Find out the top-performing plant varieties in North Carolina, Texas trial gardens

Lean on trial managers to help you choose that new and sensational variety. They’ve put them through the rigors, and you’ll reap the benefits. See what topped the list of best performers in North Carolina and Texas.

Check out parts one and two of our report here: bit.ly/trial-results-24 and bit.ly/more-plant-trials.

JC Raulston Arboretum, NC State, Raleigh

The JCRA is a 10½-acre site administered by the North Carolina State University Department of Horticultural Science.

Trial plants are received in a variety of ways. About one-quarter are germinated from seeds, while the remainder originate as rooted cuttings or established cell plugs. Virtually all are grown within controlled greenhouse environments prior to placement in protected outdoor structures for hardening off. They were planted into their permanent trial bed locations on May 13, 2024, and containers on May 21, 2024.

The predominant plant spacing in the bed trials was 18-inch by 24-inch (in-row by between-row spacing). Seven plants of each entry were used to evaluate landscape performance. Hanging baskets and containers had one plant each and were replicated three times. Information was provided by trials coordinator Bernadette Clark.

Ageratum ‘Monarch Magic’, Ball FloraPlant

Photos courtesy of respective breeders and trial gardens

‘Monarch Magic’ was a stunner! Butterflies and other pollinators visited these plants all season long. But the true thrill came toward the end of the summer, when I spotted my first monarch butterfly on the plants.

Lantana ‘Gem Compact Pink Opal’, Danziger

Lantana are reliable performers here in the hot, humid south. ‘Gem Compact Pink Opal’ was a true workhorse for us. It captured attention all season long with its uniform and compact size and flower power.

Vinca Titan-ium, PanAmerican Seed

The SunPatiens series was a standout, especially ‘SunPatiens Compact Lavender’ and ‘SunPatiens Vigorous Purple’. Uniform plants were covered in large, clear-colored flowers that command attention.

Salvia ‘Unplugged So Blue’, Proven Winners

‘Unplugged So Blue’ was the star of the Unplugged series. Sturdy stems displayed attractive blue spikes. It was a prolific and continuous bloomer.

Heliotropium ‘Aromagica Purple’, Proven Winners

‘Aromagica Purple’ provided outstanding, intense, deep purple-colored inflorescence with a light scent. Pollinators and people loved it!

After each summer, Texas’ Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden awards plants the Flameproof moniker. These top selections withstand the arboretum’s hot — and getting hotter, according to trials and research coordinator Brianne Swailes — summer season. From June 1 through Sept. 1, the Dallas area experienced 23 days of 100 °F or higher; 2024 ranked as the 14th hottest summer on record. The 2024 Flameproof plants include:

Proven Accents Series of sweet potato vines, Proven Winners (Pictured: Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Jet Black)

ColorBlaze Coleus Series, Proven Winners (Pictured: ColorBlaze El Brighto)

Down Town Coleus Series, Dümmen Orange (Pictured: Down Town Vegas Neon)

Titan-ium Vinca Series, Ball Seed (Pictured: Titan-ium Really Red)

Hi-Lite Torenia Series, Syngenta Flowers (Pictured: Blue Beacon Imp.)

This article appeared in the February 2025 issue of Greenhouse Management magazine under the headline "Find your new superstar."