39 New Vegetables and Herbs for 2018
If you’re not growing herb and vegetables already, it might be time to think about adding a few into your product mix for your customers. Growing and eating your own vegetables and eating local are popular trends with today’s consumers, especially Millennials, that you can take advantage of to increase your plant sales. According to the 2016 National Gardening Survey, nearly one in three households participated in food gardening (36%). Households spent an estimated $3.6 billion growing vegetables, fruit, berries, and herbs. If you’re looking for something different to offer, you’ll find a diverse assortment of new vegetable and herb introductions for 2017 that have unique shaped fruits, distinctive foliage, intense flavors, improved disease resistance, high yields, and more. Here are 39 new vegetable and herb varieties to consider for your product mix in 2018.
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Allium 'Quattro' (Prudac)
'Quattro' is a fat-leaf, interspecific hybrid allium with hardiness to Zone 5. It is everlasting, does not spread, produces fresh leaves until frost, and starts to grow when the sun warms the soil. In the first season, the plant is small and it is better not to harvest the leaves. In the second year, the strong roots create a large plant where the leaves can be harvested. If the winter is cool enough, flowers are initiated and large, purple, ball-shaped flowers will show.
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Basil Tree (Hishtil)
Hishtil's bonsai-like basil tree, grafted from rootstock on a scion, doesn't need special care to maintain its shape. It can be grown indoors for a never-ending harvest.
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Cherry Tomato 'Little Bing' (PanAmerican Seed)
Part of PanAmerican Seed's Little collection, Bing is a compact, determinate cherry tomato that works well in mid-size containers. It stays a manageable size and takes two to six weeks from transplant to finish. It is resistant to Fusarium Race 2 and Verticillium.
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Eggplant 'Gretel' (PanAmerican Seed)
'Gretel' is a new addition to PanAmerican Seed's Handpicked Vegetables Collection. It develops clusters of glossy, tender, and non-bitter mini-fruits that can also be harvested at full size. Plants have thornless leaves and can be grown in-ground or in a container. 'Gretel' is a slightly larger plant with slightly smaller fruit than 'Hansel' eggplant.
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Eggplant 'Hansel' (PanAmerican Seed)
'Hansel' eggplant is an early maturing variety that produces clusters of black-purple mini-fruits that can also be harvested at full size. Like 'Gretel,' it is part of the HandPicked Vegetables Collection, has thornless leaves, and can be grown in-ground or in a container, with or without support.
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Little Birdy Cherry Tomato Series (Sakata Vegetables)
The Little Birdy Series is a first for Sakata Vegetables. It has compact, well-branched plants that match in habit and fruit maturity and are suitable for sales in 5-inch pots or larger, including hanging baskets and mixed patio pots. The series includes three colors: Red Robin (bright red fruits), Yellow Canary (sunny yellow fruits), and Rosy Finch (deep rose-pink fruits).
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Cherry Tomato 'Little Birdy Red Robin' (Sakata Vegetables)
Sakata Vegetable's 'Little Birdy Red Robin' cherry tomato combined in a container with basil.
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Hot Pepper 'Aji Rico' (PanAmerican Seed)
'Aji Rico' is a hybrid Capsicum baccatum pepper with narrow, conical fruit that has a delicate citrus flavor and medium heat level. Fruits are crispy and thin-walled, making them suitable for eating fresh or cooked at mature green or ripe red stage. Plants are indeterminate and benefit from a support or trellis.
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Hot Pepper 'Durango' (Sakata Vegetables)
A Guajillo type hot pepper, 'Durango' can be harvested and eaten fresh in salsa or dried and later ground into powder for making sauces, spreads, or rubs. It has mild to medium heat (approx. 2,500 to 5,000 scoville units depending on conditions), and fruits mature to bright red then dry to a deep burgundy-black with excellent dry weight.
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Kale 'Prizm' (Burpee Seed)
'Prizm' is an All-America Selections winner that works well for container or garden production. Its foliage has a nutty flavor. 'Prizm' is best in the cool season, so plan for Spring and Fall planting.
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Mentha 'Zest Mint Beehaving' (Hort Couture)
'Zest Mint Beehaving' has a delicate flavor and aroma that hints of fresh berries. Its blush-white blooms attract bees and butterflies.
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Mentha 'After Eight' (Hishtil)
'After Eight' is a new upright mint from Hishtil.
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Mertensia maritima (Hishtil)
This Mertensia maritima from Hishtil is an experimental variety collected from France with edible leaves that taste similar to oysters.
