Top Varieties From the Cincinnati Botanical Garden’s 2019 Trials

Posted by Brian Sparks|November 4, 2019

This year, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in Ohio trialed more than 300 annual varieties, with a total of about 45,000 plants.

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Begonia 'Solenia Apricot'
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Celosia 'Dragon's Breath'
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Impatiens 'Sunpatiens Compact Electric Orange'
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Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue'

The weather for the region was challenging, as record rainfall through the end of May, followed by heat and drought, pushed varieties to the limit.

Nevertheless, trial managers say there were many great performers. The staff and seasonal gardeners officially evaluated the annuals for three months, scoring them for vigor, eye-catching show, and low garden maintenance. They also made note of pollinator visitations.

Evaluations were carried out less formally with volunteers and visitors, who were simply asked to choose the annuals that had the most impact on them visually.

Check out the slideshow above for a few highlights. You can also click here to check out highlights from last year’s Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Trials. And keep up with trials from across the country in 2019 here.