ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the substantial donations of plant material from Barton's Greenhouse & Nursery Inc., Danziger Flower Farm, Dennis Nursery & Greenhouse Inc., and Wright's Nursery & Greenhouse, Inc as well as the time and effort of Jon Coleman of Auburn and Arnold Caylor and his crew at the North Alabama Horticultural Substation.
INTRODUCTION
Bedding plant growers frequently choose cultivars based on pack performance and adaptability to their production conditions. Garden performance of these selected cultivars within the marketing region is also an important factor in customer satisfaction and repeat sales. However, information on garden performance of bedding plant cultivars for Alabama may be difficult to obtain. Further, growing conditions vary widely from north to south within the state.
Therefore, in the summer of 2002, 179 bedding plant cultivars were evaluated on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama and 149 bedding plant cultivars were evaluated on the North Alabama Horticultural Substation in Cullman, Alabama. The objective of this study was to determine overall garden performance of summer-flowering annual plant cultivars (bedding plants) at two locations in the state. Results generated from this study will assist Alabama horticultural professionals and consumers in bedding plant selection. However, landscape performance may vary from year to year as climatic conditions affect performance.
METHODS
Bedding plant transplants were received from Barton's Greenhouse & Nursery Inc. in Alabaster, AL; Danziger Flower Farm in Cleveland, OH; Dennis Nursery & Greenhouse Inc. in Selma, AL; and Wright's Nursery & Greenhouse, Inc. in Plantersville, AL. Raised beds were prepared by tilling at both locations and the soil was amended and mulched with 3 inches of Aamendment grade@ (fine) aged pine bark. All beds were located in full sun. A commercially available fertilizer and dolomitic limestone was pre-plant incorporated into the beds based on soil test recommendations. No additional fertilizer was applied during the season. A preemergent herbicide, Pendulum 2G, was applied at 2.3 pounds per 1000 square feet. Rainfall was supplemented using overhead sprinkler irrigation at Auburn and drip irrigation at Cullman to provide an equivalent of one inch of water per week. No deadheading of spent flowers or other maintenance was performed on any of the plants with the exception of hand weeding. No pesticides were applied during the trial. Transplants were planted on May 15, 2002 at Auburn and May 16, 2002 at Cullman.
Each bedding plant entry was randomly planted in 3 replications of 1-4 plants (depending on expected plant size) in a rectangle block occupying half the bed width (2 feet). The beds were 4 feet wide and each plant block occupied 2 linear feet of bed space. Therefore, each replication was 2 feet by 2 feet.
Each of the replications for each plant entry were evaluated every two weeks from June 14 to September 20, 2002 at Auburn and June 27 to September 24, 2002 at Cullman. Plants were rated by the same individual at each locations using a 1 to 5 scale. Flowering plants were rated primarily on their floral displays, while size, shape, and freedom from insect or disease blemishes were also considered. A rating of 1 indicated a small display of foliage with no flowers present; 2--adequate amount of foliage with one or two flowers present; 3--sufficient foliage and floral display to be attractive in the landscape; 4--above average floral display and sufficient foliage display; and 5--superior floral display and sufficient foliage display. A rating of 0 indicated the plant had died. Ratings were made in whole number units. Any plant with an average rating of 2.50 or higher could be considered acceptable in the landscape and would be a worthwhile addition to a garden located in temperate zone 7 or 8.
RESULTS
The average performance rating for all bedding plant species tested at Auburn and Cullman is in Table 1. The best performing bedding plant species in the "a" category at Auburn were Coleus, Strobylanthes, and Heimigraphics. All the Coleus cultivars in this trial were the full sun types. In the "b" category was Lavender and Salvia coccinia, in the "c" category was Begonia, Calibracoa, Cleome, Melampodium, and Verbena, and in the "d" category was Marigold, Tithonia, Vinca, Zinnia, Creeping Zinnia, Argyranthemum. All the remaining species receive performance rating less than 2.5 and would not be suitable for the southern part of the state based on this trial. Many bedding plant species performed better at Cullman than at Auburn (14 species as indicated by "*" in table 1). Twenty-one of the 25 species tested at Cullman had average rating of 2.5 or higher with 11 in the "a" category, 5 in the "b" category, and 5 in the "c" category.
