California Spring Trials (CAST) 2024: Live updates

3/22: California Spring Trials Day Three Recap

It was an overcast day on the coast when we woke up in Carpinteria, but the gloomy skies were no match for the riot of color we’d experience on the last day of our California Spring Trials. We headed south to see some of the biggest brands in the business.

Stop One: PlantHaven International, Pacific Plug & Liner, PDSI, Suntory and Green Trade Horticulture at California Spring Trials 2024

Several brands were represented at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, starting with the breeder agency PlantHaven International. The company had several new plants aimed at solving problems for both growers and gardeners.

The perfect example of its solutions-oriented approach was the new Arabis sturii 'Arctic Fox'. Featuring variegated foliage that varies from silvery green to magenta and producing small white flowers, Arctic Fox “ticks a ton of boxes,” according to a PlantHaven representative. Those boxes? It’s a Zone 4, shade-loving, drought resistant, evergreen ground cover.

PlantHaven seeks to solve more problems with its Salvia Vibe 'Ignition Orange'. Featuring bright orange, trumpet-like, nectar-rich blooms that are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, this salvia is drought resistant and has a compact rounded habit. But it also features strong flexible stems that make it ideal for surviving shipping.

Another PlantHaven solution seeks to bring plants into the food aisle. The Colocasia Royal Hawaiian 'Hawaiian Luau' is a taro with edible tubers that starts as an impressive broad-leaf foliage plant. Its impressive, deep purple leaves, shot through with green veins, can be grown indoors as a houseplant, or as a patio plant. And once the season is done, the foliage is meant to be cut back and the tubers harvested to be used like potatoes. That’s why PlantHaven is making a push for Hawaiian Luau to be merchandised in the produce section of grocery stores.

After PlantHaven, we stepped on the Pacific Plug & Liner trail. The supplier’s theme for the week was “The Mountains are Calling” and featured a path from station to station, where flowers were paired with retro-style national parks posters. And there were, indeed, some standout sights along the trail.

New for this year, PP&L introduced “hikers” to the Pretty Polly Primula series. The doubled polyanthus in four colors stands out largely due to height and bloom size. The large, vibrant flowers are carried by robust stems well above the top of the soil, giving growers and retailers an opportunity to deliver a primula that doesn’t have to sit along a border to be seen and appreciated.

On any trail, one might expect to see rocks, and the PP&L trail was no exception, with three new colors of Sempervivum Colorockz: Coral Red, Lemon Flare and Emerald Swirl. The trio of touchable succulents shows the wild variety sempervivum can achieve. Coral Red features burgundy rosettes, while Lemon Flare presents tight, inner green heart whorls with yellow outer leaves, and Emerald Swirl thrills with narrower bullet-shaped leaves with purple tips.

Finally, two grassy plants along the trail made us stop to admire the view. First was the beautiful Carex 'Moon Falls'. This variegated sedge includes a wild spill of long trailing leaves with silver edges and deep green cores. It’s the biggest of the Carex line of sedges and was developed to be a perfect plant for landscapers who want an interesting show-stopping grass that stands out in the landscape while standing up to winter conditions from Zones 5-9.

Also on display was the unmissable Electric Pink Cordyline. This cordyline offers long, thin, upright leaves that make it look more grass-like than anything else. But what’s most unique is the deep pink core color of the leaves that glows irresistibly electric around the edges, as if lit by an inner light. It’s a plant that would be a stunner in any landscape.

Off the trail, we moved into the land of Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI). Front and center for the first time in bloom at CAST was the Chelsea Flower Show award-winning Blackjack Agapanthus. Drought tolerant and sturdy, Blackjack was released from the Southern Living and Sunset Plant Collections. Its prime selling point is its big round purple blooms, great for a patio container or cut and brought into the home in an arrangement.

Another new introduction to both Sunset and Southern Living Plant Collections is the Nice & Easy Yucca. This is a yucca that loves families and production workers who must get up close and personal. The long, variegated leaves have a stable, creamy-hued outer edge, but more importantly, they lack the super sharp tips and edges that make yucca not-so-nice or easy. These are, in fact, pettable plants.

