Terra Nova Nurseries varieties named top winners at Penn State Flower Trials
Terra Nova Nurseries has announced that three of its varieties received Best of Show awards at the 2023 Penn State Flower Trials, with an additional six plants named Director’s Select and four varieties winning Best of Species awards.
Echinacea Dark Shadows ‘Mystic’ was recognized as Best of Show and Best of Species in its second year of the In-Ground Trials at Penn State. The variety showcases enchanting, bright-shell pink flowers, with petals gradually tuning to antique pink and eyes shifting to a color reminiscent of a red velvet cake.
Sedum ‘Conga Line’ also received both the Best of Show and Best of Species honors. ‘Conga Line’ scored a five-out-of-five rating for its short, compact habit and beautiful peach, coral and cream flowers.
Also named Best of Show was sedum ‘Peach Pearls’. The variety has burgundy leaves, rose gold flowers and excellent growth habit.
“The Terra Nova Nurseries team is very proud of our accomplishments at this year’s Penn State Flower Trials and the recognitions we continue to receive for our best-of-breeding varieties,” said Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development. “Our plants had to endure a dry fall and winter in Pennsylvania during the trials, but their robust traits allowed them to perform extraordinarily well.”
Two varieties were recognized as Director’s Select and Best of Species winners — leucanthemum ‘Lemon Meringue’, which brings a slice of sunshine to any garden or landscape setting with its lemon-yellow centers and crisp white flowers; and pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Frost’, an easy-to-grow perennial featuring gray-green foliage with silver-cream edges.
Four additional varieties were named Director’s Select varieties — coreopsis Nova ‘Jewel’, Kniphofia Poco ‘Citron’, Kniphofia ‘Rocket Jr.’ and Nepeta Nova ‘Blue’.
The Penn State Flower Trials are located at the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Landisville, Pennsylvania. More than 960 varieties were trialed in 2023 from top breeding companies and nurseries across the globe. Learn more at agsci.psu.edu/flower-trials
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