The average performance rating for bedding plant species tested while useful, does not provide a complete picture of performance through the season. The charts on pages 5-7 depict the average performance rating of bedding plant species for the two locations at each evaluation date. At Auburn, many bedding plant species increased in performance rating up to about the beginning of August and then rapidly declined. These species could be effectively used in the landscape for the first part of the summer but would need to be replaced in late summer or early fall. In contrast, other species increased in performance rating and maintained good performance until the end of the trial. These included Argyanthemum, Begonia, Coleus, Hemigraphis, Lavender, Salvia coccinia, Strobylanthes, and Vinca. A few species at Auburn did not show good performance for the duration of the trial, particularly Africa Daisy and New Guinea Impatiens. New Guinea Impatiens clearly could not tolerate full sun in Auburn. The patterns of performance over time observed at Auburn were not as apparent at Cullman. Species that performed well at Cullman generally maintained high performance ratings for the duration of the trial while those that performed less well only showed slow declines. Yet most of these maintained ratings of 2.5 or greater.
The average performance rating for all bedding plant cultivars tested at Auburn and Cullman is in Table 2. The best performing entry at Auburn was Coleus 'Sun Rose' with an average performance rating of 4.0. Coleus 'Trailing Red' and 'Christmas Candy' tied for second place with ratings of 3.9 while Colues 'Red Ruffles', 'Pineapple', 'Kiwi Fern', Salvia patens 'Blue Angle', and Strobylanthes (Persian Shield) all came in third with ratings of 3.8. Fifth place was shared by Coleus 'Gays Delight' and 'Palisandra' with ratings of 3.7 and Coleus 'Golden Sun', 'Tilt-a-Whirl', and Hemigraphis 'Silver Waffle' took sixth place with ratings of 3.6. Begonia 'Party White Green Leaf' stood alone in seventh place with a rating of 3.4 followed by Lavender 'Goodwins Creek' and by Begonia 'Party Red Bronze Leaf' and 'Party White Bronze Leaf' in eighth place with ratings of 3.3. Salvia coccinia 'Lady in Red' was in ninth place with a rating of 3.2 while tenth place was shared by Zinnia 'Dreamland Yellow', Marigold 'Bonanza Harmony', Begonia 'Party Pink Bronze Leaf', Lavender 'Otto Quast', and Tithonia 'Fiesta DelSol' with ratings of 3.1.
CHARTS FOR AUBURN TESTS
Chart 1 - compares African Daisy, Ageratum, Argyranthemum, Begonia
Chart 2 - compares Calibracoa, Celosia, Cleome, Coleus
Chart 3 - compares Coreopsis, Dosmos, Dusty Miller, Gazania
Chart 4 - compares Gomphrena, Hemigraphis, Lavendar, Marigold
Chart 5 - compares Melampodium, NG Impatiens, Nicotiana, Nierembergia
Chart 6 - compares Pentas, Petunia, Portulaca, Rudbeckia
Chart 7 - compares Salvia, Salvia c, Salvia p, Strobylanthes
Chart 8 - compares Tilhonia, Verbena, Vinca
Chart 9 - compares Zinnia, Creeping Zinnia
