All-America Selections announced nine new AAS Winners for the 2019 gardening season. Each of the following new AAS Winners was trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grew them next to comparisons that are considered best-in-class. Only the top performing varieties earn the AAS Winner designation.
Previously announced AAS Winners for 2019, Watermelon Cal Sweet Bush and Melon Orange SilverWave F1, are on the AAS website.
Retailers and consumers will find these AAS Winners for sale as supply becomes available through the distribution chain. Garden communicators are free to begin writing about these varieties now to build demand for 2019 and future years.
Each AAS Winner is marketed through an extensive social media and public relations campaign, as well as traditional media and industry trade shows. AAS Winners are proudly grown in AAS Display Gardens across North America.
- A list of AAS trial judges are listed here.
- AAS Display gardens can be found here.
- Retailers can request an All-America Selections POP package from the AAS office.
- PowerPoint presentations are available on SlideShare or on the AAS website.
- Bench cards and variety markers can be downloaded from the AAS website.
Begonia Viking XL Red on Chocolate F1
AAS Ornamental Seed Winner
National Winner
A brand new begonia with large, uniquely colored dark leaves has arrived! Judges were impressed with how the deep bronze/brown color remained sharp and intense throughout the season, no matter where they were located; north, south, east or west. The color tones shine through to give a stunning garden appearance. Covered with vibrant red flowers, the compact plant retains its shape well and does not become rangy. “Given the options, I would choose this variety for my landscape beds.” states a judge who plans beds for a public garden. “This year's weather seemed unusually conducive to disease on large-leaf begonias but none of these plants were affected” states another judge. These extra-large (XL) mounded plants are perfect in both landscapes and containers.
Bred by Sakata Seed Corporation
sakataornamentals.com
Marigold Big Duck Gold F1
AAS Ornamental Seed Winner
National Winner
Quack! There’s a new marigold in the pond! Big Duck Gold sports very large golden-yellow flowers that continue blooming throughout the season, much longer than the comparisons. These marigolds begin the season putting energy into establishing a solid, healthy plant with clean, deep-green foliage. Then, when it starts blooming, watch out! Full, “plump” blooms top the 15” plants (which are slightly taller than the more compact comparison varieties) and continue blooming through the end of the season. You’ll want to use these marigolds everywhere: in beds and containers; in landscapes as mini hedges, back of the border plants, or even as a filler in new perennial beds.
Bred by Ameriseed
ameriseed.net/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Tagetes erecta
Common name: Marigold
Flower color: Gold
Foliage color: Dark green
Flower size: 3 inches
Bloom time: Summer
Plant height: Compact 11-15 inches
Plant habit: Bushy
Plant type: Annual
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 16-18 inches
Weather tolerance: Rain, heat
Closest comparisons on market: Taishan Gold, Antigua Gold, Dune Gold
Nasturtium Baby Rose F1
AAS Ornamental Seed Winner
Regional Winner – Northeast, Heartland, Mountain/Southwest
Growers will find this variety to be an excellent addition to their potted plant programs.
Bred by Takii Europe BV
takii.eu/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Tropaeolum minus
Common name: Nasturtium
Flower color: Rose
Foliage color: Dark green
Flower size: 2 inches
Bloom time: Summer to frost
Plant height: 12 inches
Plant type: Annual
Garden location: Full sun to partial sun
Garden spacing: 20 inches
Weather tolerance: Rain, heat, cold, drought, wind
Closest comparisons on market: Cherry Rose, Princess of India, Tip-Top Formula Mix
Pepper Just Sweet F1
AAS 2018 Edible Winner
National Winner
Just Sweet is a unique snacking pepper with four lobes like a larger bell pepper, only smaller. Not only are the 3 inch fruits deliciously sweet with nice thick walls but the plants are vigorous growers (up to 36 inches tall and 15 inches wide) that don't need to be staked because they've been bred to have a strong bushy habit. Many judges conduct consumer taste tests and reported back that this pepper won those tests, hands down. The Just Sweet peppers are exceptionally bright, shiny and a vivid yellow color with a flavor described as sweet with aromatic accents. Great lunchbox item for kids!
Bred by Seminis Home Garden
seminis-us.com
AAS Winner DataGenus species: Capsicum annuum
Common name: Pepper
Fruit size: 3 inches long x 1 inch wide
Fruit shape: Elongated bell
Fruit flavor: Sweet and tart with aromatic accents
Fruit color: Yellow/orange
Plant type: Annual
Plant height: 3 feet
Plant habit: Upright
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 12 inches
Length of time to harvest: 65-75 days from transplant, 110-120 days from sowing seed
Closest comparisons on market: Yellow Sparkler, Cornito Giallo, Yummy
Petunia Wave Carmine Velour F1
AAS Ornamental Seed Winner
National Winner
Bred by PanAmerican Seed
panamseed.com/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Petunia x hybrida
Common name: Petunia
Flower color: Unique velvety carmine
Foliage color: Green
Flower size: 2 to 2.5 inches
Bloom color: Carmine rose
Bloom time: Summer to frost
Plant height: Only 6-8 inches tall but plants will spread like a ground cover 3-4 feet across
Plant habit: Spreading, trailing
Plant type: Annual
Garden location: Full sun to partial sun
Garden spacing: 12 to 24 inches
Weather tolerance: Rain, wind
Closest comparisons on market: Wave® Purple Classic and Ramblin’ Burgundy Chrome
Tomato Chef’s Choice Black F1
AAS 2018 Edible Winner
Regional Winner – Southeast, Mountain/Southwest and West/Northwest
And now there are six! This variety is the sixth color variation in the popular Chef’s Choice tomato series. Chef’s Choice Black is a beefsteak type tomato with a dark green/brown/black hue. AAS Judges reported vigorous, healthy plants with clean and uniform fruits that were early to set and had a meaty interior with great flavor. This hybrid boasts a prolific yield of 8-ounce fruits grown on strong, 5-foot indeterminate vines. You’ll harvest 30 or more blemish-free fruits throughout the season from this disease-resistant plant with dark green leaves and well-behaved form. Grow the whole Chef’s Choice series for a beautiful and unusually colorful tomato salad!
