FlowerTrials is all about showing new, improved, existing and potential varieties to primarily growers, but also the rest of the chain. There are tons of different plants on display, and when visiting the different breeders, some general trends - besides new colors/patterns, disease, and heat/cold tolerant varieties- can be noticed. In this article, we will describe some we have come across so far. Today, the FlowerTrials is on its 3rd day, and on Friday, the last day, the locations will close their doors at 3 pm.
Pollinator friendly
Varieties that are attracting pollinators and bees are still increasing in popularity. Last year BeesKnees from Florensis won the FleuroSelect award, and this year, there were several on display again, like the BeeZee of Hishtil and the Summer Bees of Dümmen Orange (picture on the right).
Part of the team of Hishtil in front of BeeZee, an English lavender series. It is hardy and part of Hishtil's Durabello range.
Shorter cultivation time
Also, plants with a shorter cultivation time are increasing in demand, particularly as energy prices have gone up. And growing a crop in the greenhouse for a shorter time does not only mean less energy but also the opportunity to grow another or more crops during the same period, generating extra sales.
Less PGR's required
Compact varieties are also hot. Varieties that are compact naturally do not need plant growth regulators (PGR's), meaning a reduction in costs. And not only cultivation costs but also transportation costs as more plants will fit on the trolley.
Multi purpose
Also, more and more 'multi-purpose' plants were on display. Hishtil's Double Marvel ornamental herbs is a good example as it contains herbs that are flowering, so consumers can enjoy them in multiple ways. Also, at Danziger, their Garden to Vase program and Jaldety's varieties for indoor and outdoor use fit this trend very well.
Ortal Zemach of Danziger with their Garden to Vase program.
Decorative leaves/foliage
And for several years, we have seen increasingly more plants with decorative leaves entering the market. Coleus, for example, is a variety that has been on the market for many years and has seen a surge in demand over the year. Also, for flowering plants, the leaves have become a more important feature as, in this way, consumers can enjoy the plants for a longer period, so even when they stop flowering. For example, the Lavender of Graff, which has silver foliage.
Dennis Foldbjerg Gadeberg of Graff Breeding, the breeder of this Lavender with silver foliage, which is new in Graff's Qdula series.
Combinations
The demand for combinations of different varieties in a pot has grown as well. More and more breeders are therefore busy with finding varieties that work together in one pot, this can be varieties from the same series, like the Platycodon grandiflorus F1 Pop Star of Benary, but also three completely different varieties which PanAmerican Seed presented at their location. Together with the growers, they are looking for the right, most appealing, and best to cultivate varieties.
Fulco Spithoven of Benary presents Platycodon grandiflorus F1 Pop Star in a mix of three colors; blue, white, and pink.
Concepts
And still, we see a lot of concepts being presented. Over the years, these concepts have proven to be successful and can give a real push to the popularity and sales of plants. A good example is Pink Kisses of Selecta one.
Sollinea is a new series of pot plants with spoon-shaped flowers and is available in many colors. This new series is a new concept that aims to attract the young generation (genZ).
Many Salvia highlights
In addition, we also see a lot of salvia's highlighted in the presentations, like Salvia Carina of Vitrofloa, for example. Is that because of FleuroSelect announced 2023, Year of the Salvia & Sage?
Salvia Carina of Vitroflora.
More trends and highlights in our photo report!
These are just some trends that we noticed in the first days of visiting the Trials. Today and tomorrow, the doors of the FlowerTrials locations are still open, and our FloralDaily and Bpnieuws teams will visit the locations documenting the many highlights and trends.
Stay tuned for more in our full photo report that we will publish on Monday, June 19!