The best performing entry at Cullman was Coleus 'Tilt-a-Whirl with a performance rating of 4.3. Second place was shared by Vinca 'Heat Wave Raspberry' and 'Pacifica Red' and by Coleus 'Christmas Candy' with ratings of 4.1. Vinca 'First Kiss Coral' and Coleus 'Trailing Red' held third place with ratings of 4.0 followed by Vinca 'Heat Wave Mix' and Coleus 'Sun Rose' in fourth place with ratings of 3.9. Vinca 'Cooler Peppermint' and 'Cooler Icy Pink' held fifth place with ratings of 3.8 and sixth place was shared by Hemigraphis 'Silver Waffle', Coleus 'Kiwi Fern', Coleus 'Golden Sun', Salvia coccinia 'Lady in Red', Melampodium 'Million Gold', Vinca 'Victory Purple' and 'Cooler Red', and by Begonia 'Vodka', 'Cocktail Gin', and 'Super Olympia Rose' all with ratings of 3.7. Vinca 'Cooler Raspberry Red', 'Victory Red' and 'Cooler Mix', Verbena 'Imagination', and Begonia 'Party Rose Pink' took seventh place with ratings of 3.6 while eighth place was crowded by Begonia 'Party Scarlet', Marigold 'Bonanza Yellow', Salvia coccinia 'Rhea', Salvia splendens 'Vista Red', Strobylanthes (Persian Shield), Vinca 'Pacifica Punch', 'Cooler Blush', and 'Cooler Grape', Zinnia 'Phoenix Fire' and 'Star White' with ratings of 3.5. Marigold 'Little Hero Yellow' and Vinca 'Pacifica White', 'Cooler Pink', and 'Pacifica Lipstick Mix' shared ninth place with ratings of 3.4 and in tenth place was Argyranthemum 'Neptune', Begonia 'Super Olympia Red', 'Super Olympia White', 'Super Olympia Pink', and 'Party White Green Leaf', Cleome 'Royal Queen', Gomphrena 'Buddy Purple', Marigold 'Inca II Orange', 'Bonanza Mix', and 'Little Hero Harmony', Melampodium 'Derby', Salvia splendens 'Vista White', Vinca 'First Kiss Peach' and 'First Kiss' all with ratings of 3.3.
CHARTS FOR CULLMAN TESTS
Chart 10 - compares Ageratum, Argyranthemum, Begonia, Calibracoa
Chart 11 - compares Celosia, Cleome, Coleus, Cosmos
Chart 12 - compares Dusty Miller, Gazania, Gomphrena, Hemigraphis
Chart 13 - compares Marigold, Melampodium, NG Impatiens, Nicotiana
Chart 14 - compares Petunia, Portulaca, Rudbeckia, Salvia
Chart 15 - compares Salvia c, Strobylanthes, Verbena
Chart 16 - compares Vinca, Zinnia
EVALUATOR'S NOTES
Without question, the real show stoppers as a group in both the Auburn and Cullman trials were the sun tolerant Coleus, though Vinca performed well at the Cullman trial. The more unusual entries, 'Salvia patens' 'Blue Angle', Strobylanthes (Persian Shield), Hemigraphis 'Silver Waffle', and Lavender 'Goodwins Creek' performed admirably at Auburn and, where present, well at Cullman. The begonias also performed well into late summer. All of these were at their peak while most of the other plants were declining. At Auburn, many of the flowering annuals peaked early, set seed, and declined rapidly. These include the marigolds, cosmos, and coreopsis. By the end of the study, there were volunteer plants coming up and some had set flowers. This might have appeal for homeowners who like an informal garden. It appears that the study shows that in the South, summer annuals need to be successively planted in order to have an attractive garden throughout the long growing season. Homeowners need to be educated as to this fact. Growers and retailers may be able to extend their market season if enough consumers recognize this fact. One disappointment was the performance of the Rudbeckia hirta cultivars. We made an effort to obtain seed of several long standing and newly introduced cultivar but were disappointed at the performance of all of these. At first we thought there might be difference due to climate and irrigation system type between Auburn and Cullman, but performance was poor at both locations.
