Highlights from 2025 Field Trials: Dallas Arboretum
(Information provided by Brianne Swailes, Trials and Research Coordinator)
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This season’s weather at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden was anything but typical. A late-February cold snap made it impossible to collect winter data and ultimately wiped out a large portion of both the brassica and snapdragon trials. Spring stayed wetter than normal, with rain continuing into late May and early June, slowing establishment and growth in the summer trials — lantana, for example, grew more slowly than usual in the cooler temperatures.
By contrast, summer itself was milder than in previous years. So far, there have been fewer than ten 100°F-plus days for the entire year, compared to 20 or more in recent summers. The result was that a wider range of plants performed well through the hottest months.
We trialed around 1,200 varieties this year. Overall, the trials were very successful! Outside of unexpected weather or irrigation issues, most of the varieties made it to the end of their respective trial season. Our top-rated and best-performing varieties are all listed on the Dallas Arboretum Plant Trials website (https://www.dallasplanttrials.org/). Some genera that tend to perform well for us (no matter the series) are:
- Ipomoea
- Coleus
- Plectranthus
- Solenostemon
- Caladium
The biggest challenge this year also stemmed from the cooler-than-usual summer. Some crops behaved very differently from past seasons. Sweet potato vine, which typically slows its growth during the worst heat, grew vigorously all season and was nearly uncontrollable. The team had to closely monitor and regularly trim the most vigorous varieties to prevent them from smothering neighboring trials. Similar extra attention and pruning were needed for lantanas, peppers, and zinnias to ensure no plots were lost.
3 Plants That Impressed Me the Most This Year:
Surefire Cascade Red
Begonia Begonia hybrid Surefire Cascade Red (Proven Winners). | Brianne Swailes, Dallas Arboretum
This cultivar performed phenomenally! Typically, begonias tend to die during our summer season. This plant not only lived but was constantly flowering the entire time. Even now, the plant continues to perform well.
Furby
Lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina ‘Furby’ (Benary). | Brianne Swailes, Dallas Arboretum
The coloration on this cultivar is stunning! The green undertone on the leaves really makes the silvery hairs pop. Also, this cultivar performed well in both garden beds and containers, which makes it versatile. Lastly, it withstands the cold well and can recover quickly from damage.
Cascadias Series
Petunia Petunia hybrida Cascadias Series (Danziger) . | Brianne Swailes, Dallas Arboretum
This was the first time our program trialed this series in more than a decade. The series performed great in both hanging baskets and containers! The flower colors were eye-catching, and the moderately trailing growth habit works well for various applications. The best colors out of the series were Pitaya, Rim Cherry Imp., Romacero, and Rose.
For more 2025 field trials information and variety highlights, click here.
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