A North American, grower judged,
new variety evaluation for container plants.

A North American, grower judged, new variety evaluation for container plants.

The FloraStar FloraStar New Variety Trial is FloraStar's original program, begun in 1989. The FloraStar New Variety Trial is conducted by professional growers and universities with well-known floriculture departments. To be declared a winner, the new plant must offer improved performance and value to the commercial grower and the consumer. This extensive program evaluates blooming plants and decorative foliage for interior use, plus plants for outdoor use in planters, window boxes, or hanging baskets. Plants submitted may be propagated by cutting, seed, corm, bulb or tuber. Each trial is limited to 20 entries that are new and never before offered for commercial sale in North America. Two trials are held each year, one in Fall/winter and one in Spring/summer.

Every entry is paired with a commercially available comparison and to be declared a winner, the entry must exhibit improved characteristics. Entries are judged on: Plant habit and form, flower color and form, foliage, genetic uniformity, ease of culture, fragrance, earliness, disease resistance, holding ability, shipping ability, longevity, ease of care in home or office, and overall impression. Judges located at each trialing location score the entries through the production cycle based on these criteria.

Since its inception, 45 varieties have won FloraStar FloraStar awards. Growers selecting varieties that have won a FloraStar FloraStar award can be assured that the variety has proven itself an outstanding performer and good consumer value.