February 2023 - 53

VAUGHN'S VIEW
2. PETUNIA 'SURESHOT
BLUEBERRIES & CREAM'
Ball FloraPlant
The breeding and introduction of
novelty petunias continues unabated
with many new introductions for
2023. The new Blueberries & Cream
was conspicuous and exceptional in
multiple trials with bright purple/blue
flowers with a distinctive white picotee
margin. When I evaluate novelty
petunias, I consider color stability
and well-defined color separation.
Blueberries & Cream manifested these
characteristics throughout the country
with outstanding summer hardiness.
It was a top consumer favorite in the
Mast trial, received high ratings in the
Penn State trial and was an overall
winner in the University of Georgia
trial. The SureShot series replaces
the ColorBlitz series for 2023 with
six uniform varieties having identical
flower size, excellent branching and
a seven-day flowering window. Four
new colors will be introduced for the
2024 season. The accompanying
photograph is from the Gardens
at Ball trial in August 2022.
3. SALVIA 'SALLYFUN
BLUE LAGOON'
Danziger
This new farinacea selection really
popped in the trials last summer
with strong radial branching, upright
architecture and vibrant dark blue
flowers. It maintained this rich
coloration throughout the summer,
and this color stability is a hallmark
of the Sallyfun series. Blue Lagoon
is a medium-habit selection and
augments the current series, which
now comprises five varieties. The
series had production applicability
in quarts, gallons and as a thriller
in mixed containers. I used this new
variety as a thriller in my container
trial, and it maintained its habit
and color retention until frost. The
accompanying photograph is from the
Plantpeddler trial in August 2022.
4. 'SUNPATIENS COMPACT
PURPLE CANDY'
Sakata
Sakata expanded the SunPatiens
color range with new bicolor
selections in the compact and
vigorous series for 2023. Many of
these new introductions were in the
trials, including the compact varieties,
Lavender Splash and Purple Candy, as
well as the vigorous varieties, Peach
Candy and Pretty Pink. I could have
highlighted any of the new selections,
but the one with the most sizzle and
vivacious flower pattern was Purple
Candy. The bicolor rose and magenta
flowers were well defined, vibrant and
non-fading from early spring in the
southern trials though early fall in the
northern trials. Purple Candy was a
top consumer favorite in the Mast trial
and received high performance ratings
in multiple trials. The accompanying
photograph is from the Colorado
State trial in mid-September 2022.
5. PETUNIA 'FUN HOUSE
PEACH MELBA'
Syngenta Flowers
The petunia world changed
dramatically in 2011 with the
introduction of the Crazytunia
collection from Westhoff. Since then,
we have had an explosion of stunning
bicolor, iridescent and polychromatic
petunia collections from multiple
breeders. Syngenta launched the
Fun House collection in 2022 with
Potpourri and followed up with three
colors for the 2023 season: Amethyst
Sunshine (which I highlighted in my
June 2022 Costa Premier article),
Papaya and Peach Melba. These
new selections offer more vigor
and earliness than Potpourri with
dynamic and distinctive flower
patterns and colors. As I traveled
from the southern to the northern
trials throughout the summer, Peach
Melba captured my attention with its
striking and well-defined peach/rose
eye with a transitional light peach
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GREENHOUSE PRODUCT NEWS 53
February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