Bred by Seeds By Design Inc.
seedsbydesign.com/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
Common name: Tomato
Fruit taste: Full sweet flavor with touch of saltiness
Fruit size: 5-6 inches, 8-10 ounces
Fruit shape: Flattened globe
Fruit color: Black/Dark Red
Plant height: 5+ feet
Plant width/spread: 24+ inches
Plant habit: Indeterminate – requires staking
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 12-16 inches
Number of fruits: 30 plus
Length of time to harvest: 75 days from transplant, 95 days from seed
Closest comparisons on market: Black Krim, Early Choice Black F1
Disease resistance: TMV, Crack, F, V
Tomato Fire Fly F1
AAS 2019 Edible Winner
National Winner
Similar to the Goldilocks story, this adorable newcomer is not as small as a currant tomato and not as large as a cherry tomato, but is a “just right” in-between size. The fruits produced are super sweet pale white to pale yellow round fruits less than 1 inch in size and weigh about 1/2 oz. Delicate, translucent skins offer a mild acid flavor that enhances the sweet taste. They’re small juicy fruits exploding with flavor, perfect for snacking and in salads. Indeterminate plants must be staked or caged as they grow upward to 5-6 feet and have good disease resistance.
Bred by Seeds By Design Inc.
seedsbydesign.com/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
Common name: Tomato
Fruit size: ¾-1 inch round fruits, weigh about ¾ to 1 oz.
Yield: 500+ fruits per plant
Color: White to pale yellow
Plant height: 5-6+ feet
Plant spread: 2 feet
Plant habit: Upright, requires staking
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 12-16 inches
Length of time to harvest: 80 days from transplant, 100 days from direct sow
Disease resistance: TMV, Crack, F, V
Closest comparisons on market: Coyote and Snow White
Tomato Red Torch F1
AAS 2019 Edible Winner
National Winner
Red Torch is a striped oblong tomato with 1.5” long fruits that weigh about 1.5 ounces. This hybrid is a very prolific early season producer. The combination of excellent flavor, great texture and high yields make this hybrid better than other varieties in the trendy niche market of striped tomatoes. Plants have been bred with excellent tolerance to environmental stresses like heat and harsh growing conditions. Fruits are borne on indeterminate vines that grow 5-6’ tall and ripen 60-70 days from transplanting. Judges were pleased with both the earliness and yield of this variety in addition to the unique skin coloration.
Bred by A. P. Whaley Seed
awhaley.com/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
Common name: Tomato
Fruit size: 1.5 inch oblong fruits, weigh about 1.5 oz.
Color: Red striped with yellow
Plant height: 5-6 feet
Plant spread: 2 feet
Plant habit: Upright, requires staking
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 2 feet
Length of time to harvest: 60-70 days from transplant
Disease resistance: Excellent tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses
Closest comparisons on market: Pink Tiger and Maglia Rosa
Tomato Sparky XSL F1
AAS 2019 Edible Winner
Regional Winner – (Heartland)
Sparky is one of the few X-tended Shelf Life (XSL) cherry tomatoes available to home gardeners. Sparky brags about being early to mature, prolific and very flavorful. Fruits are well suited for market growers and produce a large amount of usable fruits per plant. You’ll enjoy gardening with these plants that have excellent tolerance to environmental stresses like heat and harsh growing conditions. Very sweet fruits have an average Brix score of 8.5. Round fruits weigh 1 ounce and are 1inch in diameter. Indeterminate 5-6’ plants produce fruits 60-70 days from transplant.
Bred by A. P. Whaley Seed awhaley.com/
AAS Winner Data
Genus species: Solanum lycopersicum
Common name: Tomato
Fruit size: 1 inch round fruits, weigh about 1 oz.
Color: Red striped with yellow
Plant height: 5-6 feet
Plant spread: 2 feet
Plant habit: Upright, requires staking
Garden location: Full sun
Garden spacing: 2 feet
Length of time to harvest: 90-100 days from direct sow, 60-70 days from transplant
Disease resistance: Excellent tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses
Closest comparisons on market: Red Zebra, Pink Bumble Bee and Chocolate Sprinkles
Latest from Greenhouse Management
- American Floral Endowment launches $2.5 million fundraising campaign for Sustainabloom
- FMC, Envu complete sale of FMC’s Global Specialty Solutions business
- Sensocon releases long distance, long life wireless sensor package
- Registration for International Plant Trialing Conference now open
- USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small visits Dramm Corp.
- 2025 Farwest Show seeking speakers
- Firefly Petunia from Light Bio named on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024 list, cover
- De Vroomen Garden Products announces new agapanthus variety
