Farwest Show calls for 2025 New Varieties Showcase entries

The 2025 Farwest Show is now accepting submissions of new plant introductions for the upcoming New Varieties Showcase.

Farwest is an annual trade show and conference serving the national nursery and greenhouse industry. The 2025 edition will take place Aug. 20-22, 2025, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.

“New plant introductions bring new life to the green industry,” said Allan Niemi, director of events for the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “They excite consumers, improve landscapes and move forward that eternal quest for prettier plants and trees that truly perform.

“More than 4,000 passionate retailers, brokers, garden writers and industry leaders browse the New Varieties Showcase every year in search of the latest and the greatest new plant introductions,” Niemi added. “Being in the showcase is a great way for breeders and growers to both influence and dazzle their most prized target audience, the green industry professional.”

The New Varieties Showcase is sponsored by Hip Labels. All accepted entries are judged by a jury of industry experts, as well as the 4,000-plus show attendees. The top vote-getters have the chance to win a Judge’s Award or a People’s Choice Award. For 2025, two tiers of entry are being offered. 

Tier 1 entries will be featured online at FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase display at Farwest with Hip Labels plant tag labels. Each plant will become available for listing on the NurseryGuide.com plant search site and in the companion Nursery Guide book. Added-value incentives for Tier 1 entries include coverage in the July issue of Digger magazine (a $750 value) and Hip Labels plant tag take-aways for attendees. Each Tier 1 submission costs $250. The registration deadline is April 11.

Tier 2 entries will be featured online at FarwestShow.com and displayed in the New Varieties Showcase display at Farwest with Hip Labels plant tag labels. Each plant will become available for listing on the NurseryGuide.com plant search site and in the companion Nursery Guide book. Each Tier 2 submission costs $90. The registration deadline is June 13.

To qualify for approved entry, plants must exhibit qualities of greater hardiness, increased bloom time, more vibrant color, improved habit and/or better disease resistance. Entries must be new market introductions for 2025 or 2026. Additionally, they must be available for purchase for the upcoming 2026 season from at least one designated grower or supplier exhibiting at the 2025 Farwest Show.

At the 2024 show, 35 new plant varieties were on display, including annuals, grasses, perennials, shrubs and trees. At that show, Starway to Heaven Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus ‘RNI-Rixred’ PP35353) was voted both by Farwest Show attendees as the People’s Choice winner and by professional judges as the Best in Show winner.

The online form to submit entries is available at FarwestShow.com/NVSSubmit. For questions, contact New Varieties Showcase coordinator Jamie Moore at jmoore@oan.org or 503-582-2010.