Variety Notebook

Geum × ‘Mai Tai’
Intrinsic Perennial Gardens Inc. has released Geum × ‘Mai Tai’, the third introduction in its geum cocktail series joining ‘Sangria’ and ‘Tequila Sunrise’. ‘Mai Tai’ is a hybrid with vermillion red colored flowers that fade to peach and then to pink. The single and semi-double flowers start blooming in May and continue for three to four weeks.
 
The short clumping plants reach 10 inches tall and over 12 inches wide and have burgundy red flowering stems reaching 18+ inches tall. The foliage is semi-evergreen.
 
Plants prefer a moist to well-drained soil in full sun. They are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9.
 
For more: Intrinsic Perennial Gardens Inc., (815) 648-2788; www.intrinsicperennialgardens.com

Begonia semperflorens ‘Nightlife Blush’
‘Nightlife Blush’ adds a bicolor to Benary’s Nightlife series expanding it to six colors. Densely branched, mounding plants produce salmon rose with white flowers. Plants measure 6-8 inches tall in the pack and reach 10 inches in the garden.
 
Plants in the Nightlife series are very uniform in habit and flower timing, which is 10-14 days earlier than competing varieties. Plants branch and fill the pack before flowering providing better performance after transplant into the landscape.
 
For more: Benary, (815) 756-4546; www.benary.com

Alocasia Bambino series
The Bambino series of mini Alocasia is bred in the Netherlands, produced from tissue culture and available through ForemostCo Inc. The plants are best suited for 4- to 6-inch production. Varieties include ‘Bambino’, ‘Curly Bambino’, ‘Green Bambino’ and ‘Silver Bambino’.
 
Plants should be grown in a well-drained growing medium with a pH of 5.5-6.0. Do not allow the medium to dry out, but do not overwater.
 
Plants can be produced under high light, but will tolerate the lower light levels found in indoor settings. Plants grow best at temperatures of 70°F-84°F.
 
Production time for 6-inch pots is 14-20 weeks depending on growing conditions and time of year. 
 
For more: ForemostCo, (800) 421-8986; www.foremostco.com