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The following All-America Selections winners are available for sale now.
All-America Selections (AAS), the oldest and most established international testing organization in North America, has announced its second round of 2010 AAS Winners. PanAmerican Seed is honored to accept five awards for the following varieties, which are currently available for sale to all distribution channels:
AAS Flower Award Winner
Echinacea purpurea ‘PowWow Wild Berry’
This purple coneflower differs from all others for flower color, branching and plant size. Gardeners will love the deep rose-purple 3 to 4-in. flowers that retain color on the plant longer. Plants were tested across the United States and Canada. This first year-flowering perennial (hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 3) has superior performance including a basal branching habit, resulting in more flowers per plant. Reaching a height of 20 to 24 in. in the full sun garden, this AAS Winner blooms continually without deadheading. 'PowWow Wild Berry' is an intermediate day-length flowering variety with most rapid and uniform flowering at 14 hours, flowering approximately 20 weeks after sowing. Therefore, seed should be sown before the end of January for the most prolific and uniform flowering in the first year. U.S. Utility Patent Applied For.
AAS Flower Award Winner
Gaillardia F1 ‘Mesa Yellow’
‘Mesa Yellow’ is the first hybrid blanket flower with a controlled plant habit and prolific flowering. The 3-in. daisylike flowers and globe shaped seed heads offer a superior presentation of color which continues throughout the summer. Gardeners will be glad to know they can cut the blooms for casual bouquets. The flowers, when left on the plants, will attract butterflies. Judges noted the improved plant habit of ‘Mesa Yellow’ with mature plants reaching 20 to 22 in. in a full sun garden location. The neat, mounded plants are adaptable to smaller space gardens or any type of containers. When planted near the inside edge of the container, they will cascade down the container. They are relatively maintenance free. ‘Mesa Yellow’ plants proved to be wind and rain resistant, meaning the plants recover quickly from severe weather. ‘Mesa Yellow’ blooms two to three weeks earlier than comparisons.
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Cherry’
This interspecific cross between zinnia species results in dependable resistance to leaf spot and mildew diseases. Growers can easily produce ‘Double Zahara Cherry’ flowering plants for spring bedding plants without the fear of plant loss due to these two diseases. Recommended for 4-in. pots or larger, the handsome symmetrical dark green plants produce fully double 2.5-in. blooms. The flowers remain attractive for impulse sales at retail stores. Early to bloom in about 8 - 10 weeks, ‘Double Zahara Cherry’ has fewer inputs and more reliability. Growing in a full-sun garden, this AAS Winner will mature at about 12 in. tall and wide. Heat tolerant in the garden, ‘Double Zahara Cherry’ can be perfectly matched with other sun loving annuals for container plantings.
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
Zinnia ‘Double Zahara Fire’
Large 2.5-in., fully double flowers crown these disease-resistant plants. ‘Double Zahara Fire’ has proven leaf spot and mildew resistance. This is linked to the ease of growing in the greenhouse for spring flowering plants and the length of flowering season. There is less risk of plant loss while growing these zinnias under cool, low light conditions. Gardeners can rely on ‘Double Zahara Fire’ for reliable, season long performance. Plants will continue to bloom from spring to the end of the growing season, with little garden maintenance. Mature plants will be about 14 in. tall and spread 12 in. Similar to all zinnias, this AAS Winner will perform best in full sun and thrive on summer heat.
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
Zinnia ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’
A stunning combination of new and old describes ‘Zahara Starlight Rose.’ Zinnias are old-fashioned flowers but these rose and white flowers are a new bicolor for this sun loving class of annuals. Other new traits are the proven resistances to leaf spot and mildew, which can devastate healthy plants and cause an early death. These superior qualities resulted in long lasting zinnia plants that provide generous color all season. ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ is heat and drought tolerant, easy to grow in gardens. A perfect plant for the novice or experienced gardener because it is so undemanding with a maximum number of blooms. The mature plants are mid-sized, about 12 to 14 in. tall and wide, large enough to make a bold statement in containers or patio urns. Gardeners will be able to grow ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ from seed or plants.
For 75 years, All-America Selections has promoted new garden seed varieties that pass the test of superior garden performance judged in impartial trials throughout North America. Seed for the 2010 AAS Winners is now available from your favorite seed supplier. Plants will be available this spring. Make room for these exciting AAS Winners!
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