| Table 1. Average performance rating by species of flowers grown in the 2002 summer trials |
| BEDDING PLANT | AUBURN RATING1, 2 | BEDDING PLANT | CULLMAN RATING1, 2
|
| Coleus | 3.8 a NS | Hemigraphis | 3.7 a NS |
| Strobylanthes | 3.8 a NS | Coleus | 3.6 a |
| Hemigraphis | 3.6 a | Salvia coccinea | 3.6 a NS |
| Lavender | 3.2 b | Strobylanthes | 3.5 a |
| Salvia coccinea | 3.2 b | Vinca | 3.5 a * |
| Begonia | 2.8 c | Argyranthemum | 3.3 a * |
| Calibracoa | 2.8 c NS | Begonia | 3.3 a * |
| Cleome | 2.8 c NS | Melampodium | 3.3 a * |
| Melampodium | 2.7 c | Ageratum | 3.1 a * |
| Verbena | 2.7 c | Gazania | 3.1 a * |
| Marigold | 2.6 d | Gomphrena | 3.1 a * |
| Tithonia | 2.6 d | Marigold | 3.1 b * |
| Vinca | 2.6 d | Celosia | 3.0 b * |
| Zinnia | 2.6 d | Verbena | 3.0 b NS |
| Zinnia creeping | 2.6 d | Portulaca | 2.9 b * |
| Argyranthemum | 2.5 d | Salvia | 2.8 b * |
| Cosmos | 2.4 e NS | Zinnia | 2.7 c NS |
| Petunia | 2.3 e | Cleome | 2.6 c |
| Portulaca | 2.2 f | Calibracoa | 2.5 c |
| Salvia | 2.2 f | New Guinea Impatiens | 2.5 c * |
| Dusty Miller | 2.1 f | Nicotiana | 2.5 c * |
| Nierembergia | 2.1 f | Petunia | 2.4 d NS |
| Celosia | 2.0 f | Cosmos | 2.3 d |
| Penta | 2.0 f | Dusty Miller | 2.3 d NS |
| Ageratum | 1.8 g | Rudbeckia | 2.1 e * |
| Nicotiana | 1.8 g | . | . |
| Rudbeckia | 1.8 g | . | . |
| Salvia patens | 1.8 g | . | . |
| Gomphrena | 1.7 g | . | . |
| Gazania | 1.6 g | . | . |
| Coreopsis | 1.6 g | . | . |
| New Guinea Impatiens | 0.6 h | . | . |
| African Daisy | 0.5h | . | . |
1 Bedding plant mean performance ratings within columns that have the same letter are not different from others. Fisher's LSD (p=0.05).
2 * indicates that bedding plant mean performance rating between columns (locations) was higher than at the other location, NS indicates no difference between locations. Fisher's LSD (p=0.05).
| Table 2. Average performance rating by cultivar of flowers grown in the 2002 summer trials |
| BEDDING PLANT | CULTIVAR | AUBURN MEAN* | CULLMAN MEAN* |
| African Daisy | Z-scape | 0.5 | - |
| Ageratum | Blue Puffs | 1.8 | 3.1 |
| Argyranthemum | Neptune | 2.4 a | 3.3 |
| Argyranthemum | Uranus | 0.7 b | - |
| Begonia Cocktail | Gin | 2.3 b | 3.7 a |
| Begonia Cocktail | Mix | 2.6 b | 2.8 b |
| Begonia | Lotto Mix | 2.7 b | - |
| Begonia | Party Mix | 3.0 a | 2.7 b |
| Begonia | Party Pink Bronze Leaf | 3.1 a | - |
| Begonia | Party Red Bronze Leaf | 3.3 a | - |
| Begonia | Party Rose Pink | 2.9 a | 3.6 a |
| Begonia | Party Scarlet | 3.0 a | 3.5 a |
| Begonia | Party White Bronze Leaf | 3.3 a | - |
| Begonia | Party White Green Leaf | 3.4 a | 3.3 a |
| Begonia | Super Olympia Hellrosa | 2.9 a | - |
| Begonia | Super Olympia Mix | 2.3 b | 3.0 a |
| Begonia | Super Olympia Pink | 2.6 b | 3.3 a |
| Begonia | Super Olympia Red | 2.4 b | 3.3 a |
| Begonia | Super Olympia Rose | 2.3 b | 3.7 a |
