In a livestream yesterday, Fleuroselect announced the Gold Medal winners for 2023. "Each one of these breeding breakthroughs obtained an outstanding score on innovation, beauty and garden performance, convincing our judges to award the coveted Gold Medal. Watch out for these winners." Below the recording of the livestream.
Here follow the winners alongside a short variety description.
Helenium autumnale - HayDay Golden Bicolor
Syngenta Flowers
Make way for HayDay Golden Bicolor, the first Helenium autumnale from cuttings that is genetically suited for pot production. The dense branching results in loads of flowers that attract pollinators and wildlife. The brightly coloured golden-yellow blooms with red undersides flower from summer through autumn until the first frost. Being naturally compact, HayDay Golden Bicolor is not only suited for larger beds and landscaping but also for patio containers and smaller borders.
HayDay Golden Bicolor has a nicely controlled and upright growing habit, making this variety perfect for perennial pot production programmes. Thanks to the very long flowering period, retailers will love the extended sales window of this Helenium. Finally, the consumer will adore the warm golden yellow glow in the garden until the very end of autumn.
HayDay Golden Bicolor, the classic prairie wildflower now also on the patio
Helianthus annuus - Lemon Cutie
SeedSense
Meet Lemon Cutie! This Helianthus annuus has it all. Not only is it a dwarf variety with multiple branches, but you have also never seen such stunning and unusual semi-double, lemon-colored flowers on a sunflower. Lemon Cutie is perfect for urban areas such as small patches along sidewalks, on balconies or in containers and also looks wonderful in larger beds or even in landscaping. It has excellent germination and can be offered in seed packets, sold as plugs or grown in pots.
Growers will love this naturally compact variety which is easy to produce without growth retardants. The well-branched plants with multiple lemon-colored heads will be a showstopper on the benches and consumers will marvel over this non-traditional sunflower with unique plant habit and flower shape. Lemon Cutie might be just a small plant, but the many flowers will bring a big smile to your face!
Lemon Cutie, fresh and adorable
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii - Goldblitz
PanAmerican Seed
PanAmerican Seed are true breeding experts, and their next Gold Medal for Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii Goldblitz proves just that. This newcomer in the Kieft Brand is a first-year-flowering solution for growers that are unable to reliably finish Rudbeckia fulgida Goldsturm under their natural growing conditions. Goldblitz plugs do not require special treatment during the production process while delivering the same quality as the traditional Goldsturm. This brand-new Rudbeckia fulgida flowers approximately 14-21 days earlier, is more uniform grown in its first year and has an excellent garden performance.
Goldblitz will not only look at its best in containers or borders later in the season but is also highly suitable for landscaping. The golden yellow flowers with dark centre attract bees and butterflies, and also look wonderful in a vase to brighten up the house. Goldblitz allows the production of a flowering Rudbeckia fulgida in one season and remains an excellent performer that will bring joy to many gardens.
Goldblitz, the next generation in Rudbeckia fulgida.
Verbena bonariensis - Vanity
Van Hemert & Co.
Always thought Verbena bonariensis was too tall for your garden? Not anymore! Van Hemert & Co proudly presents the latest Gold Medal winner Vanity. Thanks to its shorter stems, this Verbena bonariensis is clearly compacter than existing varieties. The tight flower clusters have a more intense purple-blue color and bloom from mid-summer until autumn frost. Vanity offers a long flowering season, attracts bees and butterflies and spreads a subtle fragrance in the early morning and evening.
With its compact growing habit and deep flower color, Vanity is a welcome addition to the market. This variety is suitable for pot plant production and does not require pinching or the use of PGR. Retailers can offer a continuously flowering Verbena bonariensis in a pot on the bench. Consumers will love to plant these trendy, well-branched garden performers in lower borders or even in mixed containers on the patio.
Vanity, a purple breeze for smaller green spaces.
For more information 
Fleuroselect
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