New Award Winning Plants - Marion County
Award Winning Plants for 2005
By Steve Mayer
Extension Educator-Horticulture
Purdue Extension-Marion County
One of the advantages of growing annual flowers and vegetables is the opportunity to try something new each year. New plants worthy of consideration include those designated All-America Selections.
The All-America Selections (AAS) tests plants across America and gives awards for new plants with superior qualities. Consider the six 2005 AAS award winners as you plan your garden this winter.
First Kiss Blueberry vinca (Catharanthus rosea) is the first vinca with violet blue flowers. The large 2-inch single blooms have a darker eye that accentuates the violet blue color.
It is easy to grow from transplants and has proven heat and drought tolerance. Plants will grow 11-12 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
All vincas need well drained soil and prefer full sun. Grow in flower beds and borders or in patio containers and combination planters.
Arizona Sun blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata) has three-inch single flowers that are mahogany red with bright yellow petal edges, similar to the Arizona desert sun. The spent blooms grow into attractive tufts of seed.
Although considered a perennial, Arizona Sun won the award based on its first summer performance. Plants produced flowers continuously from June through August. It may not be fully hardy since AAS says overwintering depends on the severity of the winter.
The uniform plants grow 8-10 inches tall and 10-12 inches wide. Use this flower in sunny borders with well-drained soil or in containers. The flowers can attract butterflies and can be used as cut flowers.
Magellan Coral zinnia (Zinnia elegans F1 hybrid) has radiant, fully double, dahlia-flowered blooms that are 5 to 6 inches across with brilliant coral petals. It is described as having superior flower quality and color compared to other zinnias.
The plants flower continuously and the old spent blooms are covered with new foliage growth so the plant always looks fresh. Earliness to bloom is another exceptional trait. It takes only 6 to 9 weeks from sowing seed to first bloom.
The uniform plant growth of Magellan Coral may reach a height of 15-17 inches and spread 15-19 inches. Like all zinnias, grow in full sun. AAS indicates this plant needs little garden maintenance and is adaptable to container culture.
Fairy Tale eggplant (Solanum melongena F1 hybrid) is the first eggplant to win an AAS award since 1939. It develops decorative, edible miniature eggplants on a petite plant. They are recommended for marinating and grilling whole.
The eggplants are white with violet/purple stripes. The fruit are described as sweet and non-bitter with a tender skin and few seeds.
Fairy Tale has a large harvest window. The elongated oval eggplants can be picked when quite small at 1 to 2 ounces or left on the plant until they reach 5 ounces with good flavor and tenderness.
Harvest can begin in 49-51 days from transplanting. The plant grows 2.5 feet tall and wide so it is a good candidate for container gardening. Grow in full sun.
Sugary tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum F1 hybrid) was named because of the sweet tomato flavor. The half-ounce reddish-pink fruit has sugar content higher than most others (9.5 percent).
The fruit is produced in clusters like grapes and can be eaten like them. Sugary tomatoes have a distinct shape: oval with a pointed blossom end. The fruit may also show a light green shoulder.
This tomato produced a high yield with a noticeable lack of cracked fruit. Look for ripe fruit on the strong semi-determinate vines within 60 days from transplanting.
Grow in full-sun. Use cages or plant in large containers. The vigorous plants may need pruning to contain growth.
Bonbon winter squash (Cucurbita maxima F1 hybrid) has three improved traits: restricted growth habit, earliness and superior eating qualities. It also exhibits tolerance to powdery mildew.
This buttercup-type winter squash has an upright, semi-bush habit. The plants will attain a height of 2.5 feet and may spread 8-10 feet. The squash may be ready to pick within 81 days of transplanting, a full week earlier than other varieties.
Bonbon squash has a sweeter flavor (hence the name) and smoother texture than other varieties. The thick orange flesh is entirely stringless.
A typical 6-inch diameter squash weighs about 4 pounds. They have a box-like shape and are dark green with silver stripes. There is a prominent button on the blossom end, indicative of all buttercup types. Grow in a sunny, well-drained soil.
Questions
Q. Where can I find more information about All-America Selections?
A. Color photos and descriptions are available in a PDF fact sheet here on our website. For additional information on AAS including past winners, go to the All-America Selections website.
Steve Mayer is Extension Educator-Horticulture with Purdue Extension-Marion County. He coordinates the Master Gardener program in Marion County. To contact a Master Gardener, call (317) 275-9292, or e-mail: marionmg@purdue.edu
Photo Credit: All-America Selections
Photo Content: Catharanthus rosea 'First Kiss Blueberry' - First Kiss Blueberry Vinca
Purdue University, Indiana Counties and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.
December 2004
