Vitex 'First Editions Queen Bee Chastetree' (Bailey)
Long-lasting blooms and improved flower power make this shrub a true standout. Vibrant lavender flowers appear in mid-June and continue throughout the summer. The first round of flowers encourages a strong rebloom, which is ideal for scheduling production cycles. Queen Bee exhibits impressive drought, heat, and cold tolerance.
Silene Fire Dragon 'Golden Orange' (Jelitto)
Pure white, rich flowering, healthy foliage, compact habit, flat cushions, flowers July to September
Scirpus pendulus 'Stars and Stripes' (Intrinsic Perennial Gardens)
The first variegated Scirpus/Rush in the marketplace. It reads and acts like a Carex in the landscape and garden. It’s also native to much of the U.S.
Pulmonaria 'Nova Cobalt' (Terra Nova Nurseries)
'Cobalt’ delivers the best flower display for any pulmonaria to date with its long-lasting, deep-blue flowers. The new variety is highlighted by its indestructible mallard-green foliage and long-vase life.
Philodendron tortum (Costa Farms)
A trendy and commercially rare Philodendron distinct from most other varieties, this eye-catching species shows off deep sinuses in its dark-green leaves. The result makes it look more like a palm or fern frond than your typical Philodendron. It can climb more than 6 feet with individual leaves that can grow more than 12 inches long.
Petunia hybrid 'Supertunia Saffron Finch' (Proven Winners)
'Supertunia Saffron Finch' is a new sunny yellow Supertunia with a full, well-branched, rounded habit. Its mounded trailing habit helps it mix beautifully with other medium to high vigor varieties in hanging baskets, upright containers and window boxes, and it can also be used as a flowering groundcover.
Hydrangea mac 'Wee Bit Innocent' (Spring Meadow Nursery)
Large, rounded mophead flowers are comprised of doubled florets of a light pink or blue; expanding the colors available in the series. It exhibits some rebloom in late summer and fall. Like the other members of the Wee Bit series, it combines florist quality blooms with outstanding landscape performance.
Calla 'Royal Blizz' (Flamingo Holland)
'Royal Blizz' has a beautiful bright red color and produces two flushes of flowers. This variety can be used as a potted Calla or for cut flower production.
Budleia 'Dapper Pink' (Star Roses and Plants)
A rounded, compact habit makes this plant a perfect fit for a variety of uses. Bubblegum pink flowers are formed in early summer and continue to rebloom into the fall. Spent flowers are hidden by new blooms, reducing the need for deadheading.
Agave 'Montana' (Rancho Tissue Technologies)
With its big blue green leaves and reddish armor, this is a great feature plant in any exotic garden. Its exotic looks hide a toughness that makes this agave a real winner.
With every passing year, breeders develop flowers with new colors, patterns, shapes, and more. This progress is critical to the industry, but also makes breeding more challenging in the future. As companies across the globe make new strides each season, it becomes more difficult to introduce something unique that growers and consumers haven’t seen before.
Breeders often see this as a challenge, not an obstacle. No matter what is already in the market, breeders are committed to developing something special, introducing it to the market, and helping consumers succeed with it.
Not all breeders travel to California Spring Trials, but undoubtedly introduce popular new plant varieties. Check out this photo gllery for a few highlights among new introductions in 2024.