The fantasy plant league 2021

Thank you to everyone who voted in the Fantasy Plant League 2021! Your votes help to capture the standout plants from this year’s Flower Trials, where dozens of new plants are put on show as the ‘next big thing’ in the industry.

This year, there were so many incredible entries, from frothy trailing hydrangeas to easy-grow roses. However, you were able to choose six clear winners from the following categories:

1. The next top eco plant
2. The next top show-off plant
3. The next top remixed plant
4. The next top edible
5. The next top scented plant

The next top eco plant

**WINNER** GOLF™ Beauty Improved Craspedia by Danziger
The newly improved GOLF™ Beauty has more vigor and flower power with increased ease of rooting under any light condition. This unique plant, with its golf ball-shaped bright yellow blooms, is a true attention grabber. GOLF Beauty works well as a stand-alone potted plant, offers a unique upright center in combinations and is a striking plant for garden beds.

 

Limonium DAZZLE ROCKS by AllPlant

The Limonium DAZZLE ROCKS has a compact habit and a large amount of flowers per stem. From early summer until fall this plant gives beautiful purple flowers. DAZZLE ROCKS likes a place in the sun and is very heat and drought resistant. Next to that, it is also very winter hard up to -30 degrees.

 

Sedum Majestic Kiss by Jaldety

Sedum Majestic is a beautiful bright green Sedum with dark edge, succulent foliage. It features a trailing, low growing, dense habit and is heat and drought tolerant, as well as low maintenance. Excellent for trailing from containers, window boxes, small ground cover, rock gardens and miniature gardens.

 

Gaillardia SUN BUDDIES by Kientzler
This heat-tolerant Gaillardia have a strong vigour and are continuous blooming over summer, with spent flowers being overgrown by new shoots. SUN BUDDIES are best suited to hanging baskets or for planting in the ground. They have some winter hardiness and are highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

 

E3 Easy Wave by Ball
Easy, Efficient and Evolutionary! The newest Evolution in the Wave® assortment is the E3 Easy Wave. This easy plant offers a manageable, uniform plant structure and produces full and colourful blooms.

 

x Petchoa hybrida BEAUTICAL® by Sakata
Incredibly weather tolerant and with exceptional rain resistance, BeautiCal’s mounded plants produce an abundance of large flowers which give a mass of colour all summer long. Less sticky, non smelling and self cleaning, it is the perfect Petunia! This series, with its five unique special colours, has enriched the Petunia market, proved all its promises of performance and left customers asking for more!

 

Lobelia Hot+ Dark Blue by Westhoff
Westhoff’s Hot series of Lobelia was a breakthrough when it first came to the market. With bright, intense colors and unrivaled heat tolerance and summer performance, no other Lobelia could match them in the garden. 2022 brings an updated version called Hot+ which has all of the advantages of their predecessors, but with the heavier branching and larger blooms. Truly a worthy successor and the next step forward in Lobelia breeding.

 

 

The next top show off plant

**WINNER** Hydrangea hanging basket by Agriom
Hydrangea Breeders Association (HBA) has developed two new types of hydrangea for use in hanging baskets: HABA Pink and HABA Soft Pink. These two hydrangeas are vigorous and have good branching: one cutting in a 30-35 cm bowl gives an abundance of blooming flowers. The two HABA varieties are also available in a blued version: HABA Purple and HABA Soft Blue.

 

Sweet Vibe and Sweet Sparkle in the Garvinea Sweet Series by Hilverda
For the coming season are two new varieties in the Sweet Series: Sweet Vibe and Sweet Sparkle. Sweet Vibe is a strong yellow that truly stands out because of the dark center. You simply can’t take your eyes off it. Sweet Sparkle is a hot pink that brings a bright sparkle in every garden. This colour is new in the assortment.

Garvinea is the only true Garden Gerbera. With great weather tolerance, Garvinea provides lots of happy colours from early spring until the first frost. This robust garden plant offers countless long-lasting large flowers. Garvinea attracts friendly pollinators such as bees and butterflies, but at the same time it’s highly resistant to pests and diseases.

 

Kalmia Latifolia by Hortinho
This year, Hortinno launches a new product line in its garden portfolio: Kalmia latifolia. Get lost in a poetic floral lacework, always interwoven with your garden. It is a unique product with thousands of ‘little flowers’, making you a happy gardener in an instant!

 

Begonia Bossa Nova® Night Fever Rosso by Floranova
The Bossa Nova family is growing and the latest addition for 2021 is possibly the most striking! Night Fever Rosso joins Papaya as the second variety in the Night Fever series, which has all of the flower power you would expect from Bossa Nova Begonias, but with beautifully contrasting dark foliage. The vibrant red flowers and rich bronze foliage create a truly dramatic combination and will keep flowering all summer long in hanging baskets and containers, even in partial shade. Night Fever Rosso and the rest of the Bossa Nova family really do offer great value for money!

