| AGLAONEMA ‘Easter Bonnet’ is a tissue culture-produced selection from Rancho Tissue Technologies that reaches between 12-50 inches tall (usually less than 35 inches). Leaves are evergreen, ranging from 4-18 inches long and 2-6 inches wide. Aglaonemas are sensitive to cold temperatures and do not like cold drafts. To prevent damage, do not expose to temperatures below 50°F. For optimum growth, maintain growing medium and air temperatures between 70°F-85°F, the warmer the better. Water sparingly during winter but do not allow plant to dry completely.  Alocasia ‘Morocco’ALOCASIA Oglesby Plants International has introduced two cultivars. ‘Morocco’ produces an abundance of glossy dark green leaves with light green veins and burgundy undersides. The leaves sit atop rich pink petioles with delicate streaks of green making an unbeatable combination. ‘Morocco’ is a strong, fast growing cultivar excellent for 6- to 8-inch pots. ‘Ivory Coast’ is a fast growing, well-branched cultivar with an upright or columnar growth habit allowing for better production space utilization. The arrow-shaped leaves are highlighted with light green veins with silver shadowing and overlaid with a touch of silver hue. Contrasting light pink petioles with brownish-green streaks make it a unique and attractive plant. It is ideal for 6- to 8-inch container production in close spacing. ALSTROEMERIA Machu, Maya and Navayo are the latest additions to Fides North America’s Inticanchu series. Plants have a tight growth habit and don’t split open. These heat-tolerant plants produce lots of flowers. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7. ANTHURIUM ‘Red Rocket’ from Oglesby Plants International is graced with beautiful large dark red flowers with a contrasting white spadix held above glossy, dark green foliage. The rich flower color is maintained even during hot summer months with little fading. Plants show good disease resistance under south Florida conditions. It is well-suited for 8- to 10-inch pot production. AZALEAS Emblem is the newest Keepsake azalea from Green Leaf Plants. It produces 3-inch lavender, semi-double flowers. Keepsake potted azaleas deliver consistent florist quality and excellent keeping quality for four to six weeks with proper care. They make ideal indoor or patio potted plants (not hardy outdoors at temperatures below 30ºF). Rozalea Dark Pink from Green Leaf Plants produces 3-inch deep pink, rose-petal-shaped flowers. BEGONIA The Rex begonia Shadow King series from Green Fuse Botanical originates from tissue culture, and varieties have been selected for quick finishing in cooler growing conditions (as low as 55°F night temperatures). Varieties include: Rothko, Green Envy, Moonlight and Strawberry Lime. The Rex begonia performs well indoors, yet crosses over as a spring/summer patio or basket plant to be used in shady areas. Bred by M. Koppe BV, Grace is available from Greenex. Plants produce large, double flowers with red and green petals along with holly-shaped leaves. Plants are good for autumn and Christmas sales. Plants have excellent winter shelf life. CALADIUM Agri-Starts Inc. has released three caladiums: ‘Hot Lips’ (Ma Had Thai), ‘Pink Paisley’ (Khun Ying) and ‘Yellow Blossom’ (Leung Pa Li Chart). These new Thai caladiums are not like traditional caladiums. The foliage colors are incredibly intense. They have extremely thick, waxy leaves with a brilliant shine. They produce very small corms making them ideal for tissue culture propagation. They perform great in well lit interiors and in patio containers. Agri-Starts has released 12 new Thai caladium selections. Plants do best in 5- to 8-inch pots and finish in 13-19 weeks. They reach a final height of 12-18 inches. The prefer shade to partial sun and are hardy to Zones 9-11. Cold hardiness testing is needed.  