During spring, hundreds of people from the ornamental plant industry make an annual pilgrimage to the
Here are 10 plants or series that have potential to be used in landscapes in different areas of the country. Look for them at your favorite plug, seed or plant supplier for next year.
Top 10 landscape choices
2 top begonia series
One-hundred years is a long time to be breeding any crop, which is how long Benary has been hybridizing begonias. Its first hybrid begonia was ‘Primadonna,’ which was introduced 100 years ago. To commemorate the anniversary, Benary introduced the Begonia x benariensis Big series. The series kicks off with three colors: Red with Green Leaf, Red with Bronze Leaf and Rose with Bronze Leaf. The plants, which reach 12-15 inches tall and wide, have large, 2- to 3-inch flowers. They don’t produce seed so plants are self-cleaning.
Syngenta Flowers’ new green-leaf begonia Volumia series is an F1-interspecific hybrid with five colors (Light Pink, Pink, Scarlet, Rose Bicolor and White). The early, vigorous, well-branched plants produce large flowers and are considered a landscape type. ‘Volumia Rose Bicolor’ was named a Fleuroselect Gold Medal Winner. Syngenta is working on a bronze-leaf series to match Volumia.
2 outstanding ipomoea series
Desana is an Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato vine) series from Suntory/Jackson & Perkins. Cultivars are Lime, Maple, Compact Red and Bronze. Lime has the most compact habit and won’t overgrow other plants when used in combinations. Maple is the most compact of the dark-leafed cultivars. Its maple-leaf shape and dark color make it a good component plant for combinations. Compact Red offers a different color variation with new foliage opening in shades of red and evolving to green with maroon veins as leaves mature. Bronze has the darkest foliage color in the series.
Syngenta Flowers’ Sidekick ipomoea series is Black Heart, Black and Lime. Plants have a more controlled, semi-compact, bushy habit. ‘Sidekick Black’ has a more palmate leaf shape. Plants, which can be used in sun and shade, are well-suited for combinations and in the landscape.
Ptilotus exaltatus ‘Joey’
Benary’s Ptilotus exaltatus ‘Joey’ is both heat and drought tolerant and works exceptionally well in the landscape with pentas, vinca and verbena. This native of central
Toucan purslane
PanAmerican Seed’s F1 Toucan purslane series comes in three colors (Fuchsia, Scarlet Shades and Yellow) and a Hot Mixture. The heat-loving and drought-tolerant series is programmable, and plants require few or no growth regulators and no pinching.
‘Tiger Eye Gold’ rudbeckia
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Tiger Eye Gold’ is the first F1-hybrid seed rudbeckia from Goldsmith Seeds that is very uniform in height, habit and flowering. Plants reach 24-28 inches and are covered with flowers. They have good branching and reduced sensitivity to powdery mildew. Plants were shown at both Plug Connection in Vista and at Goldsmith in
Southern Star ruellia
The Southern Star ruellia series from PanAmerican Seed is the first dwarf ruellia from seed. Available in three colors (Blue, Pink and White), plants are very adaptable and tolerate wet and dry conditions.
Velox verbena
The Velox verbena series from GGG-International is an interspecific verbena and phlox cross that has the growing habit of a verbena. Plants have good heat tolerance. They are mildew resistant and flower longer. Soft Pink and Pink are the first two cultivars (a red is on the way).
Zahara zinnia
The Zinnia marylandica Zahara series from PanAmerican Seed is heat- and drought-tolerant and comes in four colors (Coral Rose, Scarlet, White and Yellow) and a Mixture. The disease-tolerant plants, once established in the ground, have low water requirements.
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- David Kuack
August 2008