Madonna Rewarded With Gold
Denise van Kampen former EU marketing associate
The next icon in Shasta Daisy. That’s how Fleuroselect members described PanAmerican Seed's Leucanthemum Madonna. The new introduction was recently awarded a Fleuroselect Gold Medal and part of Fleuroslect’s Golden Trio 2020.
A gold medal winner is a new variety that clearly surpass existing varieties in terms of breeding innovation and beauty. Every year, Fleuroselect members send new products that will participate in trials. These trials are reviewed by the judges and Entries & Evaluation Committee, who are all professionals active in the seed industry.
Leucanthemum Madonna’s performance was outstanding in the trials. Fleuroselect described Madonna as a wonderful looking flower that is great for not only pots and containers but also in beds or landscaping. The excellent uniformity in height and habit results in better branched and bulked plants.
As a new introduction, Madonna offers better uniformity in height and habit compared to the competition. This compact, first-year-flowering F1 shasta is an alternative to vegetative varieties and does not require vernalization. As a seed variety, it has no risk of bacterial infection. This variety offers a reduced percentage of “too small” plants compared to standard seed varieties.
Leucanthemum Madonna is one of PanAmerican Seed’s early intros. That means Madonna is already available as of Oct. 1, 2018. Other early introductions are French Marigold Flamenco, Verbena Quartz XP Bordeaux, Pansy Cool Wave® Raspberry Swirl and Strawberry Swirl, Lavandula Bandera Deep Purple and Deep Rose, Matthiola Mathilda Lavender, and the new Campanula Campanella series.
Product Manager Cor de Jong has this to say about the Introduction: "Leucanthemum is an important genus in perennials. With Madonna, professional growers have another choice for F1 Leucanthemum from seed. After successful trialing, we are sure that Madonna will deliver an excellent performance. I’m glad that this is supported by the FS Gold Medal."