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Mustard 'Miz America' (Sakata Vegetables)
'Miz America' is a red mizuna hybrid mustard with a uniform leaf color, shape, and size. It was bred to produce baby greens and still maintain its deep, dark-red color on both sides of the leaf, even at a mature stage. 'Miz America' has a pleasant, mild taste — not bitter or spicy — compared to typical mustards.
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Ornamental Pepper 'Midnight Fire' (PanAmerican Seed)
'Midnight Fire' has distinctive dark-black foliage accented by purple fruit, which matures to bright red. Well-branched plants work well for fall combination planters and large container programs.
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Paste Tomato 'Gladiator' (Burpee Seed)
'Gladiator' is an indeterminate variety resistant to blossom end rot and has been shown to resist calcium deficiency from Pennsylvania to California. Its fruit works well for slicing or making sauce.
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Pepper 'Candy Cane Red' (PanAmericanSeed)
Nominated as a finalist for Greenhouse Grower's Readers' Choice Award, 'Candy Cane Red' snack pepper has unique variegated foliage and striped fruit. The elongated, bell-shaped fruit ripens from green and white stripes to solid red; thin walls and a crispy texture make it suitable for fresh eating at any stage of ripeness. Indeterminate plants work well in-ground or in containers.
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Pepper 'Crackle' (Sakata Vegetables)
Part of Sakata Vegetables' Home Grown Collection, 'Crackle' thrives in hot summer weather with an expansive root system, great leaf cover, and dark, glossy-green fruit. Plants set uniformly shaped, conical fruits that are heavy for their type. 'Crackle' is mildly pungent at 3,000 to 6,000 scovilles on average, and has medium walls for either fresh use or drying.
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Pepper 'PatioPerfect Demon Red' (Hort Couture)
Demon Red packs a bite with some serious heat. Compact plants have outward-facing chili peppers, and they are suitable for both windowsill and patio gardening. This high-yielding chili pepper can be used for either ornamental or culinary purposes.
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Pepper 'PatioPerfect Pikito' (Hort Couture)
Pikito is a tiny hot pepper with unique fruits that reach a maximum length of 1/2 inch. Its compact habit is a good fit for container growing.
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Pillar Peppers (Prudac)
Prudac's new Pillar peppers have elongated fruits positioned close to the main stem to keep the plant in balance. They are available in Sweet Red and Sweet Yellow, with more types and colors to come.
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Plug & Play Combo Foodie Blues (PanAmerican Seed)
The Foodie Blues combo includes 'Patio Baby' eggplant, 'Dolce Fresca' basil, and a blue spreading petunia.
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Plug & Play Combo Lunch Date (PanAmerican Seed)
The Lunch Date Plug & Play combo includes: 'Patio Baby' eggplant, SimplyHerbs Try Basil, and 'Bonanza Yellow' French Marigold.
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Rosmarinus officinalis 'Haifa' (Hishtil)
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Sage 'Zest Intensia' (Hort Couture)
'Zest Intensia' is a colorful sage that is great in containers. It can be used fresh or dried.
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SimplySalad Arugula (PanAmerican Seed)
Arugula and cress are the first single-species additions to the SimplySalad line. Arugula is quick to establish and can be harvested at a young leaf size for a mild, nutty flavor. Its leaves become spicy as it matures or as plants are exposed to high temperatures.
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SimplySalad Cress (PanAmerican Seed)
Arugula and cress are the first single-species additions to the SimplySalad line. Cress has rosette-forming plants with no stem roots that stay in a neat, tidy bunch for many weeks before flowering. Leaves have a great lobe shape and spicy flavor.
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Squash (Zucchini) 'Easy Pick Gold II' (PanAmerican Seed)
Gold II has an open habit with nearly no spines on the petioles for a painless harvest. Parthenocarpic plants will produce fruit without insect pollination. Gold II offers improved resistance to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus, Watermelon Mosaic Virus, and Papaya Ring Spot Virus.
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Stevia 'Zest Sweet Thang' (Hort Couture)
Sweet Thang has deep-green leaves that taste sweeter than sugar. Leaves can be harvested fresh for use in teas, fruit salads, and more, or dried to use as a no-calorie sweetener.
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Strawberry Mint Mojito (Westhoff)
Westhoff's Strawberry Mojito combo mixes saturega indian mint with All-American Selection's winner Delizz strawberry from ABZ Seeds.
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Super Dwarfs Patio Tomatoes (Plug Connection)
The Super Dwarf line of patio tomatoes from Plug Connection, designed for full-sized production on non-grafted plants, includes everything from slicing to cherry tomatoes, and the varieties finish at the same time.
