Trial Started: 2005

Year of Trial: First (from 2005 report)

Good Qualities

Great color; We did it in Zone 2 - it wasn't tall but it was beautiful!; Plants were very robust in field and appeared as though they would produce well; Large tall medium blue flowers, attractive, strong stems.

Problems

Leaves appeared to have a "blight"; Did not flower until late in season, lots of browning on umbels prior to cutting; Our season really isn't warm enough or long enough but I like to grow it just to prove we can!; Eaten by deer; Didn't germinate well; About 2 weeks later than the earliest varieties in our trial: 'Devotion Blue'

Comments

My choice for #1 new flower of the 18 I trialed this year - it sold farmers' market bouquets for me when I used it as a filler, people like purple, I hope it is a perennial; I don't think Trachelium is a good outdoor cut for the Northeast; If not grown under plastic - it wouldn't have done anything this year - tons of rain and cold; General comments on trial (Zone 5): Plants were transplanted to tunnel and field into shallow beds, 4 rows/bed, mulched with green plastic and trickle irrigated, two reps in field and in tunnel, an infestation of tarnished plant bugs midseason in the tunnel may have reduced yield, but difficult to see detrimental effects.

Trial Data

¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based

Supplier

PanAmerican Seed P.O. Box 438 West Chicago, IL 60186