From Sunset to Suntory, there were even more blooms to blow us away. One of the brightest: the Sun Parasol FiredUp Orange. Not only is the FiredUp a new color in the Sun Parasol line — it’s a whole new category, featuring an upright habit that breaks the tradition of the trailing habit common in the line. The bright orange flowers and long stems make it a perfect centerpiece for combos and containers. Also new in the Sun Parasol line is Mauvelous, which features lovely pinwheeling flowers with mauve centers that become more speckled as they reach the tips of the petals.

Suntory offered additional color innovation with the new Surfinia Heavenly Blackberries and Cream. These trailing petunias, perfect for weathering rain in hanging baskets, have creamy white flowers with a deep blackberry-colored center. The gradient of color between the two gives them an antique, almost Victorian flare that is hard to beat.

Finally, we ended our tour with the second camouflage plant we’ve seen this year. New from Green Trade Horticulture was the wild-looking Aglaonema tricolor. The patterning of the small sample we were able to look at was incredibly intricate and so perfectly camouflaged that it looked like the camo that camo was based on.

Stop Two: Ball Horticultural Company (Selecta one, Burpee, Darwin Perennials, Ball FloraPlant, Morel Cyclamen, PanAmerican Seed) at California Spring Trials 2024

Ball Horticultural serves up so much edible and floral wonder that it’s hard to get your arms around it all. We could have spent the whole day just at this one site taking everything in, but that’s not the way CAST works, so we had to hit the highlights, of which there were plenty.

Some of the biggest news from Ball’s Selecta one division was new point-of-purchase resources available for retailers to push early sales of their Early Love and Pink Kisses dianthus. Because the plants are perfect for the early spring shoulder season, Selecta one wanted to make sure that retailers who had the dianthus stocked could brand them for early spring holidays, from Valentine's Day to Mother’s Day. The pink POP includes full rack signage as well as stand-alone bench cards and pots that convey flowers are better than chocolate for moms.

Selecta was also proud to introduce new colors to the Calibrachoa MiniFamous Evo line, including Double Magenta, Double White, Double Red and Double Yellow. As you may assume by the name, these calibrachoa feature tight double flowers in a compact habit that stays compact without pinching or PGRs. Plus, they’re early to flower, and flower they do, with the plants we saw easily filling pots with tons of blooms that stay on top of the foliage.

Like many brands we saw this year, Selecta was getting into the mix with its Dynamix combination inspiration program. Available now at selecta-one.com/en, Selecta is offering growers and retailers recipes that allow users to create combo pots with a bit of flexibility. Selecting plants that grow well together, the Dynamix program also showcases timely themes, like mixes that reflect college basketball team colors during the Final Four. It’s a nexus of inspiration to draw on now and into the future.

Since licensing the Burpee brand, Ball has been busy making innovations with plants that don’t need to be grown from seed by the consumer. These include a variety of prolific squash perfect for grilling, but the standout of the veggie group was the new BrightStar tomato. While it is a juicy beefsteak, what makes it unique is that fact that it looks like an heirloom-style tomato. It has the bumps and lack of symmetry common in heirlooms without all the fussiness and disease susceptibility.

There was a great deal to see from Darwin Perennials, too. Of particular interest was a trio of perennials meant to make the most of the northern climes. Perfect for Zones 4a-8b, Darwin introduced Lilac Splash Garden Phlox, Saxifraga Marto Hot Rose and Armeria Dreameria Hypnotic Dreams, the last of which a Darwin representative called a “Dr. Seuss plant,” because it's reminiscent of the Lorax’s Truffula Trees. The release of these plants is meant to bolster perennial offerings for Canadians who can get lost in the seasonal shuffle.

Darwin's new Agastache Summerlong collection is perfect for attracting hummingbirds, and as if it had been paid to be there, a lovely hummingbird was busily enjoying the small, trumpeted flowers of these colorful flowers on sturdy upright stalks.

AngelFlare Angelonia is a new series from Ball FloraPlant that offers heat tolerance in three colors: Black, Cranberry and Orchid Pink. It provides color for gardens starting in late spring and continuing through late summer. Use in mixed borders, plant en masse or combine it in containers. It grows up to 12 inches high and spreads up to 18 inches.