Calla Lolly PopCALLAGolden State Bulb Growers has added to its selection of Callafornia Callas (Zantedeschia). Ice Dancer is naturally compact producing long lasting 1½- to 2-inch white flowers with a distinct dark eye and glossy deep green leaves. Plants are robust and well branched, but have low growth regulator requirements. Lolly Pop is naturally compact with 1- to 1¾-inch pink bicolor flowers and maculated (spotted) leaves. Individual flowers last two to three weeks. Vigorous and well-branched Natural Bouquet produces an abundance of 2¼- to 4-inch soft yellow flowers above caladium-like maculated green leaves. Pink Cloud produces broad 2¼- to 4-inch recurved pink flowers and is suited to small and large pot production. The plants are full-bodied, well branched and durable. Pink Melody is a robust plant that really stands out with 2¼- to 4-inch pink/rose and white bicolored flowers. The full-bodied plants are well branched and durable. CAMPANULA Campanula portenschlagiana Royal White from Tvillingegaarden A/S can be used as both an indoor and outdoor flowering plant. It produces plenty of large white flowers. Plants have a short production time and long shelf life. Available from Greenex. CELOSIA Intenz is perfect for Easter and Mother’s Day sales, as well as later sales in the fall. It is a great companion crop with asters and garden mums. Versatile in various pot sizes and color bowls, it features a bold rose-purple color. Bred by FLORITEC, it is available exclusively from Ball Seed. CHRYSANTHEMUM Syngenta Flowers, Yoder Mums has added three new Fleurettes. Chantal Hot Red is a bright red daisy that complements the other Fleurettes and expands the color range. Fifi Hot Pink is an intense hot pink daisy. It produces a slight dark dot in the disc when finished cool. Sylvie Improved has clear white flowers and dark green foliage. Syngenta has also added 14 new varieties to its pot mum program. CYCLAMEN Morel Diffusion has introduced both separate colors and mixes. Funflame Magenta is a fancy variety in the Latinia range. Flowers are bicolor with a flame effect displaying a white center with a light magenta hue that becomes intense at the edge of the petals, ending with a thin white rim. It has a very compact habit and is floriferous. Halios Fringed Mix has nine colors with fringed petals. Plants are uniform and compact finishing in 35 weeks from sowing and flower by mid-October. Halios Blush Mix comes in pastel colors (50 percent purple and 50 percent magenta) with silver leaves. The dominant color is white with a light hue. In cold temperatures, the top of the petals color with a beautiful hue. The temperature influences the intensity of the color. The most intense color occurs between 60°F-68°F. Plants have a compact habit. Salmon and improvements Light Rose Evolution and Scarlet Salmon Evolution have been added to the large plant size Halios Essentials. Plants produce big luminous flowers on compact plants with many small leaves. Schoneveld Breeding’s new Super Series Jive starts off with eight colors. These mini-sized, round plants have thick flower stems with central flowering and lots of leaves. Each flower has waved or frilled petals. Syngenta Flowers, Goldsmith Seeds offers the premium standard Friller series that displays true F1 vigor and branching. Plants are decorated with blooms that are abundant and frilly in four new colors and two mixes. Plants are early and uniformity – up to three weeks earlier than other fringed varieties. Syngenta’s miniature F1 Winfall series is offered in seven bright and beautiful new colors. Plants size up under low temperatures, requiring less energy. Ideal for high density production in 2½- to 4½-inch pots, these tightly mounded plants are perfect for fall and winter indoors and out. DIANELLA ForemostCo has introduced two new varieties. ‘Indigo Bells’ produces emerald green weeping foliage and brilliant blue berries year-round. It tolerates hot humid weather as well as frost. ‘Lemon Lime’ is adaptable to low light situations. It can be used as indoor foliage plant and in combinations and patio pots. The plant is salt-, heat- and humidity-tolerant. It is hardy in Zones 8-10. DIANTHUS Dianthus caryophyllus SuperTrouper series from Selecta has a range of colors and uses. It is an excellent perennial or pot carnation. Scarlet Red evol. is a deeper, cleaner red with better branching and a more compact habit to match the series. Fides North America has added Red Allura and Chocolat to its Sunflor series. These true pot carnations can be used for both indoor and outdoor plantings. The double flowers are lightly scented. ECHEVERIA Rancho Tissue Technologies introduces a rare white Echeveria cante, ‘White Cloud.’ This tissue culture-produced selection features frosty white foliage. This evergreen, petite plant reaches about 1 foot tall. It excels indoors or outdoors in pots and prefers full sun. Water sparingly and don’t let water sit on leaves. Hardy in Zones 9-11. GERBERA Tangerine Dark Center from Syngenta, Goldsmith Seeds is the newest addition to the Jaguar series. This early and uniform series produces compact plants suitable for high density 4- to 5-inch pot production. Plants produce three to seven flowers at first flush. New mixes include: Fall Colors, Salsa, Spring Time, Valentine and an Improved Mix. Florist de Kwakel’s Floriline series comes in four sizes, Maxi (4- to 6-inch pots), Midi (4- to 5-inch pots), Mini (3.4- to 4-inch pots) and Micro (2.5- to 3.5-inch pots). These seed-produced plants are quick to flower, compact and available in more than 90 varieties. New colors include: Maxi Eyecatcher Red, Maxi Monet, Midi Dark Fireball and Midi Eyecatcher Purple. GLOXINIA Ball Seed’s Double series features a quick crop time for 5- to 6-inch pots. These plus-size Sinningia speciosa plants make quick multiple turns, finishing in eight to 10 weeks from liners. Their flexible leaves on sturdy plants allow for sleeving and ship easily. Cultivars include: El Grenada, Fuchsia, Orchid, Perfect Purple, Perfect Red, Purple Tigrina, Suspense, Watermelon, White. The plants were bred by Logan Nursery and are available exclusively from Ball Seed.  Hibiscus Cayman Wind HIBISCUSThree additions have been made to the TradeWinds tropical hibiscus series from Green Leaf Plants. Cayman Wind has large 5?-inch lavender-pink flowers with a red throat. The 5- to 5¼-inch flowers of Bonaire Wind are light yellow with a white throat. Tonga Wind has 5½-inch bright red flowers with a slightly darker red throat. The TradeWinds bloom continuously with proper care. The vigorous Wind varieties are ideal for larger pots and in the landscape. Plants are not hardy outdoors at temperatures below 55ºF. HYDRANGEA Hydrangea macrophylla Passion (‘RIE 4’) from PlantHaven has a sturdy upright growth habit and produces soft pink double blooms during summer through fall. For pink flowers treat with superphosphate and maintain a pH of 6.0-6.2 to prevent aluminum uptake. For deep blue flowers treat with aluminum sulfate and maintain a pH of 5.2-5.5. It has deciduous, glossy dark foliage. It is best grown in partial shade and moist soils. Passion can be used as an indoor and outdoor pot plant, as a specimen plant and in landscape plantings. From a 4-inch liner, a 2 gallon container finishes in 12 months. KALANCHOE Breeding company Queen has added new varieties to its various series. Plants are available from Greenex. Paris and Pink Paris have been added to the MoreFlowers series. Paris produces lime-green (white) double flowers and Pink Paris produces pink double flowers. Both are suitable for 2- to 6-inch pot production. Jennifer is the latest addition to the RoseFlowers series. It produces pink and white bicolored double rose-like flowers. Fides North America has added new varieties to its Calandiva double flower and single flower kalanchoe lines. The two Calandiva additions are: Foster, which produces very large umbels of hot pink double flowers and Hawn, which is lighter orange than Rio. Hawn is uniform and easier to grow in smaller pot sizes because of its smaller leaves. Single flower additions include Rumina, which produces sunny yellow flowers, and Rodan, which has bright red flowers. ORCHID Silver Vase introduces the world’s first blue phalaenopsis orchid Blue Mystique. Developed with exclusive patented technology, it produces beautiful blue