New edible varieties for 2026
With customer interest in edible gardening on the rise, breeders are rolling out several noteworthy new varieties. Here’s a look at what’s coming to retail this year.
Tomato ‘Akoya’
‘Akoya’ is a determinate cherry tomato that gradually ripens from green to black to orange-red when fully ripe. Harvest July through October. Good late blight tolerance.
Ball Seed
Tomato ‘Sugar Basket’
This standout cherry tomato has a mounded, trailing habit ideal for hanging baskets and small-space patio containers. Available in Orange and Red.
Burpee Home Gardens
Blueberry ‘Bountiful Baby’
Covered with dainty blooms in the spring, this blueberry’s small fruits are sweet and plentiful throughout the season. Deep green foliage turns burgundy red in the fall. This compact shrub brings big impact to your garden, no matter the season. Tops out at 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Zones 5 to 9.
Monrovia
Squash ‘Green Lightning’
Early ripening means plenty of harvest — this squash matures from direct sow in 40 to 45 days. Attractive vivid green striping. An All-America Selections winner.
PanAmerican Seed
Italian Striped Eggplant ‘Roxanne’
Roxanne is a garden-to-table favorite featuring creamy delicate flavor and few seeds. Vigorous plants yield abundant 5- to 6-inch fruits.
Renee’s Garden
Cauliflower ‘Amethyst F1’
Gorgeous and early to mature, Amethyst is Sakata’s first purple cauliflower. It showcases large, nicely domed heads of a lovely lavender shade. A good choice for those in the Eastern U.S., it is widely adapted to other growing regions as well, performing in both spring and fall slots. Matures 70 days from transplant.
Sakata
Tea Camellia ‘Brew-Tea-Ful’
Home gardeners can harvest green, black or blossom tea from one plant. This variety can be grown in containers or as an evergreen hedge. It overwinters well indoors where it’s not hardy.
Star Roses and Plants
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