Ball FloraPlant also debuted Solera, a new vegetative interspecific geranium series, a first for the company. Its medium greenhouse habit makes it best suited for 5-inch pots or larger, as well as hanging baskets. Colors in the series are Fuchsia, Lavender, Orange, Red and Watermelon. Unrooted cuttings will now be grown at Ball’s YecaFlora farm in Yecapixtla, Mexico, and trucked to the U.S. border with better access to air freight. This series is also included in new FunFusion Combinations, such as Fuchsia in Fresno (pictured).

Morel Cyclamen varieties are available exclusively through Ball Seed, with several new varieties introduced at CAST, including Petit Moulin, a miniature, double-flowering selection that flowers for more than 100 days. This durable variety works for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s grown as a mini in 4- or 5-inch pots, or for a larger container, use two plugs in a 6-inch pot. Growing time from seed is 32-34 weeks. Colors include White with Eye, Rose with Eye, Light Rose with Eye and Lilac with Eye.

Dart is a new series of dianthus from PanAmerican Seed that doesn’t require heat for production. It fits in a variety of sizes, on the small side of 4- or 6-inch pots, up to larger 8-inch, 1-gallon or 2-gallon pots. PGRs are not required. In the garden, they grow from 6-12 inches high with a spread of up to 6 inches. Colors include Pink Magician, Purple, Red White Picotee, Scarlet and White.

PanAmerican Seed also debuted the first herb in its Kitchen Minis line: Basil Bonsai. This compact, uniform, Greek basil offers smaller leaves and grows to a diminutive 6 inches up to 12 inches high and a spread of 6-12 inches. Plug crop time is three to four weeks, and potting to finished production takes three to four weeks. Grow in a 4- or 6-inch container. Consumers can grow this indoors for fresh basil all year.

Stop Three: GreenFuse, Schoneveld, Beekenkamp and Westhoff at California Spring Trials 2024

Green Fuse Botanicals CEO Jim Devereux showed us what was causing the most stir with attendees this year.

First was Leucanthemum Kilimanjaro, with massive-sized flowers. He called it the largest flowering shasta daisy. It’s got an aggressive habit and will quickly fill a large container for a quick turnaround in production and high-value sales at retail. It’s a day-length neutral perennial that’s hardy to Zone 5.

Next, Devereux showed us another variety that fits the mega category: Calibrachoa Cielo Series. This breeding features huge flowers. There are 13 colors in the series, and he wanted to point out the bright colors of Cielo Firecracker and the more subtle, but fun, colors of Cielo Pink Splash (both pictured). Cielo will not only fill a large container or hanging basket but spill out of it, creating this colossal cali display.

The final plant on Devereux's gigantic floral tour was the newest color (and size) in the Hydrangea GameChanger series: Giant Pink. The flowers live up to their name and are noticeably larger than the other colors in this lacecap hydrangea series. Plants in the GameChanger series are day-length neutral and require zero chilling. Plants are ready in eight to nine weeks (depending on location and growing conditions) from a cutting, and Devereux says that is how this series got its name.

The Petunia Shake series from Hem Genetics (from seed) offers a compact growing habit and no need for PGRs. This seed petunia features large flowers that fall between a grandiflora and multiflora type. Three colors kick off the series: Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry. They're good for containers and landscape use.

Illusia from Schoneveld Breeding is an F1 persicum species that offers a unique flower shape. This novelty selection features unfolded and reversed flowers with contrasting colors. Pink is the first color in the Illusia series. Bred for 4-inch containers, this indoor potted plant takes 24-30 weeks to produce from seed to finished plant.

Beekenkamp’s dahlia production continues to flourish, and one of its latest selections is Labella Grande Coral. The sturdy stems are best suited for 6- or 8-inch pots. Labella Grande Coral can be finished in 10-13 weeks from an unrooted cutting.

Our Cleveland (Ohio) neighbor Bart Hayes, sales manager at Westhoff, assured us the petunias were plentiful this year. New colors include Double Stuff Rose (double, star-patterned flowers on compact plants), Magenta and Melon Pink in the DiscoBall series, Citrus Hill and Secred Star in the novelty Crazytunia series, as well as an electric red, aptly named Hells The Red. Bart says the habit "is very much in line with the Hells series -- rounded-mounding, medium vigor," and the colors in the Hells tend to "singe the retina," he jokes.

