Day 3 of California Spring Trials – Heavy rainstorms, wild gerberas and a yellow scaevola

We continued our trek up the coast Sunday, stopping first at Fides North America in Santa Paula, Calif. Fides’ Hypnotica dahlia series expands with six new varieties, including three bicolors and three solid colors. This true pot, uniform series finishes in 10 weeks, is vigorous and continuous flowering, and is best suited for larger pot sizes. The series’ new Lavender and Dark Night were particularly hypnotic colors.

The Inticancha alstroemeria series is a true pot alstroemeria produced from a rhizome rooted cutting. Available in seven colors, the plants have better heat tolerance and can flower throughout the summer in northern parts of the United States.

In Oxnard, Calif., Green Fuse Botanicals exhibited at its first spring trials since acquiring the vegetative series owned by Bodger Botanicals. New this year is the Actor Angelonia gardneri series, which includes purple, pink and white. From German breeding, this Carita-like series has plants which have an open habit with a spread of 18-24 inches. Plants are well-suited for containers, baskets and combinations.

Green Fuse has released its Begonia boliviensis series consisting of three colors: red, rose and white. The series is very free bloom producing a flatter flower on flexible stems, and is best suited for containers and baskets.

As the rains moved in, we headed for shelter at Island View Nursery, in Carpinteria, Calif., where Westhoff had relocated its trial location from Greenheart Farms. Visitors should be excited to see Suntastic, the first-ever yellow flowering scaevola. This variety is quick rooting (14-18 days) and early flowering, producing an abundance of soft yellow flowers. It has a medium vigor and does well in containers and baskets.

Also at Island View, PlantHaven literally rolled out the red carpet for its new introductions, including the Lucky Lantern abutilon series. Covered with flowers, the genetically dwarf plants include tangerine, white and yellow. A red flowered variety is also being developed. Plants finish quickly in six to eight weeks from a 72-cell plug.       

The rains got worse as we hit our last stop, Imagination Canyon Greenhouse in Santa Barbara, Calif. Northern Innovators moved its trials display from Speedling in San Juan Bautista down south to Santa Barbara.  It exhibited the Florist de Kwakel line of Garvinea landscape gerbera. The 14 colors in this continuous flowering series are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7, and trials are underway to determine if they are hardy in colder climates. Since it includes some wild species genetics, these gerberas are more resistant to pests and diseases including powdery mildew.
 

Click here to view video coverage of the spring trials.