The 2022 Colorado State University “Top Performers"

Drawing thousands of visitors each year, Colorado State University provides the industry with a top-notch trial site and valuable feedback on top-performing varieties of annuals, perennials, roses, and woody plants. At its Perennial Trial Garden, plants go through a thorough trial encompassing three summers and two winters to test how new varieties perform in the Rocky Mountain climate. To become a true CSU Top Performer, perennials must have great survival over the two winters of the trial as well as score excellent throughout each of the three summers — no easy feat, writes Sarah Greenwood, Global Product Development Manager at Darwin Perennials. 

For those of you following along over the years, you might know that Darwin Perennials has been an active participant in these trials and has had many varieties get this outstanding distinction, including;

• Salvia ‘Blue by You’
  
• Sedum Prima Angelina
  
• Phlox Ka-Pow® series (the initial colors)
  
• Veronica Moody Blues® Mauve
  
• Eupatorium Euphoria™ Ruby
  
• Perovskia ‘CrazyBlue’

This year we are excited to announce that Armeria Dreameria Dream Clouds and Phlox Ka-Pow White have joined this stellar lineup as CSU Top Performers for 2022

Armeria Dreameria Dream Clouds
The beautiful, crisp white flowers of Dream Clouds are a welcome addition to the range of flower colors in the Armeria Dreameria series. The high flower count and pushing new flowers into the summer set the Dreameria series apart. For young plant producers, look to our Genesis callused cutting program to cut down on propagation time and increase your success. For finished growers, while this series is first-year flowering, the product really shines as a bulked, overwintered plant to get the highest flower count for maximum retail appeal. An excellent choice for that early Spring sales window.

From the official CSU announcement: “Heavy first flush of pure white flowers gives a crisp, impressive appearance with plenty of “Wow!” from visitors. The pom-pom flowers give a unique appearance and form for the garden. Growth habit is very uniform, and the tidy, dark green foliage is attractive even without flowers.”

Phlox Ka-Pow White
Not surprisingly, Ka-Pow White, which was a later color addition to the original launch of the Phlox Ka-Pow series, has joined the other colors as a CSU Top Performer. The Ka-Pow series was selected for increased branching, high flower count, wide bloom window, and powdery mildew resistance. Phlox Ka-Pow White was no exception and rounds out the color range quite nicely.

From the official CSU announcement: “The season of bloom was noted for being exceptionally long as it flowered early and stayed attractive for a long time. Plants were compact, uniform, sturdy, and maintained excellent habit despite overhead watering. Branching was very good, which created an abundance of crisp, white flowers that were very showy. The foliage was very attractive and never had any powdery mildew.”