Note: Information for this trials report is provided by Chad Miller, Associate Professor and Trial Gardens Director at Colorado State University.
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The 2024 growing season was more normal this summer compared to last summer. There were lots of great plants in the trials this summer. The Trial Garden Advisory Committee met on Sept. 13, 2024, to review the evaluations from the Annual Evaluation Day, which was held on Aug. 6. There were an estimated 275 attendees for the field day. Thanks to all those who attended and to our Trial Garden Advisory Board, and to the 2024 summer trial garden employees for another successful year.
The primary winners from the 2024 Annual Flower Trials are listed below, along with descriptions of the winning entries.
The final 2024 season report will be published in the coming weeks. It will be available on our website, along with other information about the trials, at flowertrials.colostate.edu.
Best of Show: Dahlia ‘City Lights Purple’ (Selecta One)
Dahlias are still quite popular with the visitors, A multi-year winner, it is that good, Bred for performance in heat, ‘City Lights Purple’ lives up to expectations. This award winner flowered through the summer, with rich, deep mulberry-purple flowers with a deep, nearly black center, that are accentuated by the dark green-black foliage, that holds up well in the full sun all season. The bees and other pollinators also loved this plant.
Best New Variety (Grown in Ground): Dahlia ‘Karma Caroline’ (Syngenta Flowers)
A great dahlia for the garden. The clean peachy pink, 3 to 4-inch flowers have strong, sturdy stems on 3-foot plants that are great as a cut flower. The colors are most intense in cooler temperatures, but even in the warm doldrums of the summer, the colors were still stunning. The nice dark-green foliage provided a great back drop to the abundance of flowers. Definitely a multi-purpose dahlia to consider for the landscape.
Best New Variety (Grown in Container): Coleus ‘TerraScape Queen’ (Kientzler)
Talk about dramatic and eye-catching. This vigorous coleus can make a statement in the garden. The deep-red maroon leaves with a blaze reddish-pink center, and lime-green shark-toothed edges are eye catching, and the colors hold up well in full sun. The plants are sturdy and strong and work well in containers.
Best Novelty: Dianthus ‘Jolt Pink Magic’ (PanAmerican Seed)
A great performing plant, this is a dianthus that flowered consistently and profusely through the summer in Colorado. The bright-pink flowers with a magenta ring danced above the clean, dark-green foliage. Definitely heat tolerant and one that you should consider for a jolt of color in the summer landscape.
Other Outstanding Varieties
Anigozanthos ‘Kanga Cherry’ (Green Fuse Botanicals)
This plant caught the eye of garden visitors this summer. This unique Australian native with velvet like flowers, was eye-catching and provided a rich cherry-red color for weeks on end. The iris-like foliage was attractive, complimenting and filling out the large container. Anigozanthos is definitely one to look for and consider for the landscape.
Echeveria gibbiflora ‘Coral Reef Dark Chocolate’ (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Succulents have been popular for some time. And this Echeveria performed well. They plants filled out the container nicely. The aptly named plant provided great visual texture. This certainly is a great selection for containers on the patio.
Ageratum hybrid ‘Monarch Magic’ (Ball FloraPlant)
This ageratum performed well in both containers and in the landscape. Unlike old-school ageratum, this one is better suited for full sun. It keeps flowering all season and is a sure fire stop for pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
Helianthus ‘Sunfinity Double Yellow’ (Syngenta Flowers)
The epitome of flower power, this vigorous double flowered sunflower boasts rich, 2 to 3-inch yellow flowers all summer and into the fall. This selection is well branching, so just a plant or two can fill a good amount of space in the landscape. If you’re putting it in a container on the patio, make sure to give it a big enough pot. It is also resistant to powdery mildew, which we see all too often with sunflowers.
Celosia Bright Sparks Series (Syngenta Flowers)
Long lasting, bright colors of deep red, orange, bright yellow, and intense pink can be expected with this series of celosia. The wispy flower heads provide great color all summer, with little fading. Great branching, sturdy stemmed plants that attract pollinators and love the heat of the Colorado summer.
Agastache mexicana ‘Summerlong Lemon’ (Darwin Perennials)
One of several in the Summerlong series, Lemon was a standout in the landscape this summer. This tender perennial started flowering in the greenhouse…and didn’t stop all summer. And it is still going. It brings a nice bright spot of color, with lots of pollinator and hummingbird activity and some fragrance. One will certainly would get their money’s worth with this plant in the garden.
Begonia Hula (PanAmerican Seed)
These interspecifc begonias are quick to fill out in the landscape and in containers. These waxleaf begonia type have a nice trailing and spreading habit that grew to about 12 inches in the trials and provide lots of flower power. They are versatile, working well as massing plants in the border, for use in containers and in hanging baskets in both sun and shade locations.
Find more 2024 field trials information here.