Westhoff also ventured into hybrid salvia territory and introduced the Tanami series. It features exceptional heat and drought tolerance, a mounding habit and a season full of flowers. Six colors are part of the new series: Blue, Purple, Rose, Red (pictured), White and Salmon.

3/21: California Spring Trials Day Two Recap

We’re on the road in California with eyes full of flowers. Here’s what we’re seeing at the California Spring Trials so far.

Stop One: American Takii at California Spring Trials 2024

Super villain Darth Vader made “give yourself to the dark side” famous, but growers and retailers can follow his lead without selling their souls to the Galactic Empire. We were drawn to the dramatic look of American Takii’s new Dahlia Black Forest Ruby. This new selection features intensely dark foliage and stems punctuated by intense red semi-double to double flowers. Black Forest Ruby is from seed and offers an upright habit that works well in both containers or in the ground. Takii presented Black Forest Ruby with its dark-leaved ornamental pepper selections, Onxy Orange and Onyx Red. Retailers, think of the merchandising fun you could have with this combination!

Takii added Red to its Tropaeolum (Nasturtium) Baby Series. Baby Red, a Fleuroselect Novelty winner, has a mounded habit that grows up to 12 inches tall.

In keeping with the red theme, the breeder premiered Trilogy Red Gen 2, which shares the compact, mounded habit as the rest of colors in the series. This floriferous petunia series is good for gardens, containers or baskets.

Last year, Takii introduced Cannova Casa, a program designed to sell Cannova Bronze Scarlet Canna as a houseplant in the winter and transition to garden plants when weather permits, based on the region. Growers would sow seeds in December and ship to retailers in February. Takii reps told us they’re looking for feedback from anyone who tried the Casa program this past year.

Sahin, a brand of Takii Europe B.V., showcased some wild and even wacky, but beautiful, new selections. Have you seen Ammobium grandiflora? It was a new-to-us plant that featured strong, twisty stems rising high above the foliage and topped with small yellow and white flowers. It’s used in cutting gardens but would make a cool perennial in Zone 8 or higher, tucked in with other tall perennials or in the back of the landscape for structure. If you’re looking for another cut flower, Sahin also introduced Centaurea moschata 'Imperialis The Bride', a scented white form with new colors in the pipeline: dark purple, light purple, rose and a mix.

OHP displayed side-by-side comparisons of some of its products, including an example of how Fortress herbicide is safe on many plants — even when those accidents occur, and the crew applies the wrong rate.

Stop Two: Sakata at California Spring Trials 2024

There’s been a ton of music references at CAST this year, and all of them are filled to the brim with nostalgia. It began back on Day One with Syngenta’s Painted Love Purple petunia. But here we were miles away, and Sakata was kicking out the jams, too.

Its music reference was more than a single song; it was a very literal playlist. Sakata’s new Playlist concept pulls its “biggest hits” from a variety of floral lines and combines them into single offerings, all with musical themes.

Playlist isn’t just about growing recipes that create a harmonious whole. The selection has combo options that are timed to seasons and can be produced and sold from early spring to fall. And many come in vegetative kits with mixed varieties that create colorful pots that grow in harmony. Some standouts include the Cajun Chorus mix (with SunPatiens Compact Purple, SunPatiens Compact Orange and PartyTime Lime coleus) and Electric Lady (with SunPatiens Compact Rose Glow and PartyTime Pink Berry Coleus).

Beyond Playlist, Sakata was also showing off some new varieties in some of its most popular lines. One of the best on display was a new color in the SuperCal line: Shocking Pink. The blooms of this petunia with its semi-trailing habit were big and, well, shocking. The depth of the pink hue makes the petals look incredibly rich despite their brightness and an almost iridescent sheen adds some “wow” factor.

Another standout was Sakata’s new celosia, Burning Embers. This All-America Selections (AAS) award winner features tons of bright red plumes set against bronze foliage. We’ve seen a lot of dark leaves this year, but Burning Embers softens the contrast between bloom and leaf. The bronze foliage backdrop is dark enough to make the red pop, but it also compliments to create a fiery whole. 