 

Sundaville® Lemon by Suntory
Meet Sundaville® Lemon. A yellow addition to the classic Sundaville® collection. She won’t give you lemons, but she’ll shower you with plenty of flowers. Sundaville® Mandevilla will bring you the ultimate summer vibes. This new fresh colour will no doubt turn your garden into the perfect staycation spot. Are you looking for the best quality of Mandevillas? Ensure yourself of top-notch quality and beautiful plants that last.

 

King’s Park Royale
King’s Park Royale is a colour breakthrough with the unique flower colour combination, never before seen in Kangaroo Paw! Displaying tones of purple and red, this variety is well suited to feature in containers. Stronger and tougher than other bicoloured varieties, King’s Park Royale easily reaches 60cm in height!

 

Canna x generalis ‘CANNOVA® Scarlet’ by Takii

A sensuously attractive plant, Canna x generalis ‘CANNOVA® Scarlet’ features stunning colouration, good uniformity and early flowering for a bright pop of colour in the garden. What’s more, its compact growth means it will refrain from taking up space, letting its gorgeously coloured blooms do all the talking.

 

 

The next top indoor plant

**WINNER** Fragrant Sunburst® by Van Den Bos
Fragrant Sunburst® is the name given to the first pot freesia in the Lovely series. This genetically compact variety produces beautiful, delightfully scented golden-yellow flowers. Fragrant Sunburst® is characterised by its long, elegantly shaped spike-like racemes bearing large flowers with the familiar subtle freesia fragrance.

 

Poinsettia Gloriette Brilliant Red by Decock
This isn’t like other poinsettias! The poinsettia Gloriette Brilliant Red features a unique bright colour against dark foliage, and flowers for a whopping seven weeks. Branching very easily this poinsettia offers extremely uniform growth, perfect for the more meticulous poinsettia lover.

 

Cocoon Orchids® by Hassinger
Cocoon Orchids® provide perfect conditions for very unusual orchids with special climatic requirements. They are planted in cork substratum in accordance to their natural, epiphytic way of growth. A layer of gravel filled with water provides an ideal humidity inside and cools the plant which allows plants to be successfully grown on a desk or window sill. These orchids harmonise the interior and provide well-being, plus, the choice is very diverse, from known hybrids to rare botanical varieties.

 

Euphorbia Milii – Maxi Pink Cadillac by Dummen
Who doesn’t know Euphorbia milii? This flowering succulent probably stood in the windowsill of your grandparents. Green plants, succulents and cacti have been trendy for years now and the hype is here to stay. These plants are easy to care for, leading to a great demand from the public, especially with the younger generation. Euphorbia milii fits in this trend perfectly. It’s low maintenance and it’s adding cute flowers to the houseplant game. Pictured here is Maxi Pink Cadillac, one of the newest varieties selected for its compact growth, good branching and strong colour.

 

Begonia Sweeties by Koppe
Begona Sweeties are developed as houseplants grown in small pot sizes (9-12cm). They distinguish themselves by a natural compact growth habit. The small leaves form a beautiful ball-shape with a sea of small double flowers on top.

 

Queen® Kalanchoe by Queen Genetics
Queen® Genetics’ Kalanchoes are known for perfectly formed, large flowers in bright vibrant colours. The breeder always focuses on breeding high-quality varieties with excellent longevity and ethylene resistance. Through several years of development and breeding work, they have brought new life to the traditional Kalanchoe.

 

Phalaenopsis ‘Surreal’ by Floricultura

Floricultura have specialised in the propagation of orchids and tropical plants since 1933. A desire for perfection and the aim to develop strong, profitable and distinctive varieties are the driving forces behind Floricultura, allowing them to produce such beautiful as the new Phalaenopsis ‘Surreal’.

 

 

The next top remixed plant

**WINNER** Hibiscus Extreme ‘Cloudy Pink’ by Zonnebloem
Hibiscus Extreme series are so named for their EXTREME flower size. This can go up to 25cm and beyond. The Hibiscus Extreme is also extremely hardy; it can resist -18 degrees celcius. This Cloudy Pink is a new colour in the series.

 

Nonstop® Joy – Begonia tuberhybrida F1 by Benary
Featuring a full series with five eye catching colours, Nonstop® Joy is the only semi-trailing tuberous begonia from seed. It’s a true multi-purpose begonia suited for premium patio pots and baskets, with extra large double flowers blooming all summer long.

 

Garden Celosia XXL by Royal Van Zanten
Create the ultimate holiday feeling in your own garden during late summer and autumn with the new XXL Celosia! The XXL series is available in three beautiful warm colours: Purple, Orange and Red. Its large, striking, plume-like inflorescences are a real eye catcher in your garden or a large container on your patio. Celosia XXL plants have very healthy, firm foliage. Moreover, XXL Purple has a trendy, marbled leaf pattern.

 

Thunbergia ‘Sunny Susy®’ by Volmary
This is the earliest flowering Thunbergia series on the market, also producing healthy, dark green foliage. Available in a wide range of colours available, this plant boasts abundant flowering through the summer.

 

LaBella Dahlia by Beekenkamp
The LaBella Dahlia is a real masterpiece. The flowers are symmetrical and the intense colours and details are like art. LaBella is a complete series with extraordinary colours, outstanding shapes and sizes from big to small.

