August 2023 - 8

perspectives
BY KRISTEN PULLEN
New Product Selection
in Woody Ornamentals
When I have the opportunity to meet with
young plant producers or growers, there's
always one question I make sure I ask
them: " What do you need that the industry
is missing? " Sometimes the response is a
specific need or a vague idea. But often, a
customer's honest answer to what they are
looking for is " I don't know. "
In the woody ornamental department
at Star Roses and Plants, every successful
introduction starts with a good product.
But in a class of plants that can take
upwards of 10 years to breed, how do
you choose future products to fill industry
gaps? How do you help a customer who
doesn't know what they want or need?
Let's go back to my first time walking a
Kristen Pullen is
woody ornamental
portfolio manager
at Star Roses and
Plants. She is a
member of GPN's
40 Under 40 Class
of 2023 and can be
reached at kpullen@
starrosesandplants.
com.
progeny field. On my second day at Star Roses
and Plants, I was turned loose in a 14-acre
field of roses and asked to identify the varieties
I found to be noteworthy. New to this process,
I naturally gravitated toward plants with my
favorite flower colors, orange and yellow.
Afterward, I was encouraged to consider
what benefits these plants offered apart from
being pretty. What else could the varieties do?
Little did I know that this was the start of my
fascination with new product development and
a 12-year process of learning how to select
plants under the guidance of some of the best
mentors in the industry. I'm nowhere near done
learning (nor do I think you ever are if you're
trying to learn all woody genera), but I've
picked up some useful tips along the way.
Ultimately, making new product selections
comes down to asking three questions.
1. IS THE PRODUCT UNIQUE FROM
WHAT'S ON THE MARKET?
Let's start with the first question. To
determine whether a plant is unique, you
have to know what's on the market. I cannot
8
AUGUST 2023 GPNMAG.COM
overstress the usefulness of comparison trials
for determining a plant's distinctive qualities.
One of the best tools for making product
selections is observing new plants alongside
both old market standards and recent market
introductions. This allows you to gauge
whether you've made significant aesthetic
improvements in habit, color or flowering.
New for 2024,
cercis 'Garden
Gems Amethyst' is
a compact tree with
burgundy foliage.
It has pink blooms
in the spring that
attract pollinators.
2. WHAT PROBLEM(S) DOES
THE PRODUCT SOLVE FOR YOUR
CUSTOMER?
However, sometimes looking different isn't
enough. This is where our second question
is helpful. There are many genera of plants
where the market is oversaturated with options.
Sure, the shade of pink exhibited by your new
Hydrangea macrophylla is distinctive according
to the RHS color chart, but so what? There
are too many hydrangeas out there for this to
merit introduction. There's plenty out there
to be improved upon if you stay tuned to your
customers' pain points.
How about solving issues with flower bud
hardiness so late frosts don't result in green
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2023
