2024 New Annual Varieties guide

Ageratum

Ageratum Monarch Magic from Ball FloraPlant is a spreading ageratum that monarch butterflies can’t resist. Gardeners will enjoy the pollinator activity this variety brings to their outdoor spaces, and they’ll appreciate its drought tolerance and low maintenance. The plant’s vigorous, spreading habit is ideal for use in hanging baskets and tumbling out of mixed combos.

Angelonia

The new Angelonia AngelFlare series from Ball FloraPlant features spreading angelonia perfect for combinations and hanging baskets. The branches “flare” up within the combo. AngelFlare is more upright than AngelMist and launches with three colors, including a true black that gets even darker as it matures. Ideal for season extender and pollinator programs.

Begonia

Begonia x benariensis F1 BIG White Bronze Leaf from Benary is the industry’s first interspecific white bronze leaf begonia from seed. It offers true interspecific garden performance and big, pure white flowers which contrast against shiny dark bronze leaves. This low-maintenance selection flowers all summer long and is easy to grow, thriving in sun or shade in many different climates.

The Begonia Nonstop family from Benary has three new colors: Flame, Lemon and Peach Shades. Early lateral branching for premium quality production; uniform in vigor, habit and flowering; and large, fully double flowers up to 4 inches. The Nonstop Mocca series (10 total colors, including Light Pink Shades) is the only dark-leaved tuberous begonia series on the market. Full, compact and rounded plant habit; uniform and strong branching plants; and excellent outdoor performance. The Nonstop Joy series (seven total colors, including Mocca Rose) is the only semi-trailing tuberous begonia from seed. Suited for premium pots and baskets with extra-large double flowers and well-branched plants that bloom all summer.

Not many begonias take heat and humidity like Begonia ‘Summer Storm’ from Plants Nouveau. Deep eggplant purple leaves have a celery green silverish veil. Peachy-pink flowers come mid-summer and last until fall. It is wider than tall and has proven hardier and more resilient than average rex begonias.

Viking Begonia White on Green from Sakata Seed America offers pure white flowers that stand out against deep green foliage. The abundant blooms bring strong retail appeal, and Viking’s low-maintenance needs make it a versatile garden performer.

Begonia Adora Emerald from Syngenta Flowers features double flowers against green foliage. These plants have medium vigor and mounded habits, making them versatile for different container sizes. They offer continuous blooms and require easy maintenance.

Brassica

Brassica Bright and Early from Syngenta Flowers is genetically compact and tidy. This kale is perfect for small pot and pack production. The colors develop early, requiring minimal cold temperatures and offering a shorter production cycle for various growing conditions.

Buddleia

Buddleia BABY BUZZ Candy Pink from PlantHaven International is the first hanging basket buddleia with masses of full-sized flowers in candy-pink tones and up to five months of continual flowering. Great for pollinator gardens, it’s loved by butterflies, bees and hummingbirds and is also deer resistant. Perfect for 8- to 10-inch baskets, containers and cascading over walls. Hardy to Zone 5. Improved branching gives a unique compact mushroom-shaped growth habit. Ultimately 24 inches by 36 inches. (Unrooted cuttings by Quality Cuttings and Vivero.)

Calibrachoa

EYECONIC Orange Calibrachoa from Danziger features large, bright blooms with a deep orange eye. Perfect for hanging baskets, containers and combos.

The new Calibrachoa Cielo Series (including Firecracker) from Green Fuse Botanicals was bred for both the consumer and grower. Massive flowers are found all season long on this highly aggressive calibrachoa. An extremely wide-ranging pH tolerance allows for consumer success all season long. Garden width is 24 to 30 inches.

Calibrachoa Unique ‘Apricot Fizz’ from Kientzler North America is a vibrant orange and red bicolor within the Calibrachoa Unique Series. Superb garden performance and branching. Thrives in both full sun and partial shade. Expect flowers to bloom by mid-April. All Calibrachoa Unique varieties offer uniform growth habits and flower timing. Easy to mix and match varieties for combinations.

Calipetite Calibrachoa Blue Splash and Apricot Dream (pictured) are two new colors in Sakata Seed America’s Calipetite series. These naturally compact calibrachoas have a well-branched habit and are easy to maintain. Blue Splash produces a sky-blue star pattern, while Apricot Dream features an abundance of colorful gold-scarlet-orange star-patterned flowers that cover the entire plant. Both new colors are ideal for mini-planters and baskets.

The new ultra-compact Calibrachoa MiniFamous Evo series from Selecta one expands the company’s MiniFamous assortment. Evo features double blooms, no pinch/no PGR labor savings and pot-tight production. Available in five colors to launch the series: Blue, Magenta, Red, White and Yellow.