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Take 2 Directors Cut Sweet Peppers Combo (Burpee Seed)
Director's Cut includes flavorful sweet peppers for snacking that have just a hint of heat. They grow together in one container for a yellow and orange combination in the garden. The combo includes 'Tangerine Dream' and 'Lemon Dream' peppers.
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Thymus 'Zest Zinger' (Hort Couture)
'Zest Zinger' is an upright thyme with sturdy stems that is drought tolerant once established. Its tiny green leaves produce a strong aroma when rubbed, making it useful for culinary use, as well as for a fragrant ground cover.
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Tomato 'Mixology Lemon Drop' (Hort Couture)
Lemon Drop is a new addition to Hort Couture's Mixology Tomato series. It is an indeterminate cherry tomato with oval shaped, bright-yellow fruits that have a touch of blush-red coloration.
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Tomato 'Mixology Lime Drop' (Hort Couture)
Lime Drop has pear-shaped fruits with a significant sweet flavor that are uniform, blemish free, and crack resistant. This indeterminate tomato is a prolific fruit producer that works well in containers.
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Tomato 'Ruby Crush' (Sakata Vegetables)
'Ruby Crush' works in a container or does equally well in the field. Plants are strong, with good leaf cover to prevent sun damage. Sugary-acid balanced fruits are solid, oval, and resist cracking. Plants mature quickly in about 60 days from transplant.
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Tomato 'Sweet Valentines' (Hem Genetics)
'Sweet Valentines' has heart-shaped fruits and a compact, well-branched and trailing habit that works for hanging baskets or mixed pots.
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Yokohama Red Flowering Kale (Sakata Ornamentals)
Part of a new series, which includes two colors (Red and White) and a mix, Yokohma red flowering kale has unique, extra-curly fringed leaves. Plants are slow to bolt and are versatile enough for small or large containers. The series also has improved cold tolerance.
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Yokohoma White Flowering Kale (Sakata Ornamentals)
Part of a new series, which includes two colors (Red and White) and a mix, Yokohma white flowering kale has unique, extra-curly fringed leaves. Plants are slow to bolt and are versatile enough for small or large containers. The series also has improved cold tolerance.
View all
Allium 'Quattro' (Prudac)
Basil Tree (Hishtil)
Cherry Tomato 'Little Bing' (PanAmerican Seed)
Eggplant 'Gretel' (PanAmerican Seed)
Eggplant 'Hansel' (PanAmerican Seed)
Little Birdy Cherry Tomato Series (Sakata Vegetables)
Cherry Tomato 'Little Birdy Red Robin' (Sakata Vegetables)
Hot Pepper 'Aji Rico' (PanAmerican Seed)
Hot Pepper 'Durango' (Sakata Vegetables)
Kale 'Prizm' (Burpee Seed)
Mentha 'Zest Mint Beehaving' (Hort Couture)
Mentha 'After Eight' (Hishtil)
Mertensia maritima (Hishtil)
Mustard 'Miz America' (Sakata Vegetables)
Ornamental Pepper 'Midnight Fire' (PanAmerican Seed)
Paste Tomato 'Gladiator' (Burpee Seed)
Pepper 'Candy Cane Red' (PanAmericanSeed)
Pepper 'Crackle' (Sakata Vegetables)
Pepper 'PatioPerfect Demon Red' (Hort Couture)
Pepper 'PatioPerfect Pikito' (Hort Couture)
Pillar Peppers (Prudac)
Plug & Play Combo Foodie Blues (PanAmerican Seed)
Plug & Play Combo Lunch Date (PanAmerican Seed)
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Haifa' (Hishtil)
Sage 'Zest Intensia' (Hort Couture)
SimplySalad Arugula (PanAmerican Seed)
SimplySalad Cress (PanAmerican Seed)
Squash (Zucchini) 'Easy Pick Gold II' (PanAmerican Seed)
Stevia 'Zest Sweet Thang' (Hort Couture)
Strawberry Mint Mojito (Westhoff)
Super Dwarfs Patio Tomatoes (Plug Connection)
Take 2 Directors Cut Sweet Peppers Combo (Burpee Seed)
Thymus 'Zest Zinger' (Hort Couture)
Tomato 'Mixology Lemon Drop' (Hort Couture)
Tomato 'Mixology Lime Drop' (Hort Couture)
Tomato 'Ruby Crush' (Sakata Vegetables)
Tomato 'Sweet Valentines' (Hem Genetics)
Yokohama Red Flowering Kale (Sakata Ornamentals)
Yokohoma White Flowering Kale (Sakata Ornamentals)
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Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.