May 7, 2013

High-Impact Color

Over the past few years, I’ve been noticing more and more unique colors being introduced in common crops like petunia and calibrachoa. More than ever there are numerous bicolors and tricolors, and wild color inconsistencies that really grab your attention. And that trend was extremely apparent at this year’s California Spring Trials.

I’m a fan of anything “different,” so I was so happy to see so many distinctive colors in the petunia and calibrachoa categories. They’re a great way to differentiate yourself – whether you’re a grower, retailer or gardener.

Here are some of my favorite novel calibrachoa and petunia introductions from this year’s Spring Trials.

Petunia ‘Cascadias Indian Summer’ (Danziger)

This new vigorous plant gives a pleasing display in hanging baskets. Flowers bloom yellow and later mature to peach. They maintain a full bloom all season long.

Calibrachoa ‘Cruze White Pink Eye’ (Green Fuse Botanicals)

Cruze is a new line of breakthrough genetics producing giant flowers on compact plants. They have an incredible show of color and perform well in baskets and larger containers.

Petunia ‘Surfinia Variegated Baby Purple’ (Suntory Flowers)

This fast-growing profuse bloomer features pink-purple, star-shaped blooms on top of variegated foliage. It can withstand harsh weather conditions and performs well in pots and hanging baskets.

Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Pomegranate Punch’ (Proven Winners)

This new addition to the Superbells line boasts a true deep red with prominent back-red center. It can be used in pots, monoculture hanging baskets or combinations with other medium-vigor varieties.

Petunia ‘Kermit Piggy’ (Westflowers)

Kermit is a new series, which is attracting attention with its green-edged flowers. It is grower and consumer friendly and is available in three colors: Piggy, Rose and Baby.

Calibrachoa ‘Hula Hot Pink’ (Dümmen)

The new Hula series features tropical bicolored flowers with an appealing “hoop” of color. They have a semi-upright growth habit and work well for stand-alone baskets.

Petunia ‘Cha Ching Cherry’ (Ball FloraPlant)

This stunning new petunia has deep cherry-red flowers with a light yellow star. It is a grower-friendly mounding plant that is most like ‘Pinstripe’ in habit.

What do you think of these new distinctive color combinations? Do you see more novel varieties growing in popularity among your customers? Let me know your thoughts; you can send me an e-mail at jdolce@greatamericanpublish.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Be sure to check out the latest edition of Hort TV where I go through more trends from Spring Trials. And don’t forget you can view even more of the new introductions on our photo gallery page on www.CaliforniaSpringTrials.com.

– Jasmina