Calibrachoa MiniFamous Uno Funtopia from Selecta one features a splash of pink or blue in this color extension of the Uno series. The medium-compact habit makes it great for hanging baskets and color bowls. Plants are early-to-finish, and the tie-dye pattern is fresh and modern to attract today’s impulse shopper.

Celosia

Burning Embers Celosia is Sakata Seed America’s newest AAS winner. This heat and drought tolerant celosia has large red plumes with bronze foliage that retain color longer into the season.

Coleus

Coleus TerraScape ‘Queen’ from Kientzler North America features contrasting lime-green edges on dark burgundy leaves lobed with a vivid red strip in this unique color combination. Thrives in both sun and shade. Upright habit approximately 26 inches tall and 20 inches wide. Exceptionally late flowering.

Colocasia

Colocasia ROYAL HAWAIIAN ‘Waikiki’ from PlantHaven International features deep-green glossy foliage with white markings and vivid pink veins. Bred to be sturdy garden performers and container specimens with a tidy clumping habit. Hardy in Zones 7b-11. Reaches 36 inches by 36 inches at maturity. (Tissue culture by Vitroflora Lab Poland and Green Trade Horticulture.)

Cordyline

A completely new type of cordyline for consumer success, Panic Burgundy from Green Fuse Botanicals shows a clumping habit for quick pot fill and monoculture capabilities. A defined pink stripe contrasts the deep burgundy strap leaves. Quick to finish and easily suits any container size. Garden height is 24 to 30 inches.

Cordyline Magic Star from Green Trade Horticulture features green leaves with creamy white edges that gently fade into pink hues toward the bottom and intense red at the trunk. Cordyline Magic Star keeps its unique colors year-round.

Cosmos

Cosmos Cherry Chocolate from PlantHaven International is an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year second-prize winner. With cherry red, chocolate-perfumed flowers, it offers a long season of interest, with up to five months of continual flowering. Great for pollinator gardens and ideal for butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Tidy clumping habit and hardy to Zone 9. Twelve to 24 inches by 12 to 24 inches at maturity. (Unrooted cuttings by Quality Cuttings, Vivero and Kientzler North America.)

Cyclamen

The Cyclamen persicum Dragon Series from Schoneveld Breeding features new colors Dragon Blue and Dragon Deep Blue. Great for 4- to 5-inch pots with lots of mini flowers, the violet blue blooms are great for indoor or outdoor potted programs. Zones 4-9.

The Cyclamen SeeWhy mini-series from Syngenta Flowers features early flowering varieties on compact plants and offers a high level of uniformity across colors. It can tolerate higher temperatures without compromising quality or flower timin

Dahlia

Dahlia Black Forest Ruby, from seed, from American Takii has dramatic dark foliage in striking contrast to its blooms. Flowers are semi-double to double in shades of red. Its compact and upright plant shape make it ideal for containers and gardens of any size.

Dahlia Hypnotica Candy Corn is a new addition to Dümmen Orange’s Hypnotica series of dahlias. Named for its candy look-alike pattern with bright yellow, orange and white, it has a medium-vigorous habit and fantastic branching.

Dahlia ‘Mystic Wizard’ from PlantHaven International features magenta jewel-tone flowers on glossy mahogany-black foliage. Great for pollinators and strong retail appeal, bringing masses of color to the early-season lineup. Perfect for premium quarts, gallons and caches. Hardy to Zone 9. Compact rounded habit, no staking required, reaches 30 inches by 20 inches. (Unrooted cuttings by Kientzler North America.)

Dianthus

The new Dianthus Dart series from PanAmerican Seed doesn’t require heat for production, compared to other early-spring products, and its natural versatility fits it into more pot sizes with fewer to no PGRs. Dart shows much more color at retail. Launches with five colors: Pink Magician, Purple, White Picotee, Scarlet and White.

Dichondra

Dichondra argentea Silver Surfer from Benary has a germination rate of 85%, with vigorous, fan-shaped silvery foliage on silver stems and strong heat and drought tolerance. Trailing growth up to 60 inches makes this plant well-suited for hanging baskets and other planters, or as a mixed container component plant. Silver Surfer has outstanding root development for faster growth. Silver Surfer is part of the reliable BeGreen seed treatment collection exclusively from Benary.

Gazania

Gazania Suncarpet from Concept Plants is new breeding out of South Africa. A nonstop blooming machine, it gives a carpet of flowers (hence the name) from time of planting until frost. This is the first selection in what the company hopes will be a series of Suncarpet colors.

