Ella VanKempen, Horticulture Researcher II; Lydia Fynboh, Horticulture Intern; Steve Poppe, Independent annual flower consultant
At the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris, annual flower research is conducted across a four-acre public display garden. This renowned trial garden receives annual flower seeds, vegetative cuttings, and unrooted cuttings from plant breeding companies worldwide. Seeds typically arrive in January, while cuttings and plugs begin arriving in March, all aimed at preparing healthy transplants by the end of May, just in time for Minnesota’s growing season.
The annuals are showcased in hanging baskets, containers, or planted in landscaped beds within the Horticulture Display Garden. These plants are on public display from early June through September, allowing visitors to observe their performance and take note of their favorite varieties.
Throughout the growing season, we evaluate the plants multiple times to gauge their performance. We use a 1 to 5 scale for providing a horticultural rating (1=poor, 2=below average, 3=average, 4=above average, 5=excellent). Evaluations consider factors such as color, vigor, uniformity, flowering abundance, resistance to pests and diseases, and overall uniqueness. Consistent scoring is ensured by having the same evaluator conduct the assessments. Only those cultivars that achieve the highest ratings are recognized as Top Ten Performing Annuals.
Feedback from our annual flower trials is instrumental for plant breeding companies, providing them with insights to refine their cultivars. The evaluation results are shared with the participating companies, who may then improve their plants and re-enter them into future trials. Additionally, our annual flower report is distributed to commercial nursery producers, floriculture professionals, grower associations, U of MN Extension, and U of MN Master Gardeners, offering valuable cultivar recommendations for Minnesota's gardening community.
The 2024 Top Ten Performing Annuals
Begonia x hybrida Adora™ Velvet Red
This begonia variety features "Adora'ble" double flowers and striking dark foliage that complements both sun and shade environments. The contrast between its dark foliage and vibrant red blooms creates a stunning visual effect. With its well-branched, mounded growth habit, Adora™ Velvet Red is versatile across different container sizes. Its bright red, abundant blooms withstood varying temperatures, rain, and even deer damage. This cultivar performed best in a container located in a shady location.
Celosia plumosa Bright Sparks™ Bright Red Bronze Leaf
This Bright Sparks™ celosia stood out with impressive, large plumes that contrasted nicely with the burgundy-colored foliage. The plant’s extra branching results in more flowers per plant, with secondary blooms matching the size of the primary flowers. Its vibrant blooms showcased a continuous display of bright red throughout the growing season. A well-branched habit and great heat tolerance help this variety to excel both in ground and in containers.
Coleus Premium Sun Crimson Gold
This striking shade plant features a lime green edge with a vivid maroon center. Its showstopping colors, bold patterns, and rich textures make it a favorite among professional landscapers and gardeners. It remained healthy and vigorous from the beginning of the season to the end. This variety is celebrated for it's outstanding appearance and reliable performance in both gardens and patio planters. As showed in our garden, this plant is versatile and thrives in both sun and shade.
Dahlia Virtuoso™ Pinkerific™
The Virtuoso™ series represents the pinnacle of dahlia cultivars, and Pinkerific™ has impressed us with its exceptional traits. These dahlias are noted for their strong growth, resistance to powdery mildew, and impressive performance throughout the growing season. They produce large, double, soft pink flowers on well-proportioned stems above densely mounded foliage. With Pinkerific™, you won’t have to wait until late summer to enjoy the beautiful blooms; these outstanding dahlias start flowering early and continue to impress all season long.
Impatiens x hybrida SunPatiens® Vigorous Purple
Experience vibrant flower power throughout the season with SunPatiens® Vigorous Purple! This versatile variety thrives in both full sun and full shade, making it an excellent choice for any garden setting. Perfect for cooler northern climates, it excels even in extreme heat and blooms continuously all summer long, ensuring your garden remains colorful and lively from start to finish.
Kwik kombo Picnic in the Park™ Mix
A true knockout in our display garden this year was the Picnic in the Park™ Mix. This combination offers vibrant color and a balanced mix of flowers, featuring both solid-colored and pinwheel-patterned blooms. Designed for simplicity and impact, this ready-made retail program is ideal for containers and hanging baskets. Each mix is tested and selected for uniformity and longevity, ensuring a standout display.
Lantana Shamrock™ Rose Gold
Lantana seems to always do well in this growing region so no surprise when it was doing notably well in our trial. This series of lantana exhibits a well-branched, mounded habit and excellent uniformity. It performs exceptionally well in a variety of pot sizes, from quarts to hanging baskets. The rose gold variety showcases a lighter rose flower color with a larger gold center, creating a lovely ombre effect. Additionally, the foliage has a pleasantly sweet fragrance.
Lobelia Heatopia™ Dark Blue
Heatopia™ Dark Blue is a top performer with its exceptional heat tolerance and uniform growth. During our evaluations, its vibrant neon blue blooms and prolific flowering throughout the growing season consistently impressed us. Heatopia™ performs beautifully in containers as well as in the ground, making it a versatile choice for any garden.
Marigold Pretty Yellow
Big yellow blooms? Yes please! This marigold proved to be a knockout annual displaying excellent uniformity, and bright yellow blooms that contrast nicely with the lush green foliage. A stunning shade that mixes well with any color theme.
Salvia Sallyfun™ Pure White
In 2024, the WCROC gardens were a showcase of stunning salvias, with continuous blooms and elegant upright growth. Among them, Sallyfun™ Pure White truly shined, earning top ratings for its effortless display alongside other flowers. This variety features long, white flower spikes that rise gracefully above a compact mound of green foliage, making it a standout addition to any garden.
Even though the annual flowers are under evaluation, the plants are placed into an aesthetically pleasing design, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty of the Garden. The Horticulture Display Garden has been an All-America Selections (AAS) Display Garden since 1990. The AAS award recognizes a flower or vegetable variety proven to have superior performance throughout the North American continent. An AAS Display Garden provides the public with an opportunity to view the new AAS winners in an attractive well-maintained setting. Additionally, the Horticulture Display Garden is the only AAS Trial Ground site in Minnesota, where AAS entries are planted next to comparisons and evaluated by an AAS Trial Judge.
The Horticulture Display Garden is open daily from dawn until dusk; admission is free. Voted as the “Best Public Display Garden in Minnesota” by WCCO, the Horticulture Display Garden is truly a gem in the Upper Midwest.
For a complete list of all trial results, please refer to the flower research results page.
All flowers in the Horticulture Display Garden are labeled, allowing visitors to take note of top performing cultivars under regional conditions. The Horticulture Display Garden is open daily from dawn until dusk; admission is free. The Garden is located at 46352 State Hwy 329, Morris, MN. For directions, visit wcroc.cfans.umn.edu.