| Begonia | Super Olympia White | 2.4 b | 3.3 a |
| Begonia | Vodka | 2.9 a | 3.7 a |
| Begonia | Whiskey | 2.4 b | 3.0 a |
| Calibracoa | Calimor Brilliant Cherry | 3.0 a | 2.5 |
| Calibracoa | Calimor Dark Red | 2.5 a | - |
| Calibracoa | Calimor White | 2.9 a | - |
| Celosia | New Look | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Cleome | Linda Armstrong | 3.0 a | - |
| Cleome | Royal Queen | 2.6 a | 3.3 a |
| Cleome | Sparkle Blush | 2.7 a | 2.3 b |
| Cleome | Sparkler Rose | 3.0 a | 2.3 b |
| Cleome | Sparkler White | 2.9 a | 2.3 b |
| Coleus | Christmas Candy | 3.9 a | 4.1 a |
| Coleus | Gay's Delight | 3.7 a | 3.5 a |
| Coleus | Golden Sun | 3.6 a | 3.7 a |
| Coleus | Kiwi Fern | 3.8 a | 3.7 a |
| Coleus | Palisandra | 3.7 a | - |
| Coleus | Pineapple | 3.8 a | 2.5 b |
| Coleus | Red Ruffles | 3.8 a | 2.4 b |
| Coleus | Sun Rose | 4.0 a | 3.9 a |
| Coleus | Tilt-a-Whirl | 3.6 a | 4.3 a |
| Coleus | Trailing Red | 3.9 a | 4.0 a |
| Coreopsis | Garden Leader Yellow | 1.6 | - |
| Cosmos | Cosmic Orange | 2.7 a | 2.3 a |
| Cosmos | Cosmic Yellow | 2.5 a | 2.7 a |
| Cosmos | Ladybird Mix | 2.5 a | 2.1 a |
| Cosmos | Sonata Carmine | 2.6 a | 1.6 b |
| Cosmos | Sonata Mix | 2.2 b | 1.7 b |
| Cosmos | Sonata Pink | 2.4 a | 2.7 a |
| Cosmos | Sonata White | 2.1 b | 2.7 a |
| Dusty Miller | Silver Dust | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Gazania | Talent Gelb | 1.6 a | - |
| Gazania | Talent Orange | 1.7 a | - |
| Gazania | Talent Rosa Tone | 1.5 a | 2.9 a |
| Gazania | Talent Weiss | 1.6 a | 3.2 a |
| Gomphrena | Buddy Purple | 1.6 a | 3.3 a |
| Gomphrena | Dwarf Pink | 1.8 a | 2.8 a |
| Gomphrena | Strawberry Fields | 1.5 a | 3.1 a |
| Hemigraphis | Silver Waffle | 3.6 | 3.7 |
| Lavender | Goodwin's Creek | 3.3 a | - |
| Lavender | Otto Quast | 3.1 a | - |
| Marigold | Bonanza Harmony | 3.1 a | 3.0 a |
| Marigold | Bonanza Mix | 2.8 a | 3.3 a |
| Marigold | Bonanza Orange | 2.7 a | 2.9 a |
| Marigold | Bonanza Yellow | 2.8 a | 3.5 a |
| Marigold | Discovery Orange | 2.0 c | 2.7 b |
| Marigold | Discovery Yellow | 2.8 a | 2.9 a |
| Marigold | Inca II Orange | 2.5 b | 3.3 a |
| Marigold | Inca Yellow | 2.1 b | 2.9 a |
| Marigold | Little Hero Harmony | 2.7 a | 3.3 a |
| Marigold | Little Hero Orange | 2.8 a | 2.8 a |
| Marigold | Little Hero Yellow | 2.9 a | 3.4 a |
| Marigold | Safari Mix | 2.4 b | 2.7 b |
| Melampodium | Derby | 2.7 a | 3.3 a |
| Melampodium | Million Gold | 2.6 a | 3.7 a |
| Melampodium | Showstar | 2.7 a | 3.1 a |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Dark Lavender | 0.5 a | 2.1 b |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Dark Violet | 0.6 a | 1.9 b |