The color at Sakata doesn’t only stay in the flower line, either. Its Home Grown vegetable line saw another AAS winner with the new Purple Magic broccoli. Featuring a rich color in the broccoli heads and stems, Sakata reports that it remains super flavorful in spite of the novelty color, which can sometimes keep veggies from being truly delicious.

Stop Three: Dümmen Orange at California Spring Trials 2024

There was an explosion of color at Dümmen Orange, our final stop of the day.

Geranium Glory Days is a new Peltatum geranium series that provides the look of an ivy type but offers the zonal habit. Two colors kick off the new series: Pink Bicolor and Red Orange Bicolor. The single flowers are self-cleaning, and the habit is medium to vigorous. They’re heat tolerant and are best suited for 3-quart containers or baskets.

Another new series, Delosperma Solstice, debuts with six colors that have a shimmery sheen: Orange, Purple, Purple Bicolor, Red, Scarlet Red and Yellow. Small flowers dot the top of the compact foliage, which is an ideal form for a groundcover. In production, this series works best in small pots.

Dümmen shines when it comes to combos, and this year it revealed new Garden Party Icons mixes, inspired by women who’ve made a difference in the world and had an impact on society and even pop culture, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah and Taylor Swift. The Garden Party mixes include four varieties, and production time is approximately 15 weeks from sticking unrooted cuttings to finish. That timing was based on California growers, so plan accordingly.

Garden Party Icons Miss Americana (for the Swifties) includes Dahlia Revelation Red, Coleus Down Town NYC Nights, Petunia Durabloom Red and Salvia Icon Glacier. The colors in Garden Party Icons Justice RBG mirror her dark robes and white collar: Salvia Icon Glacier, Petunia Potunia + Black Satin, Alternanthera Little Ruby and Verbena Empress Sun White.

We'll be back with more flowers, highlights and ideas tomorrow!

3/20: California Spring Trials Day One Recap

3/19: Our California Spring Trials itinerary

We officially hit the road on Wednesday, but our itinerary is crafted and ready to execute. Our stops will progress north to south, and we've allotted about two hours for each grower and brand. If you're following along, check out where we'll be so you know when to check our Garden Center magazine and Greenhouse Management magazine Instagram accounts. 

Wednesday, March 20

Morning

1. Syngenta Flowers: Looking forward to a petunia party and seeing the Bright Sparks Celosia Celosia plumosa in person. 
2. Danziger: We'll definitely have our sunglasses on as we gaze upon the GUATEMALA Papaya echinacea.

Afternoon 

1. Benary: The selection of Gramineae probably isn't the California grass the Beatles sang about, but it's likely prettier to behold.
2. Cohen, Hishtil, Jaldety and more: We'll enjoy an afternoon with some dahlias, lavenders and succulents. The stop promises to end an epic day one with a riot of colors and textures sure to impress.

Thursday, March 21

Morning

1. American Takii: We start day two with another petunia party and some new nasturtium on the side.
2. Sakata: New flowers and veggies await us for a feast of the senses
   

Afternoon 

1. Dümmen Orange: We'll see an array of offerings, including a new color in the Begonia I'Conia series, a new Coleus and a new color in the Roller Coaster series of New Guinea Impatiens.

Friday, March 22

Morning

1. PDSI and more: We'll start the day with the yuccas and enjoy the partner exhibitors sharing this Santa Barbara locale.

Afternoon 

1. Ball Horticultural: There's too much to list at this major family of brands, but we'll do our best to take it all in. 
2. Green Fuse, Hem, Schoneveld and more: It's the grand finale as we take in a ton of brands to finish off our trip. Snapdragon, rosemary, daisy and hydrangea...oh my! 

We've started our engines. Hop in and come along for the ride! 

3/18: Catch up on what you'll see at California Spring Trials 2024

We're heading out this week to explore all that's on offer at the California Spring Trials. Our coverage begins in earnest on Wednesday, March 20, but there is plenty to explore before we hit the road.  Click here to view our full roundup of the offerings from brands, growers and greenhouses at CAST 2024. 

3/16: Weekend update: Get ready for the California Spring Trials!