CANBY, Ore. – Terra Nova Nurseries, a global leader in plant breeding technology, today announced that three of the company’s varieties received “Best of Show” awards at the 2023 Penn State Flower Trials, with an additional six plants taking home “Director’s Select” and four varieties winning “Best of Species” awards.
Echinacea Dark Shadows™ ‘Mystic’ was recognized as “Best of Show” and “Best of Species” in its second year of the In-Ground Trials at Penn State. The award-winning variety showcases enchanting, bright-shell pink flowers, with petals gradually tuning to a stunning antique pink and eyes shifting to a color reminiscent of a red velvet cake.
Sedum ‘Conga Line’ also received both the “Best of Show” and “Best of Species” honors. ‘Conga Line’ scored a perfect five-out-of-five rating for its short, compact habit and beautiful peach, coral and cream flowers.
Terra Nova’s third “Best of Show” plant at Penn State’s In-Ground Trials was Sedum ‘Peach Pearls’. The variety is a showstopper with its burgundy leaves, rose gold flowers and excellent growth habit.
“The Terra Nova Nurseries team is very proud of our accomplishments at this year’s Penn State Flower Trials and the recognitions we continue to receive for our best-of-breeding varieties,” said Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries. “Our plants had to endure a dry fall and winter in Pennsylvania during the trials, but their robust traits allowed them to perform extraordinarily well.”
The world-renowned plant breeding company also had two varieties recognized as “Director’s Select” and “Best of Species” winners. These included Leucanthemum ‘Lemon Meringue’, which brings a slice of sunshine to any garden or landscape setting with its lemon-yellow centers and crisp white flowers, and Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Frost’, an easy-to-grow perennial featuring gray-green foliage with silver-cream edges.
Four additional varieties from Terra Nova were also honored as “Director’s Select” varieties. These include Coreopsis NOVA™ ‘Jewel’, Kniphofia POCO™ ‘Citron’, Kniphofia ‘Rocket Jr.’ and Nepeta NOVA® ‘Blue’.
The Penn State Flower Trials are located at the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Landisville, Pennsylvania. More than 960 varieties were trialed in 2023 from top breeding companies and nurseries across the globe. Learn more: www.agsci.psu.edu/flower-trials
Learn more about Terra Nova Nurseries at www.terranovanurseries.com.