Geranium

The new Interspecific Geranium Solera series from Ball FloraPlant features dark leaf, medium-sized mounded plants that keep their blooms all season long. Excellent garden performance in a habit easy to control in the greenhouse. This new interspecific breeding means great heat tolerance and longevity in the landscape and containers.

Geranium Glory Days Red Orange Bicolor from Dümmen Orange is part of a new series of hybrid geraniums that has the attractiveness of a single flower with the appearance of an ivy, but with the growing characteristics of a zonal geranium. Their medium to vigorous trailing habit makes them excellent for hanging baskets.

Gerbera

Potted Gerbera Flori Line Maxi Golden Yellow BC from HilverdaFlorist is the first golden-colored Maxi variety. This vegetative plant has big and full flowers. This variety fits perfectly in the Flori Line series, one of the widest ranges available.

Potted Gerbera Flori Line Maxi White BC Improved from HilverdaFlorist features better genetics, with a deep black center and pure white color.

Potted Gerbera Optimum Mix from HilverdaFlorist contains a well-balanced assortment of Royal and Flori Line varieties with uniform growth and complementing colors. The regular Optimum Mix consists of a harmonious blend of colors with both green and black centers. The Optimum Mix BC features only dark centers.

New to the double-flowered Potted Gerbera Sundayz Series from HilverdaFlorist is Maxi Deep Rose. This variety has robust double-shaped flowers with a deep pink color. Can also be included in the Maxi Sundayz Mix.

Helianthus

The Helianthus Sunfinity Double from Syngenta Flowers is a double-flowered vegetative sunflower with continual flowering and high resistance to powdery mildew throughout summer. These vigorous, well-branched plants thrive in large patio containers and in-ground settings.

Impatiens

Seed-propagated Interspecific Impatiens Solarscape XL Pink Jewel from PanAmerican Seed provides color in full-sun garden beds and containers. The durable plants perform just like vegetative varieties with the flexibility of a seed input. Pink Jewel is a tropical new color for 2025 sales and is an All-America Selections winner.

Sakata Seed America is adding SunPatiens Impatiens Compact Lavender to its SunPatiens series. Offering full sun and shade versatility, this floriferous variety produces large lavender-pink blooms throughout the season with a strong mounding habit.

Ipomoea

The Ipomoea Sweet Georgia series from Green Fuse Botanicals is heavily branched with a completely uniform, compact habit and proven performance. Their combination-friendly habit extends their use easily into mixed containers. Two new Lace series this year are Fine Burgundy and Fine Lime, which bring a new leaf shape with compact habit. Multiple stock locations ensure excellent availability of this top-seller. Garden width is 20 to 24 inches.

Lamium

Lamium Orchid Frost Grande from PlantHaven International is the supersized big brother of Lamium Orchid Frost. Silver foliage with dark green base color tones are a backdrop for the delicate orchid-pink flowers produced profusely in mid-spring. Ideal for premium quarts, combination planters and mass landscape plantings. Hardy to Zone 4. Compact spreading groundcover, reaching 8 inches by 12 inches. (Unrooted cuttings by Dümmen Orange, Quality Cuttings and Vivero International.)

Lobelia

Lobelia erinus F1 Masterpiece Blue with Eye from Benary is the first lobelia F1 hybrid from seed on the market that can truly keep up with vegetative F1 hybrids in terms of performance. It flowers very early, with large, striking blue flowers with a white eye, and displays a well-formed, mounding plant habit. With excellent heat tolerance in summer and impressive field performance, it looks its best in beds and fields but is also very suitable for pot and container production.

Mixed Combos

After years of researching plant combos, Danziger found a better way with its DURABELLA Combinations. Each DURABELLA recipe requires only two or three liners to produce a beautiful hanging basket or container. The recipes have been tested to make sure they blend well and provide excellent performance for growers, retailers and the home gardener. Rose Chateaux is a new favorite.

Confetti Garden Trio Blueberry Parfait from Dümmen Orange was awarded best mix by 2024 CAST attendees. The multi-species mixes with light blue tones feature well-balanced and timed blooms for spring through early summer. Made up of Potunia+ Purple Halo (petunia), Empress Flair Lavender Blue (verbena) and Tik Tok White (calibrachoa).

Nasturtium

Nasturtium Baby Red from American Takii has vibrant red flowers and joins the other two Baby varieties, Rose and Orange. The series is non-trailing, featuring plants with a unique mounded shape. Perfect for small gardens and containers, Baby Red is a Fleuroselect Novelty winner.

