Surfinia garden performance and weather tolerance. New for 2023 is ‘Surfinia Heavenly Amethyst Burst’. Light purple flowers have contrasting dark throats.
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Lonicera ‘Garden Clouds’ (Plant Development Services International)
Evergreen, disease resistant and naturally rounded, Garden Clouds thrives in Zones 6a to 9b. Its three varieties grow to 2-3 feet by 2-3 feet and provide year-round visual interest. The glossy, fine foliage of Copper Glow is green with copper new growth; Purple Storm presents dark purple shoots on new growth. Green Breeze has bright green and glossy small leaves.
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Lomandra ‘Miner’s Gold’ (Pacific Plug & Liner)
From the same breeder as Euphorbia 'Miner’s Merlot' comes a brand-new golden foliage lomandra. Miner’s Gold is a longifolia species and has a weeping habit that looks great in a container as well as the landscape. The foliage is the brightest lemon color when in full sun, when in part shade the foliage will fade to a light green. Like other lomandra, this new variety is very drought tolerant once established. It is hardy in Zones 8-10.
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Hydrangea ‘Princess Bride’ (Plant Development Services International)
This unique new hydrangea hybrid forms flowers with remarkable petals up and down each stem, resulting in white lacecap flowers from spring to fall. The stunning petals offer intricate shapes as classic as delicate lace. Princess Bride grows 3-4 feet high and wide; hardy in Zones 7b to 10.
Vibey Velvet is the newest member of the PP&L exclusive line of hellebores and features an earlier bloom time with large rich dark red flowers with burgundy flecking that are outward facing. Its bloom time is December through March and it is hardy in Zones 5 to 8.
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Delphinium ‘Delgenius Blue Fabulosa’ (Pacific Plug & Liner)
The newest addition to the Delgenius line-up, Blue Fabulosa has more traditional delphinium colors with rich indigo blue semi-double flowers and a white bee. Blue Fabulosa is very similar to Glitzy, only the flower color is closer to blue versus purple and the bloom time is earlier. It is hardy in Zones 3 to 9.
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Buddleia ‘Butterfly Towers’ (Southern Living Plant Collection/PDSI)
This vertical-growing butterfly magnet is perfect for small spaces. A tower of eye-catching magenta or crisp white blooms in summer, Butterfly Towers is ideal for hedges, screens or easy-care accents. Both colors thrive in Zones 5a to 9b, full sun to part shade.
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Bracteantha Granvia Series (Suntory)
Granvia expands from Gold to a full series with three more colors – Harvest Orange, Peachy Keen and Pink. These super strawflowers produce plants and blooms that are more than twice the size, creating impressive specimens in large patio pots and landscapes.
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Better Boxwood Collection (Plant Development Services International)
The debut Better Boxwood collection’s four new cultivars represent the first scientifically bred blight-resistant boxwood, each offering unique growth habits. The varieties include fast-growing choices well-suited for topiary and hedges plus a low spreading growth option perfect for ground cover or layering; the collection presents a verdant spectrum of green foliage.
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Calibrachoa ‘Million Bells Orangina’ (Suntory)
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Weigela ‘Picobella Rose’ (Plant Development Services International)
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.
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Check out the slideshow above for a closer look at just a few of the new varieties that will be on display at the Santa Barbara Polo Club.