Kelly Jackson
Christian County Extension Office
New 2018 All-American Selections
Part of the fun of gardening is trying new plants with an unusual shape or color. But with limited space or budget how do you know that a plant you pick is worth the effort. The All-American Selections (AAS) is a non-profit organization that helps take the guesswork out of the multitude of varieties produced each year. AAS growing tests are conducted across North America and AAS judges score each entry. Only the highest-ranking varieties are given the stamp of approval. Most local garden centers carry the AAS Winners. For 2018 you should look for four new vegetables and five ornamentals.
Canna South Pacific Orange (and its sister South Pacific Scarlet 2013 Winner) are helping give canna a rebirth in today’s landscape. While cannas have been grown for years, the new compact forms of the South Pacific are making canna suitable for smaller landscapes and even containers. Their bright colored blooms and green foliage make a focal point in any garden and pollinators love them.
Cuphea FloriGlory Diana (Mexican Heather) is a colorful choice for landscape borders and containers. Diana was selected for its heavy flower set and dark, intense magenta flowers. Another compact annual is Gypsophila Gypsy White with its mounds of white semi-double blooms that are attractive in containers or small gardens.
Two old-fashioned annuals have great new contributions this year. The simple marigold deserves a quite spot in every traditional garden, but Super Hero Spry Marigold doesn’t just blend in – it really stands out as a featured annual. This compact plant has dark maroon lower petals with golden yellow upper petals on top. No deadheading is required. Equally as showy is Zinnia Queeny Lime Orange. It has lovely large blooms with pastel shades of coral, peach and orange. Makes a great cut flower.
Turning to vegetables, in 2015 Bopak became the first Bok Choi to be selected a AAS winner. This year Asian Delight gets named because it outperforms all other Chinese cabbage cultivars. Earlier maturing and late to bolt, plus being a compact size with 5-7” heads makes it the one to grow. American’s love for peppers continues with the release of two new cultivars. Red Ember is a cayenne pepper noted for its early maturing date and judges say its tastier than traditional cayenne. Roulette is a habanero pepper with a twist. It has a citrus flavor and no heat. Early-bearing and high yielding make it a good pick. Finally, the grape tomato Valentine is a very sweet, deep-red tomato. It can take the summer heat without the loss of quality.
AAS has been selecting proven winners since 1933 and a complete list of those winners can be found on their website (www.all-americaselections.org). AAS winners are selected from many new cultivars, based on garden performance as well as performance in the greenhouse. Although no plant offers a guarantee of success in an individual garden, the AAS winners have proven themselves worthy over a broad range of growing conditions. Try these new selections alongside your old standbys so you'll have a means of comparison. AAS winners are available through local garden centers and mail order catalogs this spring.