Check out what we saw at MANTS 2025

As of Thursday night, 10,350 attendees flooded through the Baltimore Convention Center doors, excited to see what the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) had to offer. The GIE Media Horticulture Group staff walked the trade show floors to be your eyes and ears.

Here are a few things that caught our attention at MANTS 2025.

A new boxwood selection from Littleplants

Photos © GIE Media Horticulture Group

Norman Cole III, president of Cole Nurseries and co-founder of Littleplants LLC, introduced a new selection of boxwood called ‘Little Mister.’ It features the same blight resistance as ‘Little Missy’ at a larger size and faster finish time. Cole sees it as a ‘Green Velvet’ replacement, a popular boxwood cultivar that has been plagued by leaf miner and blight problems.

Cole propagated 400,000 Little Misters in 2024 and has sent cuttings to growers this year. He’s expecting the plant to hit the market in 2026.

25 years of Knock Out Roses

Will Radier

Star Roses and Plants gathered to celebrate 25 years of Knock Out Roses. Mr. Knock Out himself, Will Radier, received an award and letter from AmericanHort for his outstanding breeding and contribution to the horticulture industry.

Also recognized at the gathering were this year’s Legacy Award recipients: Dewar Nurseries, Flowerwood Nursery and Greenleaf Nursery Company. Star Roses and Plants honored these growers for their exceptional contribution to the growth and success of The Knock Out Family of Roses.

A new Encore Azalea

Kip McConnell

Kip McConnell, business development director with Plant Development Services, Inc. (PDSI), is excited to introduce Encore Azalea Autumn Kiss. McConnell explains that it grows similar to other Encore Azaleas, so growers who already grow this series will know how to grow Autumn Kiss and can add it to their operation easily.

“Autumn Kiss grows in between Autumn Bonfire and Autumn Fire,” he says. “Bonfire is a faster grower. Fire is a little bit slower but more compact, so this one is in between, which is the best of both, I think.”

This newest addition to the Encore collection features semi-double blooms with deep pink edges that fade into a soft pastel pink, almost white, toward the center. This heavy bloomer reblooms in spring, summer and fall. Autumn Kiss thrives in full sun and is hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 10, reaching 3 to 4 feet high and wide when mature.

Autumn Kiss liners are available to wholesale growers now and will hit independent garden centers in 2026.

A new line of Phytophthora-resistant hardy rhododendrons

Also at MANTS, Briggs Nursery introduced a new line of Phytophthora-resistant hardy rhododendrons. The five cultivars all maintain a compact habit, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, and are hardy to Zone 5.

According to Bill Moyer, Briggs Nursery’s sales manager, the program’s goal was to develop a series of rhododendron that was resistant to the soil pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.

The selection and trial process took place at Ohio’s Holden Arboretum, which is why all five colors bear the Holden name: Holden’s Fuchsia, Holden’s Pink Flare, Holden’s Peach, Holden’s Red and Holden’s Pink.

New sustainable packaging for American Beauties Native Plants

Jack Sellew

Jack Sellew, co-owner of Prides Corner Farms, shared the new sustainable packaging for the American Beauties Native Plants line. The Eco Container is a paper-based product that is easily recyclable anywhere cardboard milk cartons are accepted. Sellew said the Eco Container also creates a healthier, highly branched system.