The 2020 California Spring Trials take place in late March, but it’s not too early to learn more about some of the new products that will be on display, including perennials that can make a big impact in the summer.
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Rudbeckia Dakota Series (GreenFuse Botanicals)
A near ten-year breeding program has delivered a first for America’s gardens. The Dakota series is a true hirta, but unlike all other hirta, it is day length neutral and USDA Zone 5 hardy. Huge flowers of 5 to 6 inches bloom daily through the growing season, with one plant producing 20 to 30 blooms at a time.
With its compact habit, ‘Double Darling’ fits quart and gallon production easily. Its day length neutrality makes it the first truly double shasta to hit the market any time of year without supplemental lighting. The tight layering of the flower petals resembles a snowball more than a daisy.
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Lavender ‘Primavera’ (Darwin Perennials)
A Spanish lavender that will flower throughout summer and winter to extend the sales season, ‘Primavera’ can be programmed for very early flowering for markets in the deep south, or for summer sales in the north. It’s the most versatile of Spanish lavender varieties.
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Lavandula stoechas ‘Ever Great Blue’ (Pacific Plug & Liner)
‘Ever Great Blue’ is a great for 2020, as it’s the Year of the Lavender. With its large flowers and flags, ‘Ever Great Blue’ features a bushy and open habit, allowing for good air flow to prevent foliar disease. ‘Ever Great Blue’ will flower early and re-bloom if trimmed back.
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Helenium ‘HayDay’ (Syngenta Flowers/ThinkPlants)
A helenium series with a nicely controlled and upright habit, ‘HayDay’s’ dense branching results in loads of flowers from spring to fall.
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Echinacea Artisan Collection (Kieft Seed)
This series from Kieft Seed elevates seed echinacea to offer consistency of plant structure for uniform and highly branched, full plants. It also provides uniformity of flowering; all plants are ready to sell at the same time. Available in Red Ombre and Soft Orange.
‘Sizzling Sunset’ sports huge, two-toned red and yellow flowers on a very compact habit. Flowers can get up to 6 inches in diameter, making this is a great variety for decorative containers. Bloom time is similar to ‘Butterscotch Biscuit.’
Check out the slideshow above for a closer look at some of these new introductions. Follow GreenhouseGrower.com for more updates on what you can expect from the 2020 California Spring Trials.
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Brian Sparks is senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and editor of Greenhouse Grower Technology. See all author stories here.