| NG Impatiend | Harmony Light Orchid | 0.7 a | 2.1 b |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Light Purple | 0.8 a | 3.1 a |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Magenta | 0.3 a | 2.1 b |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Magnolia | 0.5 a | - |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony Spicy Peach | 0.3 a | 2.8 a |
| NG Impatiens | Harmony White | 0.8 a | - |
| NG Impatiens | Orange Blaze | - | 2.9 a |
| NG Impatiens | Super Bowl Magenta | - | 3.2 a |
| NG Impatiens | Super Bowl Pink Dot | 0.6 a | - |
| NG Impatiens | Super Bowl Vivid Magenta | 0.7 a | - |
| Nicotiana | Saratoga Deep Rose | 1.8 a | 2.5 a |
| Nicotiana | Saratoga Purple Bicolor | 1.8 a | 2.5 a |
| Nierembergia | Purple Robe | 2.1 | - |
| Pentas | New Look Hellrosa Pink | 1.9 a | - |
| Pentas | New Look Pink | 2.0 a | - |
| Pentas | New Look Red | 2.1 a | - |
| Pentas | New Look Violet | 2.3 a | - |
| Pentas | New Look Weiss-White | 1.6 b | - |
| Petunia | Bicolor Burgundy | 2.4 a | - |
| Petunia | Burgundy Madness | - | 1.7 b |
| Petunia | Bicolor Purple | 2.6 a | - |
| Petunia | Bordeaux Velvet | 2.3 a | - |
| Petunia | Cascades Big Purple | 2.3 a | - |
| Petunia | Cascadias Choice | 2.5 a | 2.5 a |
| Petunia | Cascadias Pink | 2.4 a | - |
| Petunia | Cascadias Pink Joy | 2.6 a | - |
| Petunia | Cascadias Yellow Eye | 2.3 a | - |
| Petunia | Dream Apple Blossom | - | 2.3 a |
| Petunia | Dream Burgundy | 2.2 a | 2.6 a |
| Petunia | Dream Midnight | - | 2.3 a |
| Petunia | Dream Pink | - | 2.6 a |
| Petunia | Dream Red | - | 2.2a |
| Petunia | Madness Carmine | - | 2.6 a |
| Petunia | Great Spark | 2.0 b | - |
| Petunia | Midnight Madness | 2.0 b | 2.9 a |
| Petunia | Mont Blanc | - | 2.9 a |
| Petunia | Pink Madness | - | 2.3 a |
| Petunia | Red Madness | - | 2.1 a |
| Petunia | Scarlet | 2.2 a | - |
| Petunia | Simply Madness | 2.1 b | 2.7 a |
| Petunia | Spring Madness | - | 2.1 a |
| Petunia | Sugar Madness | - | 2.1 a |
| Petunia | Total Madness | - | 2.0 b |
| Petunia | White Madness | - | 2.3 a |
| Petunia | Yellow Eye | - | 2.7 a |
| Petunia | Yellow Madness | - | 2.9 a |
| Portulaca | Extra Rose | 1.9 b | - |
| Portulaca | Sundial Mix | 2.0 b | 3.2 a |
| Portulaca | Sundial Scarlet | 2.5 a | 2.7 a |
| Portulaca | Sundial Yellow | 2.5 a | 2.7 a |
| Rudbeckia | Autumn colors | 1.7 a | 1.9 |
| Rudbeckia | Autumn Color | 1.7 a | 1.9 a |
| Rudbeckia | Becky Mix | 1.9 a | 2.1 a |
| Rudbeckia | Cherokee Sunset | 1.6 a | - |
| Rudbeckia | Cordoba | 2.0 a | 1.4 b |
| Rudbeckia | Goldilocks | 1.8 a | 2.7 a |
| Rudbeckia | Indian Summer | 1.9 a | 2.6 a |
| Rudbeckia | Prairie Sun | 2.0 a | 2.3 a |
| Rudbeckia | Sonora | 1.8 a | 2.5 a |
| Rudbeckia | Toto Gold | 1.7 a | 2.1 a |
| Rudbeckia | Toto Rustic | 1.9 a | 1.3 b |
| Salvia | Empire Mix | 2.3 a | - |
| Salvia | Firecracker Rose | 2.1 a | - |
| Salvia | Flare | 2.0 a | 2.3 b |
| Salvia | Vista Mix | 2.1 a | 2.7 a |
| Salvia | Vista Purple | 2.2 a | 2.3 b |
| Salvia | Vista Red | 2.2 a | 3.5 a |