blooms. Blue Mystique prefers low to medium light and comes in a 5-inch pot. POINSETTIA Dummen USA has released four new poinsettias. Three of the varieties are part of its Special Reds assortment. Bravo Bright Red has bright red bracts and a medium compact growth requiring less growth regulator. It has 7½-week timing and is suitable for all climate conditions. Protégé Dark Red has thick stems and a narrow habit. This 8-week crop has a medium vigorous growth habit. It has 8-week timing and is suitable for all climate conditions. Encore produces intense red bracts and large, late developing cyathia. This 8-week variety has medium growth and performs best under high light conditions. Viking Cinnamon is suitable for mini- and midi-pot production. It is a great color complement to red poinsettias with its appealing apricot sprinkled bracts. Sonora White Glitter Improved from Syngenta Flowers is one week earlier than the original with more uniform flower and a slightly more compact habit. Off types are white rather than marbled. PRIMULA Prima Carmine Rose Improved from Sakata Ornamentals offers a more compact habit with improved uniformity and brighter flower color. Prima is a fragrant, uniform series for the gift and pot plant market. Available in five colors and one mix, this F1 hybrid offers high uniformity and tremendous blooming power. Syngenta Flowers, Goldsmith Seeds has made additions to two of its primula series. The F1 Primula obconica Libre series adds Blue Picotee, Rose Picotee and Salmon Picotee. Plants in this primin-free series have short and sturdy stems that make the large, colorful flowers stand out. Their excellent compact habit makes the plants perfect for premium programs in 4- to 6-inch pots, color bowls and window boxes. Lilac Flame is an addition to Syngenta’s F1 Primula acaulis Orion series. The plants’ compact habit provides growers with a small footprint on the bench and provides retailers a tidy look on the shelf. Flowering is reliable for late winter and early spring sales. The Orion series has a tight flowering window for easy shipping and bench-run sales. SCHEFFLERA Selected as Most Unusual Plant Specimen at the 2011 Tropical Plant Industry Exposition, ‘Amate’ Soleil from Oglesby Plants International is a selection of ‘Amate’ with bright chartreuse foliage that can quickly brighten up any patio or interior space. Soleil maintains all of the great characteristics of the original ‘Amate,’ but presented in a lively new color.  Streptocarpus Lady Slipper PInk Halo;STREPTOCARPUSThe Ladyslipper series from Green Fuse Botanicals originates from tissue culture, providing disease-free plant stock that allows for a quicker finish time compared to leaf divisions. These shade-loving plants are a great houseplant companion to African violets. These plants continue to flower for months indoors under lower light conditions. The series starts with six varieties. COMPANY CONTACT INFO: Agri-Starts Inc., (407) 889-8055; www.agristarts.com Ball Seed Co., (800) 879-2255; www.ballseed.com Dummen USA, (614) 850-9551; www.dummenusa.com Fides North America, (805) 525-7125; www.fidesnorthamerica.com Florist de Kwakel, telephone (31) 297-328228; www.gerbera.com ForemostCo Inc., (800) 421-8986; www.foremostco.com Golden State Bulb Growers, (831) 728-0500; www.goldenstatebulb.com Green Fuse Botanicals, (310) 458-3580; www.green-fuse.com Green Leaf Plants, (800) 321-9573, www.GLPlants.com Greenex, (905) 682-4769; www.greenex.com Morel Diffusion, telephone 011 (33) 494-197304; www.cyclamen.com Oglesby Plants International, (850) 762-3296; www.oglesbytc.com PlantHaven Inc., (805) 569-9179; www.planthaven.com Rancho Tissue Technologies, (858) 756-6785; www.ranchotissue.com Sakata Ornamentals, (408) 778-7758; www.sakataornamentals.com Schoneveld Breeding, telephone 011 (31) 571-271717, www.schoneveld.nl Selecta, (800) 879-2255; www.selectanorthamerica.com Silver Vase, (800) 872-6586; www.silvervase.com Syngenta Flowers, (800) 549-0158; www.syngentaflowersinc.com |
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