January 2020 - 12

perspectives
BY TREVOR HILBURN
Trialing for Heat Tolerance
Every year, summer seems to get just a little hotter and just
a little longer. As a Dallas resident, I have experienced several
of the hottest years on record. 2017 holds the crown of hottest
year on record in the Metroplex, being 3.6 degrees higher than
average temperatures. This same year saw three days
in November reaching 90° F. Outside of Dallas, the
last five years in the Northern Hemisphere have had
the five hottest summers on record. Last year was
particularly brutal as there seemed to be no rain in the
South all summer long.
Being a sales representative in Texas and Louisiana
for McHutchison, my customers are always asking
for more heat-tolerant cultivars. They want more
information on what varieties perform through these
savage unrelenting conditions. According to EVERY
breeder, their cultivars are the " most " heat tolerant
and last the " longest " through these summers in
Southern trials.
These statements always bring me to these
Trevor Hilburn is a
sales representative
with McHutchison
and a member of
GPN's 40 Under
40 Class of 2019.
He can be reached
at thilburn@
mchutchison.com.
questions: Which trials? What are we calling Southern?
Upon investigation, you find that the trials they are referring
to are often in the upper Carolinas (not that it is cold there),
beautiful Southern California (not like paradise isn't great), or
in the mild evenings of the Midwest (which is beautiful ... but
hot?) Occasionally, you will hear trial data from Miami, which is
wonderful, it's mostly in-house trialing.
TRUE SOUTHERN CLIMATE
I used to read articles by Jimmy Turner (Dallas Arboretum) and
Allan Armitage (University of Georgia) about whose trials were
tougher - until finally Jimmy brought a stack of weather data
and Allan finally conceded.
All of this long windedness to say that it is very hot down here
in Texas, which I feel was already a given.
Luckily we have some great trials in my neck of the woods that
truly push the limits of garden performance through the Texas
and Louisiana summers.
NOTEWORTHY TRIALS
The Dallas Arboretum has the 'Texas Flameproof' award
- an award no breeder can buy; it has to be earned through
performance in the relentless heat in east Dallas. They have an
open house where Jenny Wegley, vice president of horticulture,
presents the winners and often the losers of that season. All
breeders are represented here.
It is a wonderful open house where growers, breeders and
sales representatives take to the gardens to see what is still
looking fresh and good. This trial always takes place at the
end of June. I highly recommend it, even though it is not for
12 JANUARY 2020 GPNMAG.COM
the faint of heart. You can find those plants awarded at www.
dallasplantrials.org.
Directly following that trial is the Texas A&M AgriLife's trial in
Overton, Texas. If the breeder's genetics hold their own in this
trial and meet the criteria from AgriLife Extension and research
departments, those genetics can be awarded the coveted " Texas
Superstar " award. The Overton trials are brutal; out in east Texas
this area can receive extraordinary volatile weather conditions.
Trial data from your
neck of the woods is
always going to be more
applicable than trials from
across the country.
Here you will find a mix of industry standards and new releases.
You can find these winners at www.texassuperstar.com.
Lastly, Louisiana State University Ag Center has its own seal of
approval as well. The " Louisiana Super Plants " is an award given
to plants that thrive in at least two years of evaluations across
the whole state. This must also be both viable in a commercial
growing environment and at a retail sales level. Beyond just
annuals and perennials that survive the summer stress, this
award also extends to cool-season plants along with shrubs and
trees. You can find all these picks at www.lsuagcenter.com.
EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS
Needless to say, I am a believer in trial results. It is my hope as
an industry we can attach more of these accolades to genetics.
That way when a breeding company says, " My genetics are
the " most heat tolerant, " they can follow with, " It received the
(fill in the blank) award from this place. " That way our growers
can easily track down that information and also relay it to their
customer base, be it retailers or landscapers. We can also put
all of the achievements on the marketing tags, which ideally we
can use to educate our end consumers. This hopefully builds a
cycle of information on both performance and reliability for your
location. Trial data from your neck of the woods is always going
to be more applicable than trials from across the country.
So go out and support your local trial locations. Go to the
botanic gardens near you for a weekend stroll and photo
gathering. I am sure that there is one closer to you than you
think!
http://www.dallasplantrials.org http://www.texassuperstar.com http://www.lsuagcenter.com http://www.GPNMAG.COM
January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2020