| Salvia | Vista White | 2.4 a | 3.3 a |
| Salvia c | Lady in Red | 3.2 a | 3.7 a |
| Salvia c | Rhea | 1.8 b | 3.5 a |
| Salvia p | Blue Angel | 3.8 | - |
| Strobylanthes | Persian Shield | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Tithonia | Fiesta DelSol | 3.1 | - |
| Verbena | Imagination | 2.2 b | 3.6 a |
| Verbena | Obsession Mix | 2.8 a | 2.3 b |
| Vinca | Apricot Cooler | 3.0 a | 3.0 b |
| Vinca | Cooler Blush | 2.7 a | 3.5 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Grape | 2.7 a | 3.5 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Icy Pink | 2.8 a | 3.8 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Mix | 2.6 b | 3.6 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Peppermint | 2.6 b | 3.8 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Pink | 3.0 a | 3.4 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Raspberry Red | 2.9 a | 3.6 a |
| Vinca | Cooler Red | 2.3 c | 3.7 a |
| Vinca | DanDiva Dark Purple | 1.9 c | - |
| Vinca | DanDiva Lavender | 2.2 c | - |
| Vinca | DanDiva White | 1.9 c | - |
| Vinca | DanDiva White Glory | 2.5 b | - |
| Vinca | First Kiss | - | 3.3 a |
| Vinca | First Kiss Cherry | 2.4 b | 2.4 c |
| Vinca | First Kiss Coral | 2.5 b | 4.0 a |
| Vinca | First Kiss Peach | 2.8 a | 3.3 b |
| Vinca | First Kiss Polka Dot | 2.2 c | 3.1 b |
| Vinca | First Kiss Ruby | 2.7 a | - |
| Vinca | Heat Wave Blue w/Eye | 2.6 b | 3.1 b |
| Vinca | Heat Wave Mix | 2.6 b | 3.9 a |
| Vinca | Heat Wave Raspberry | 2.8 a | 4.1 a |
| Vinca | Pacifica Lipstick Mix | 2.6 b | 3.4 a |
| Vinca | Pacifica Punch | 2.8 a | 3.5 a |
| Vinca | Pacifica Red | 2.6 b | 4.1 a |
| Vinca | Pacifica White | 2.5 b | 3.4 a |
| Vinca | Victory Purple | 2.6 b | 3.7 a |
| Vinca | Victory Red | 2.5 b | 3.6 a |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Ivory | 2.6 a | 2.8 a |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Mix | 2.3 a | 2.0 b |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Pink | 2.0 b | - |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Red | 2.3 a | 2.2 b |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Rose | 2.7 a | 2.0 b |
| Zinnia | Dreamland Yellow | 3.1 a | 1.9 b |
| Zinnia | Phoenix Fire | 2.7 a | 3.5 a |
| Zinnia | Profusion Cherry | 3.0 a | 2.2 b |
| Zinnia | Profusion Orange | 2.5 a | 2.5 b |
| Zinnia | Profusion White | 2.7 a | 2.9 a |
| Zinnia | Star Gold | 2.8 a | 2.7 a |
| Zinnia | Star Orange | 2.7 a | 3.2 a |
| Zinnia | Star White | 2.5 a | 3.5 a |
| Zinnia | Starbrite Mix | B | 2.9 a |
| Zinnia | Zinnita Gelb | 2.8a | - |
| Zinnia | Zinnita Gold | B | 3.0 a |
| Zinnia | Zinnita Orange | 2.5 a | - |
| Zinnia | Zinnita White | 2.6 a | 2.9 a |
| Zinnia | creeping Star Bright Mix | 2.6 | 2.9 |
* Bedding plant mean performance ratings within species in columns that have the same letter are not different from others. Fisher's LSD (p=0.05).
CHARTS
