2020 Shrub Madness Winner Crowned
Proven Winners ColorChoice has crowned Oso Easy Italian Ice rose as the 2020 Shrub Madness winner.
Based on the NCAA basketball playoffs, the contest is populated with a wide variety of Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs, which compete throughout the month of March for the chance to be crowned National Champion.
Beginning with a field of 64 contenders, the competition narrows to the Floral Four, then the final two after multiple rounds of voting.
This year’s Floral Four included:
- Scentara Pura Lilac
- Double Take Scarlet flowering quince
- Suñorita rose
- Oso Easy Italian Ice rose.
The last round of voting found Oso Easy Italian Ice rose with a firm lead over challenger Double Take Scarlet flowering quince, but the quince soldiered on and steadily gained traction.
In the final hours of competition it looked like the quince might make up lost ground, but the robust rose pulled ahead and soundly defeated the quintessential quince, and was crowned the 2020 Shrub Madness National Champion.
Oso Easy Italian Ice rose looks and performs like the champion it is. Its orange buds open to soft yellow flowers that melt into pink blushed margins, which are set off nicely by dark green, glossy foliage. Flowers are semi-doubled, with 24-30 petals per bloom. Self-cleaning, excellent disease-resistance, abundant flowers and a nice habit make it an outstanding player in landscapes and home gardens.
“Shrub Madness is the perfect vehicle to find out first-hand which shrubs are most interesting to gardeners this year,” said Spring Meadow PR specialist Natalie Carmolli, “We hope that during this difficult time, the competition gave people a chance to unwind and make plans for a season of renewal, which is what gardening is all about.”
When asked if the contest continues to gain traction, creative marketing specialist Shannon Downey said, “This has been a fantastic year for Shrub Madness. We set a new record with 7,159 people casting 384,535 votes; nearly 100,000 more than last year.” She continued, “Feedback shows these wildly engaged gardeners are inspired by the shrubs they saw, and our hope is they will contact their local garden centers to arrange for delivery or pick up of their favorite varieties. These independent businesses need everyone’s support now more than ever.”
For more information about Shrub Madness or to obtain a winners list, visit www.shrubmadness.com.
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