Where
to find
FloraStar:
Trial Locations
Trade Shows
GMPRO articles:
Jan 99
Nov 04
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The FloraStar Awards Program was developed from conversations at the
Education and Research Committee meetings held at a BPI Conference
during the 1980's.
Industry leaders who saw a need for
testing and recognition of new plants including both seed and
vegetatively propagated species founded FloraStar in 1988 under the
umbrella of the Professional Plant Growers Association.
The grower members of BPI believed that there was a need for a
trialing program for containerized plant material. FloraStar has
been a separate corporation since its inception, and in 2000 FloraStar
became a Directorship.
The purpose of FloraStar is to use independent trialing locations and
judges to evaluate new varieties that were to be sold as containerized
plants in the United States. To do that, 20 trialing locations
distributed geographically around the United States were established
to give a representational sample of growing conditions found in the
U.S. These trialing locations consist of commercial growers, industry
suppliers and universities. Entries are solicited from both North
American and international breeders.
In order for a new variety to receive the prestigious FloraStar Award,
it must pass a rigorous trialing period in which the judges evaluate
it. FloraStar only gives awards to varieties that are truly
outstanding. As a result, growers know that these varieties are ones
that they want to include in their product offering. Garden writers
throughout the United States write about these new varieties in their
newspaper columns and talk about them on their radio programs.
FloraStar award winners also receive trade magazine press for broad
exposure to the American greenhouse production community and to plant
and flower retailers.
Commercial growers respect this independent seal of approval. Consumers at the retail level easily recognize the FloraStar logo,
which appears on the plant tags of winning varieties as a sign of
superior plants.
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