Plant Development Services Varieties on Display at MANTS 2024
January 2, 2024 
Buddleia ‘Butterfly Candy Lil’ Raspberry’ (Plant Development Services, Inc.)
Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI) will feature a wide range of plants at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) on Jan 10-12. PDSI’s 2024 slate of consumer release plants features a number of award-winning plants, both nationally and internationally, including those honored by the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, All-American Selections, National Garden Bureau, and more.
“PDSI’s banner year can be attributed to a two-pronged development strategy, honed over 20 years, building strategic global partnerships with top growers and breeders, and maintaining a strong presence of brands in stores,” says Kip McConnell, Business Development Director of PDSI. “We choose and champion plants that exhibit unique coloration and thrive in the face of landscape challenges. We ensure their market success through strategic positioning, naming, and tactical promotion.”
Heather Rollins from Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center adds, “From a retailer’s perspective, the familiarity and performance of brands such as Southern Living Plant Collection and Encore Azalea are a consistent draw for our customers, but the attention for an individual plant that comes from recognition by an organization like RHS Chelsea Flower Show or the National Garden Bureau creates an additional layer of demand.”
This year’s releases include:
- Aspidistra ‘Tokyo Skies’: Hailed as a Garden Center Group Cultivate ‘23 Retailer’s Choice Award winner, this dynamic reinterpretation of the classic cast-iron plant features expansive variegated leaves with irregular cream and white highlights. It offers stellar adaptability, requires minimal water once established, and provides visual interest in shaded areas. Tokyo Skies flourishes in USDA Zones 8 to 10, reaching 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide at maturity. Available through Southern Living Plant Collection and Sunset Plant Collection.
- Colocasia ‘Royal Hawaiian Waikiki’: A 2023 National Garden Bureau Green Thumb Award and 2023 All-America Selections Ornamental Winner, this innovative colocasia presents glossy-green leaves with white and flamingo pink veining atop strong petioles. Ideal for USDA Zones 8a to 11b, ‘Waikiki’ reaches 3 feet tall and wide at maturity. This release will be available in expanded distribution in 2024 through Southern Living Plant Collection and Sunset Plant Collection.
- Azalea ‘Encore Autumn Moonstruck’: Hailed among Garden Gate Magazine’s Best New Plants of 2024, the newest addition to the Encore Azalea collection of reblooming azaleas offers three seasons of ethereal white semi-double blooms. Eye-catching chartreuse and emerald variegated foliage casts an enchanting spell year-round in this vibrantly hued selection. Autumn Moonstruck reaches 5 feet high by 4 feet wide when mature, and thrives in USDA Zones 7a to 10b. Available in 2024 through Encore Azalea.
- Better Boxwood Skylight – A National Garden Bureau 2024 Green Thumb Award winner, the new Better Boxwood Collection represents a significant advancement in plant breeding, scientifically bred to resist boxwood blight. With its speedy growth and dense green foliage, the debut Skylight variety stands as the perfect option for gardeners seeking an attractive, resilient accent, ball, or hedge for USDA Zone 5 to 9 gardens. Size at maturity is 6 to 8 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide. Available through Better Boxwood.
- Buddleia ‘Butterfly Candy Lil’ Raspberry’ (Plant Development Services, Inc.): Lauded as a KVBC Award winner, Lil Raspberry is an exceptionally compact and heat-tolerant butterfly bush that attracts abundant pollinators with ruby-hued blooms that rebloom from spring through fall. Ideal as an accent, container, mass planting, or perennial border in USDA Zones 5 to 10, Lil’ Raspberry matures to a convenient 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Available in 2024 through Butterfly Candy Buddleia.
- Agapanthus ‘Blackjack’: Named 2023 Plant of the Year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and 2024 National Garden Bureau Green Thumb Award winner, Blackjack represents a unique color innovation with its jet-black buds that mature to saturated dark purple flowers. This variety is resilient to drought, Buddleia ‘Butterfly Candy Lil’ Raspberry’blooms early, and thrives in USDA Zones 8B to 11. Offering a semi-dwarf form, Blackjack reaches 14 to 20 inches tall by 14 to 16 inches wide when mature. Available through Southern Living Plant Collection and Sunset Plant Collection.
For more information, contact Corrina Murray at [email protected].
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