Trial: Perennial
Years Trialed: 1998, 1999Good Qualities
Year 1
Great color (3); Large flower heads (2); The clean, beautiful leaves showed no signs of insect or disease problems and the large, persistent blooms of nice feathery plum color were beautiful. The heat did not affect 'Gateway' at all; Very unusual; Big; Easy to grow; Lots of foliage which looks nice. Flowers interesting. Turning to fuzzy tops; Flower contrasted with the foliage and stem colors; Tall. Dark green foliage; Held up well if cut at the right time.Year 2
Pretty color, good vase life, excellent filler; Tall; Smaller than native, large flower head; no support; Very interesting.Problems
Year 1
Too short first year (2); Takes up too much room; Knowing when to harvest. Once the flowers open, they look a little messy. Appears we should harvest when they are closed.Year 2
The flower heads are so large that I could only use side shoots. I would have liked more of those though; Not very marketable; Too big to use;Year 2
I really love this plant. It is so pretty growing and the bees and butterflies think it is the best thing going. It is such a pretty color! I wish I could have figured out how to use the big heads but the bouquets I make can’t use anything that large; Very good product; Long straight stems, great for large arrangements, can be dried. Perenniality is good, performance excellent.Trial Data
Year 1
| Yield (stems/plant)¹ | Stem Length (inches)¹ | Market Appreciation Rating² | Repeat Again Rating² | Ease of Cultivation Rating² | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 5.1 | 21.9 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
¹Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
²1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Year 2
| Yield (stems/plant)¹ | Stem Length (inches)¹ | Market Appreciation Rating² | Repeat Again Rating² | Ease of Cultivation Rating² | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | 8.1 | 39.6 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
¹Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.
²1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.
Comments
Year 1
Similar to native Eupatorium, but native is much taller with less dense flower head; 'Gateway' is more refined than the species and the shorter stems eliminated the need for staking. In addition, the florists loved it; Good acceptance; Although the stem are dark purple and the flower is nice, this plant is almost the same as the wild stuff that grows in every ditch in this area. I cut the wild plants once or twice each summer but only one florist is interested in it. This great for the landscape, but not for cut flower market; The florist we showed this one to liked it very much; I couldn't use the huge flowers heads so I cut mostly side shoots as they fit my bouquets better. Made nice filler flowers.