Why Some Plants Stand the Test of Time
April 7, 2020 New variety introductions are always top of mind for plant breeders and innovative growers. No surprise there, right? However, sometimes it’s also important to take a step back and look at the brands that have stood the test of time and remain popular among growers, retailers, and (most importantly) consumers. What are the factors that give some plant series staying power?
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We posed this question to a number of leading breeders. Above all else, the message was that for a flowering plant to develop and maintain a leading position in the marketplace, it is vital to deliver on three important factors: retail appeal, versatility, and consumer gratification. After all, as one breeder told us, “Every spring at California Spring Trials (CAST), growers are flooded with countless new and improved plant introductions, with each breeder showcasing the next big thing in ornamentals. While the level of inspiring genetic breakthroughs may seem incredible, seasoned visitors recognize an impressive display at CAST does not equate to success in the real world.”
Here are some other traits that will likely determine how successful a new introduction might be in the long term.
Proven Performance
Performance in the landscape or in containers is critical, says Christine Kelleher, Marketing Director with Aris Horticulture.
“Hardiness is key, along with a long season of interest in the garden, whether it be with flowers or foliage,” Kelleher says.
In fact, garden performance might be the most critical factor, according to Marshall Dirks, Director of Marketing at Proven Winners.
“While our immediate customer is usually a grower, we’re more concerned about how our plants perform in a consumer’s garden, long after it’s left a grower’s facility or a retailer’s bench,” Dirks says.
Varieties that show promise at CAST are quickly tasked with proof-of-concept trials back home. According to Mark Seguin, Global Marketing Manager – Ornamental Cuttings at Sakata Seed America, the ultimate test is whether a grower can replicate the retail appeal displayed at CAST utilizing their existing production protocols.
“While many varieties may possess exceptional garden performance, their potential for success is nearly eliminated without an easily obtained finished product that attracts today’s impulse-driven consumers,” Seguin says.
Perhaps a more difficult hurdle in the quest for market penetration, Seguin notes, is a plant’s ability to perform under a wide range of conditions (which speaks to the importance of summer field trials at grower and university locations).
“Big-box retailers are a driving force in today’s market, and their demand is for products with the versatility to address their broad customer base,” Seguin says. “Plants that tolerate both cool and very hot conditions, as well as full sun to shady conditions, emerge as game changers in a vast ocean of choices.”
From the beginning, a new variety must have unique attributes that set it apart from others, according to Chuck Pavlich, Director of New Product Development at Terra Nova Nurseries.
“These unique traits of the variety or series must then be validated through publicized trials,” Pavlich says.
Solves a Problem
Plants that overcome challenges that typically impact that genus, such as downy mildew in basil, or powdery mildew in verbena, have a great opportunity to become game changers, according to Dirks.
“Sterility in other products is beneficial, as are thornless cleome,” Dirks says. “An example of a new feature would be the drought tolerance and minimal feed requirements of Supertunia ‘Vista Bubblegum,’ which has become a breakthrough in petunia breeding.”
Claire Josephson, Product Marketing Manager for PanAmerican Seed, echoes these thoughts.
“For a product to stand out in the marketplace and enjoy long-term sales, it has to meet the needs of all levels of customers,” Josephson says. “For growers, this means it has to offer a solution or solve a problem.”
As Greenhouse Grower Contributing Editor Allan Armitage often states, this solution-based mindset also applies for everyone in the supply chain, all the way down to the consumer buying a plant from a garden center.
Improved Genetics
After a variety is introduced, it needs to offer a continuous performance in order to live up to its reputation, says Delilah Onofrey, Marketing Director for Suntory Flowers in North America.
“This means continuous investments in the product line, and always looking for improvements that can be made,” Onofrey says.
“It all starts with a storehouse of genetics, and we’re never in a hurry to introduce our next plant,” Dirks says. “We will sometimes even delay an introduction so we can nail down something in the production process or cultural concern that we’ve not sorted out yet, therefore minimizing or eliminating any problems a grower may experience.”
This also means breeders must be willing to listen closely to what their customers are saying.
“Growers have shared concerns over variability within our SuperCal series regarding flower timing, vigor, flower size, and plant habit, and uniformity and grower friendliness are critical for finishing a crop with high retail appeal,” Seguin says. “While the complexity of intergeneric breeding can offer unsurpassed garden performance, establishing uniformity within a series is more challenging than traditional hybridization.”
The Right Branding
Even the highest-quality variety won’t stick around if it isn’t top of mind for those who are growing it. Josephson notes that a special branding strategy (which should start with an emphasis on ongoing breeding improvements in color and performance) can help set a variety apart from all the others and help retailers build a consistent brand presence.
“For the retailers, it has to have an inherent excitement or a story that makes it easy to sell,” Josephson says. “It also needs support from the breeder and the grower.”
Brands need to continue to market themselves, either through creating awareness or promoting specific traits, Dirks says.
“Successful brands use the latest forms of media/communication and have a deep understanding of each customer throughout the distribution process, from breeder to consumer,” Dirks says.
Finally, there must be a strong, reliable supply to fill the demand that will hopefully come, Onofrey says.
Scroll through the photo gallery above for examples of varieties and series that have stood the test of time, whether it was through performance, branding, or other factors.
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