Fleuroselect Awards Six Gold Medals for 2014

Jennifer Zurko

The industry’s international counterpart to All-America Selections, Fleuroselect recently announced six new gold medal winners for 2014, which are given for exceptional breeding breakthroughs.



Gaura lindheimeri Sparkle White from Kieft Seed—A great summer performer and a first-year flowering perennial, Sparkle White features early, single, white, uniform flowers that last from late spring to autumn. The jury loved it for its excellent garden performance and strong branching habit. The compact habit makes it ideal for container use as well as landscape plantings in large and small areas.

Pelargonium x hortorum Pinto Premium White to Rose from Syngenta—The color in the umbels changes from white at the opening of the flower petals to rose at the maturing stage, adding ever-evolving color in the garden. The showy flowers and foliage of this seed-raised variety really stand out in pots, containers and beddings. And the flower heads (approximately 5 in./15 cm diameter) add patches of white and pink to the garden from the end of April until October. Vigorous and easy to grow, this pelargonium received one of the highest scores ever achieved in the Fleuroselect pack trials, including an exceptional 1.89 out of a possible 2.0 points for innovation.

Penstemon x mexicali Carillo Red from Kieft Seed—Early flowering and improved upward branching make this seed-raised perennial attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds with its fierce red color. In the garden trials, Carillo Red scored particularly high on floriferousness. The judges were genuinely impressed by its captivating color and excellent all-round performance.



Petunia SweetSunshine Provence from Selecta—An early and sturdy variety with cute double flowers is easy to control in smaller pots, covers the ground with masses of blue and stands out in bigger baskets. The Fleuroselect judges were impressed with the vigor and color shading, citing it as a strong, versatile performer and an excellent addition to the current range of semi-trailing, double-flowered petunias.

Zinnia Profusion Double Hot Cherry from Sakata—The fully double flowers of Zinnia x hybrida Profusion Double Hot Cherry feature non-fading petals that ensure a striking abundance of cherry color in the garden all season long. This zinnia species is strongly tolerant against Alternaria and powdery mildew. During the trials, Profusion Double Hot Cherry scored particularly well in innovation and overall appearance. The jury was impressed by this annual’s intense, non-fading color and its outstanding garden performance.

Zinnia marylandica Zahara Sunburst from PanAmerican Seed—Its unique red and yellow bicolor flower pattern is a first in Zinnia marylandica. The flowers burst open gold, followed by the appearance of a red stripe down the center of each petal. Cold night temperatures will thicken the stripe; warm nights and the use of PGR in the greenhouse will diminish it. Zinnia Sunburst scored exceptionally high in the garden trials with a 1.8 out of 2.0 for
innovation. GT