March 7, 2001
Stillwater Gazette
Betsy Halden

All-America Selections Winners

All –America (AAS) flower selections have been announced for 2001. AAS trial and display gardens as located throughout the United States, including the trial gardens at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Awards are given for growth habits, excellence of bloom, and other characteristics such as resistance to disease. The judges found the following five varieties worthy of an AAS Award. Each of these cultivars would be welcome additions to a colorful flower border this summer.

Zinnia ‘Profusion White.’ Zinnia ‘Profusion White’ is an AAS Gold medal Winner. Zinnia ‘Profusion White’ is a perfect plant for a monochromatic white garden. While many plants produce a short term display of white blooms, “Profusion White’ provides a foundation of white flowers from spring to late fall. ‘Profusion White’ will continue to flower late in the season when other zinnias may be covered with powdery mildew. This gold medal AAS Winner exhibits powdery mildew tolerance which results in exceptional season-long performance. The plant performs with minimal garden care. Only sun, nutrients and water are needed; no staking, pinching or pruning. As the 2-inch white blooms mature, they fade to creamy white. ‘Profusion White’ flowers can be cut and used in a short stem bouquet.

Sunflower 'Ring of Fire.' Sunflower 'Ring of Fire' is a five-inch sunflower. It has golden petal edges and a ring of red surrounding the chocolate brown center. Decidedly different from other sunflowers, 'Ring of Fire' stands out in a crowd of plain gold or yellow flowers. Later to bloom, 'Ring of Fire' may require 120 days to show bicolor blooms. For this reason it is helpful to plant this flower as soon as the soil warms in the spring. Needing a full sun garden, 'Ring of Fire' plants may reach 4 to 5 feet tall, spreading 2 to 3 feet. The long flower stems are perfect for cut flowers. If not cut, flowers may produce seed for wildlife, another benefit to grow 'Ring of Fire.'

Eustoma F1 ‘Forever Blue.’ Gardeners are always looking for blue flowers to add to their garden. ‘Forever Blue’ is the new blue flower perfect for a sunny garden border. 'Forever Blue' will provide gardeners their favorite blue color throughout the gardening season. The large 2½-inch single blue flowers decorate the vigorous plants. 'Forever Blue' plants have a distinct branching habit, benefiting the gardener with more blooms and a dense plant. This trait has been submitted for a utility patent. 'Forever Blue' plants will reach 12 inches when mature, in a full sun garden. Proven to be heat tolerant, 'Forever Blue' plants will benefit from deadheading like all other eustoma (lisianthus). These well-groomed, attractive 'Forever Blue' plants are perfectly adaptable to patio containers

Portulaca 'Margarita Rosita' looks different from other portulaca as a young plant. It has a compact mounded habit and looks like a rock garden or alpine plant. Large 1½-inch semi-double rose flowers adorn the small 3 to 4 inch fleshy leaved plants. 'Margarita Rosita' needs a sunny garden spot or patio container to reach its mature spreading plant habit of about 12 to 14 inches. Heat and drought tolerant, 'Margarita Rosita' will flower continuously for months if given minimal garden care. Easy-to-grow, 'Margarita Rosita' will thrive in any container size including unglazed terra cotta, which tends to dry soil quickly.

Nicotiana ‘Avalon Bright Pink” comes in an eye-catching color. This nicotiana demands attention when you scan the garden landscape. Yet “Avalon Bright Pink’ is a soft color. It combines well with other annuals such as blue Salvia farinacea. In addition to the color, ‘Avalon Bright Pink’ exhibits improved freedom of bloom, adaptability and length of the blooming season. The plants can literally be covered with the characteristic nicotiana star-shaped blooms. The AAS Judges noted the freedom of bloom and the plant’s ability to adapt to cool, wet weather then hot summer conditions. ‘Avalon Bright Pink’ continued to flower and bloom into the late summer/early fall growing season.

All of these AAS winners for 2001 are or will be available in local nurseries or garden stores this spring. Look for them in seed packets or as flowering plants.

To find more information about All-America Selections Winners visit the AAS website www.all-americaselections.org

Betsy Halden is a Master Gardener with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. University of Minnesota Extension Service materials were consulted in the preparation of this column. You can reach Betsy Halden at eahalden@comcast.net