May 2023 - 38

VAUGHN'S VIEW
BY VAUGHN FLETCHER
Colorful & Vibrant
For 2024
Annual Introductions
PART 1
1
These annual introductions are top picks from the
Costa Farms trial, with great genetics, bright colors
and abundant flowering.
W
Vaughn Fletcher
is president of
Fletcher Consulting.
He has been in
the horticulture
industry since 1971,
working in many
areas including
landscaping,
garden center
and greenhouse
production,
greenhouse, and
nursery sales and
sales management.
He can be reached
at vfletcher9@
gmail.com.
38
hen I step into the first trial of the
season at the Costa Farms Season
Premiere spring trial and gaze at
the multitude of new annual introductions,
I am overwhelmed with anticipation and
excitement to walk the trial and evaluate
them. I also reflect on the number of global
flower breeders represented in this trial and
the many years of research, breeding,
development and trialing that precedes
these new introductions.
The spring and summer trials are the final
phase prior to industry release and offer the
horticultural industry the opportunity to
visit, promote and make purchasing
decisions for next season. I am reminded by the
perceptive and visionary quote about flower trials
by W. Atlee Burpee in 1893: " To thoroughly know
seeds and the relative value of their products, both
of his own and his competitor's stock, to learn the
comparative merits of newly introduced or
proposed novelties, carefully conducted trial
grounds are to the progressive seedsman, and his
assistants, the open book of nature. "
This, and my subsequent article in June, will
focus on new annual introductions for 2024 in the
Costa trial that manifested unique and brilliant
colors, breakthrough genetics, and prolific flower
canopies that set them apart. The majority of the
varieties were planted in the trial beds week 50
of 2022, and my first visit was week 9. Many of
these new introductions will also be in multiple
trials this summer.
MAY 2023 GPNMAG.COM
3
1. PETUNIA 'CRAZYTUNIA
COSMIC VIOLET'
Westhoff
The new Cosmic Violet joins Cosmic Pink and
Cosmic Purple to offer three of the most dramatic
petunias in the Crazytunia portfolio. Cosmic Violet
is a mutation of Black Mamba, one of the most
popular colors in the collection. All three varieties
offer striking centers, large flowers, stable color
patterns, uniform habits and excellent summer
performance. Mast Young Plants offered a limited
release of Cosmic Violet this spring, and it will be
in multiple summer trials.
2. LANTANA 'PASSIONFRUIT'
Ball FloraPlant
'PassionFruit' is a new standalone trailing
lantana introduction with a dense, spreading
habit and large umbel clusters with transitional
florets of peachy-orange, yellow and bright pink.
'PassionFruit' is recommended for combinations,
baskets and landscape sites. We have had many
new trailing lantana series introductions the past
three years, and this new selection looks to rival
them in habit, early flowering and floriferousness.
3. IMPATIENS 'SUNPATIENS
COMPACT RED CANDY'
Sakata
Sakata had expanded the bicolor selections
for 2024 with Compact Red Candy. The bicolor
flowers, with red star centers and light pink petals
contrasting with the dark bronze foliage, were
2
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May 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2023
