Highlights from 2025 Field Trials: North Carolina State University
(Information provided by Bernadette Clark, All-America Selections Judge and Bedding Plant Trials Coordinator, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University)
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North Carolina State University’s 2025 trials in Raleigh, NC, experienced true “Southeast summer” conditions. The season started out wet and warm, and by July, high heat and humidity, coupled with above-normal rainfall, made most days feel downright miserable. August brought a welcome break, with unseasonably cooler weather that gave both plants and people a bit of relief.
Even under those challenging conditions, several entries rose to the top for vigor, flower power, and overall garden performance.
Top Performers and Standout Varieties for 2025 at NC State
Top-rated and best-performing varieties in the NC State trials included:
- Begonia Begonia benariensis Surefire White and Rose (Proven Winners)
- Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire Marshmallow (Proven Winners)
- Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Medusa Black, Medusa Green, and Sweetheart Shadowstorm (Proven Winners)
- Texas primrose Oenothera hybrid Superlophus Sunglow (Proven Winners)
- Vinca Catharanthus roseus Soiree Kawaii Series (Suntory Flowers)
- Vinca Catharanthus roseus Soiree Flamenco Series (Suntory Flowers)
Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Medusa Black, and Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm
Sweet potato vine Ipomoea batatas Sweet Caroline Medusa Black. | Bernadette Clark, North Carolina State University
Need a plant that’s easy to grow and thrives in heat and humidity? These tough sweet potatoes fit the bill. They are quick growers that rapidly fill in an area and bring attractive leaf shapes and patterns to the garden. Once established, they’re very low maintenance and drought tolerant, making them ideal for high-summer conditions when other plants might slow down.
Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire Marshmallow
Bidens Bidens hybrid Campfire Marshmallow. | Bernadette Clark, North Carolina State University
Campfire Marshmallow impressed all summer long. Bright white flowers covered the plants, creating a clean, luminous effect in the beds. They’re pollinator-friendly and easy to grow, making bidens a strong candidate for any sunny garden where continuous bloom and bee activity are priorities.
Begonia Begonia benariensis Surefire White
Begonia Begonia benariensis Surefire White. | Bernadette Clark, North Carolina State University
Surefire White formed large, mounding plants with sturdy stems that held clusters of flowers above the foliage. Plants produced an abundance of large, pure white flowers all season long, lighting up shady spaces and brightening mixed plantings. Bernadette notes that any of the plants in the Surefire Series will make a garden “shine,” but Surefire White was a particular standout.
Texas primrose Oenothera hybrid Superlophus Sunglow
Texas primrose Oenothera hybrid Superlophus Sunglow. | Bernadette Clark, North Carolina State University
Superlophus Sunglow has been a powerhouse in the garden: a constant, prolific bloomer with electric yellow flowers that draw in pollinators. Low maintenance and easy to grow, it provided steady color and activity through the season, even as heat and humidity ramped up.
Vinca Catharanthus roseus Soiree Kawaii Lilac Dream and Hot Pink, and Vinca Catharanthus roseus Soiree Flamenco Series
Vinca Catharanthus roseus Soiree Kawaii Lilac Dream. | Bernadette Clark, North Carolina State University
Vincas are well-known for thriving in heat and humidity, and these two series lived up to that reputation. The Soiree Kawaii Series offers a profusion of diminutive flowers in a range of colors, creating a dense, sparkling effect across the plants. The newer Soiree Flamenco Series features attractive ruffled flowers and is also a prolific bloomer.
Both series handled the conditions extremely well, and bees loved them!
For more 2025 field trials information and variety highlights, click here.
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