Nemesia

NESIA Tangerine Nemesia from Danziger offers multicolored, early spring blooms that are more heat tolerant than other varieties on the market. New for 2025, NESIA Tangerine is covered in bright orange and yellow color-saturated blooms. Each color in the series stays compact, making it perfect for 6-packs. NESIA will continue to gain size, filling larger pots.

Osteospermum

The daisy-like flowers of Osteospermum 4D Blue Ice from Selecta one stay open 24/7. Plants have excellent branching for masses of blooms and offer superior series uniformity in production. Great for early-season sales. The new Blue Ice color is a standout in silvery white-and-blue hues.

Pentas

The new merged Pentas lanceolata F1Graffiti Series from Benary combines the best of the company’s OG and 20/20 series. Featuring 15 colors and two mixes, Graffiti has strong heat tolerance and garden performance. Uniform in both height and flower timing, with perfect branching for more flowers. Dense flowers ensure maximum color at retail. Graffiti has the first bicolor tones in seed pentas.

Petunia

Petunia F1 Trilogy Red Gen 2 from American Takii produces an abundance of intense red blooms. Plants are compact, with a tidy mounded habit, and uniform, with an upright flowering habit.

Petunia F1 Trilogy Purple Gen 2 from American Takii is an improvement of Trilogy Purple, exhibiting a deeper purple color. It has the same outstanding compact and mounded habit as the rest of the Trilogy series.

CAPELLA Rim Raspberry Petunia from Danziger meets every grower need, performing well in propagation, blooming early enough for any program and creating a tidy pot with minimal PGR use. CAPELLA will continue to grow and gain size in the garden with plenty of bloom power. This series includes more than 20 color choices, including CAPELLA Rim Raspberry, new for 2025. This petunia offers large blooms that feature deep purple centers with a wide, bright white rim.

Petunia Potunia+ Black Satin from Dümmen Orange features a deeply dark color and TMV resistance provided by Intrinsa. Potunia+’s bubble-shaped mounding habit and medium vigor makes it an ideal grower petunia.

Sakata Seed America is adding two new colors, Rose Pink and Rose Star (pictured), to its SuperCal Premium Petunia lineup. These All-Weather Petunias offer outstanding heat, cold and rain tolerance. Rose Pink’s large pink flowers provide color through the seasons. Rose Star’s big blooms feature a unique watercolor pattern. These season extenders are a great option for both early spring and summer promotions.

Petunia Easy Wave Navy Velour from Wave Petunias features large, velvety blooms with blue-purple-black hues. Easy Wave Petunias are versatile for gardens or containers.

Petunia E3 Easy Wave Rose Morn from Wave Petunias is a new color and morn-type pattern in the E3 Easy Wave series of early-flowering petunias. Featuring blooms of consistent rose-pink hues and a contrasting white center, all E3 Easy Waves flower under a 10-hour daylength for early-season sales.

Rudbeckia

A new addition to the Sunbeckia series from Bull Plant Genetics is the Graffiti line. Four colors are available: Caramel, Cherry (pictured), Scarlet and Peach. With unique new flower forms and colors in Rudbeckia hirta, this variety is suited for 6- to 14-inch pots and grows 14 to 18 inches tall. Zones 7-10.

Salvia

Salvia ‘Red Flamingo’ from Kientzler North America is a new salvia variety with a stunning landscape habit and tall height. Eye-catching red flower spikes bloom continuously from April through September. Strong stems prevent branch breakage compared to similar salvia varieties. Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.

Thunbergia

Thunbergia Sunny Susy Gold from Jaldety Nursery features masses of showy, large gold flowers. Early flowering, mainly from spring through autumn. Combines well with other thunbergia colors for high-value product. Trailing and climbing habit. Easy to grow and care. Ideal for mixed hanging baskets and pyramids for the patio and decks. Showy cover for fences, arches, pergolas and window boxes.

Verbena

Verbena Empress Sun Kiss White from Dümmen Orange is a brand-new verbena series that defies expectations when it comes to heat and humidity tolerance. All four colors in the series, including White, possess a mounding habit with a compact-medium vigor, making Empress Sun Kiss the ideal item for premium 1-quart, 3-quart and basket production. An excellent item for summer promotions.

Vinca

The new Vinca Titan-ium series from PanAmerican Seed features added disease resistance to some strains of aerial phytophthora compared to the company’s Titan series. Titan-ium is fast-flowering with superior branching and large blooms. Available in seven colors and a mixture.

Vinca Nirvana XDR from Syngenta Flowers is the sole vegetative vinca with verified XDR level resistance to various aerial phytophthora strains. Thriving in intense summer heat, it maintains continuous blooms. Its medium vigor, mounded habits and distinctive flower colors make it ideal for premium pots and mixed combinations.