Monarda Didyma 'Red Shades'

Trial: Perennial

Years Trialed: 1999, 2000

Good Qualities

Year 1

Grows well; Color.

Year 2

Color (2); Easy; We didn't cut this, It is small and unimpressive next to 'Jacob Kline' or 'Raspberry Wine' - why bother; Herby fragrance.


Problems

Year 1

Not as vigorous as ‘Jacob Kline’. Gets mildew. Flower is smaller than ‘Jacob Kline’; Starting to flower but too short. Webworm taking over tips.

Year 2

Not very uniform, in form or color; Just doesn't seem to be as vigorous as the purple - maybe with better nutrition and some mulching it would improve; Doesn't like our heat (Zone 6b); Susceptible to powdery mildew, small flowers.


Comments

Year 1

Inferior to ‘Jacob Kline’(3); Similar to ‘Panorama’; Anyway, flowers are small; Not much of an improvement over the straight species; Doesn’t seem to be good cut flower.

Year 2

Similar to Monarda didyma 'Jacob Kline'; Retail florist says that keeping qualities are poor; Postharvest: when cut with only couple petals open, will last 14 days in oasis preservative at 80 F; Above cultivar is much better and is very mildew resistant.



Trial Data

Year 1

Monarda didyma 'Red Shades'
Yield (stems/plant)¹ Stem Length (inches)¹ Market Appreciation Rating² Repeat Again Rating² Ease of Cultivation Rating²
Average 6.3 27.0 3.0 2.8 4.0

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


Monarda didyma 'Red Shades'
Plants Surviving (%) Yield (stems/plant)¹ Stem Length (inches)¹ Market Appreciation Rating² Repeat Again Rating² Ease of Cultivation Rating²
Wholesale Retail Consumer
Average 92.2 8.2 27.9 2.0 3.3 2.7 2.0 3.8


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.



Supplier

Green Leaf Enterprises/Benary 2369 Old Philadelphia Pike Lancaster, PA 17602 717-299-0300 FAX 717-299-7162

perennials@yoder.com