One of the highlights of the 37th IPM Essen trade fair in Essen, Germany, in January was the IPM Innovation awards, which recognize the top new varieties on display. A total of 58 innovative varieties in eight categories, submitted by 31 exhibitors, competed for the IPM Innovation 2019 prize. After evaluation by an expert commission on the eve of the fair, varieties were awarded prizes in seven of the eight categories, with one receiving the top overall prize.
This strawflower has a super long-distance effect. Its large flowers distinguish it from other varieties. The green foliage offers an attractive contrast to the bright flower color. It blooms for a long time and in a large abundance. Its growth is well-branching which also makes it appealing as a large solitary plant. Even if it needs a lot of water, it is easy to clean because it does not have to be cleaned out.
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Spring Bloomer Category Winner: Primula Belarina ‘Candy Frost’ (Kientzler)
‘Candy Frost’ features winter-hardy, long-lasting bloomers and attractive flowers. ‘Candy Frost’ adds a particularly high-quality variety to the primrose range. The flowers are two-colored, full, and do not open completely. ‘Candy Frost’ is versatile but can also be used solo in combination planting arrangements. It radiates nostalgia and romance.
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Flowering House Plant Category Winner: Euphorbia pulcherrima ‘Christmas Mouse’ (Selecta Klemm)
The mouse ears make the difference. The unusually soft-looking leaf shape is reminiscent of the ears of a mouse. With children as the target group, this variety is a targeted new approach. The name is based on the poem “Christmas Mouse.”
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Green House Plant Category Winner: Blechnum brasiliense ‘Copper Crisp’ (Cultivaris)
This is a trendy plant whether in the terrarium, in glass gardens, in the bathroom, or in a simple living space. The unusual house fern features red buds, and the firm, deep-green fronds form a small stem over time. Blechnum is a tropical plant and likes warm conditions protected from the direct sun.
This firethorn is captivating with its extraordinary red-berry color and has significantly fewer thorns than similar varieties. It was a popular evergreen woody plant in Europe’s drought summer of 2018 and could become the woody plant of the future. ‘Red Star’ is versatile and also attractive as an indoor plant. It blooms in June and forms a dense berry base that colors in September. Even the current frost should have little effect, on it as it is characterized by a particular frost hardiness.
‘Gold Nugget’ has a yellow leaf color with red flames in winter. Sempervivum is a beginner’s plant, is uncomplicated, needs little care, and is versatile. Whether in the garden, on the terrace, or on the balcony, it cuts a good figure everywhere, needs little water, and can be planted in the full sun.
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Tub Plants Category Winner: Vitex trifolia ‘Purpurea’ x Vitex agnus-castus First Editions ‘Flip Side’ (Bailey Nurseries)
This monk’s pepper is a particularly grateful shrub, popular with pollinators as it flowers well into autumn. ‘Flip Side’ is easy to cultivate, has good branches, and is easy to cut. It is a powerful tub plant but also a great bee pasture in a near-natural garden.
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Special Prize Winner: Mandevilla Sundaville ‘MiMi Yello’ (MNP Flowers)
This bright apricot features compact growth that also makes it appealing as a smaller plant. It lacks the usual long tendrils for Mandevilla, but has good branches and is characterized by compact growth. It has versatile use as a bedding and balcony plant and on balconies and terraces, and is also an eye-catcher as a high-quality gift. Full sun is no problem for this elegant plant, and even a short drying phase is a breeze.
February 5, 2019 
