May 29, 2015

Fleuroselect Names Fleurostar FinalistsSource: Fleuroselect

Fleuroselect has announced the four entries in this year’s FleuroStar Contest.

Each of these new introductions vies to be the next ‘Winner with the Wow Factor’, the variety with the highest visual impact at point of sale.

The four entries are: Begonia tuberhybrida F1 ‘Nonstop JOY Yellow’ from Benary; Bidens hybrida ‘Beedance Painted Red’ from Moerheim New Plant; Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Serenity Blue Eyed Beauty’ from Florensis; and Petunia cultivars NightSky from Selecta Klemm.

The FleuroStar Contest will take place during the FlowerTrials at nine locations in the Netherlands and Germany: Benary (at Peter van de Plas), Fides, Fleuroselect stand at Takii, Florensis, Jonge Planten Grünewald, PanAmerican & Kieft Seed, Sakata, Selecta Klemm (German location) and Syngenta FloriPro Services.

Over 30 professionals from a cross-section of breeding, production and retail as well as trade journalists and marketing specialists choose the Winner with the Wow factor.

During the FlowerTrials each judge will cast his/her vote after visiting one or more of the nine contest locations in the Netherlands and Germany. The winner is the variety with the highest average score on commercial potential and point of sale attractiveness.

The new FleuroStar winner will be revealed during the FlowerTrials week at the Green Inspiration Event. This brand new networking evening, organised by Tuinbouwcommunicatie in cooperation with Fleuroselect, will take place on June 11, at Anthura in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

Here are the descriptions of this year’s finalists.

Begonia tuberhybrida F1 Nonstop ‘Joy Yellow’ — Benary
Benary’s candidate for the FleuroStar Contest promises an abundance of large, double yellow flowers all summer long. Thanks to its mounded habit and better branching, ‘Joy Yellow’ ensures fuller hanging baskets and pots. This seed-raised Begonia is easy to sleeve and ship thanks to its half-trailing branches.

Bidens hybrida ‘Beedance Painted Red’ — Moerheim New Plant
‘Beedance Painted Red’ attracts wildlife to the balcony or garden with a splendid splash of colour. This cutting raised Bidens hybrida is strong, sturdy and compact. Easy to propagate, ‘Beedance Painted Red’ roots fast and grows without any effort.

Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Serenity Blue Eyed Beauty’ — Florensis
This new design in Osteospermum ecklonis cannot be overlooked at point of sale. ‘Blue Eyed Beauty’ is a true eye-catcher in pots and baskets, but also looks wonderful in beds. The cutting-raised Serenity series is known for its exceptional habit and well-timed uniformity for early season programs.

Petunia cultivars NightSky — Selecta Klemm
NightSky is cutting-raised, flowers very early and convinces with excellent branching. Consumers will love this extraordinary new colour pattern, an absolute first for Petunia. Perfect as a stand-alone item, the splendid, white spotted violet blooms will also shine in baskets and mixed containers.