 

Petunia Fun House by Syngenta
If you want something truly different in your assortment, try Fun House! This series contains dynamic petunias with unique flower colours and patterns like you have never seen before! With its great habit the Fun House series is a lively addition to your hanging basket and patio containers. A guarantee to grab the attention in your garden!

 

Begonia Highlight by Schneider
A versatile begonia with XL flower size for combo pots, baskets or landscaping. These are all-round begonias with a plant habit between Premium Plus and Milet Olympia. In earliness it is closer to the Premium Plus, flowering 5-7 days earlier than the Milet Olympia. The plants are well-branched, have extremely large flowers, are floriferous, have enough vigor to be grown under cooler conditions early in the spring and work well in both pots and packs. The series is available in 4 colors: Red, White, Pink and Bicolor, and from this season also in a mix!

 

 

The next top edible

**WINNER** Summer Breeze Cherry Blossom by ABZ Seeds
Like a beautiful spring blossom that heralds a summer full of delicious fruit, Summer Breeze “Cherry Blossom” has it all: beautiful hot pink flowers AND delicious juicy fruit. The unique semi-double flowers hold on to their petals very long which creates a lot of colour on the plants. “Cherry Blossom” responds to various current trends: a healthy lifestyle, relaxation and more ‘quality time’ with family and friends. With this graceful strawberry plant, you can enjoy the intense sea of flowers in your garden, while you pick tasty, fresh strawberries. Summer Breeze “Cherry Blossom” combines beautifully with the two other colours in the series: “Snow” and “Rose”.

 

Potatoo by Pac
This selection of potatoes are particularly suitable for private cultivation, with cuttings propagated for quick and safe successes. Son’t have much garden space? Potatoo is trendy for balconies, terraces and all sizes of gardens.

 

Ipomoea batatas Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes by Hishtil
Hishtil is proud to present hobby growers with a new garden treasure: Treasure Island™ sweet potato tubers that vary in shape and colour. All sweet potatoes in the series were bred at the LSU Ag Center and were found to be top performers based on taste evaluations conducted there. Both tubers and foliage are edible and delicious. Each variety of Treasure Island sweet potatoes gets its name from a beautiful island in French Polynesia.

 

Tutti Frutti F1 Deep Red Desire by Prudac
Deep Red Desire Raisin is an up-growing in-determinate tomato for the professional and home grower. The fruits are extremely sweet, and bunches carry 15-19 fruits. Masses of fruits will be produced when the climate is suitable. The unique addition of this variety is that you do not have to harvest them – they turn into a raisin on the vine. These can be used for snacks and unique refreshments.

 

Cyclamen Super Serie Crayon by Schoneveld
Crayon is a new mini Cyclamen with a unique and distinct colour reminiscent of a pinstripe. Crayon has a compact and round plant shape and produces lots of flowers. The first two colours that were marketed are Wine Red and Salmon. Crayon performs very well in warm conditions.

 

Kiepenkerl Vegetable Tomasilikum® by Nebelung
Kiepenkerl pot T 19 combines spicy-aromatic basil and sugar-sweet compact cocktail tomatoes. Kiepenkerl Profi-Line Tomasilikum® is ideal for further cultivation in containers on balconies and terraces. The use of matching top varieties results in a homogeneous “round” plant structure and thus an attractive appearance. Kiepenkerl Tomasilikum® is offered with an environmentally friendly stick label. Tomasilikum® is available as Cocktail tomato “Black-Violet”, Cocktail tomato “Red”, Cocktail tomato “Yellow”, and each combined with white- or blue-flowered basil plants

 

Curcuma by KP Holland
KP Holland is the Curcuma specialist. Typical of the Curcuma are its very large extravagant flowers and impressive colours. The roots of this plant are the source of turmeric, which is used for culinary purposes. Research has demonstrated the beneficial properties of this spice. The Siam™ Curcuma series is composed of unique colourful products which can be planted in many pot sizes.

 

 

New category for 2021 – The next top scented plant

**WINNER** Plant’n’relax® by Roses Forever

Plant’n’Relax® is a new series of very beautiful garden roses developed by the Danish rose breeder Rosa Eskelund. Plant’n’Relax® is the first garden rose series from Roses Forever, and the roses have been tested in both the Nederlands and in Denmark since 2004. The roses are ideal for forcing in pots and some are also suitable for growing on own roots.

 

Antirrhinum/Snapdragon F1 dwarf Snappy by Hem
The low-growing plants in our Snappy snapdragon (Antirrhinum) series have a well-branched, mounding habit and look great in mixed borders as well as patio containers. Snappy plants grow up to 20-25 cm/8-10″ tall and spread 15-20 cm/5-8″ in width. With our two new additions, Rose Flame and Scarlet, the series now features a total of nineteen separate colours.

 

Dianthus Roselly Pink by Cohen
Bred by Hybrida, this Dianthus features naturally compact growth habits with clean and healthy foliage. It’s early flowering, and all Roselly have double flowers. Also available in Purple, Red, Salmon and White.

 

Victoriana mix by Ebbing-Lohaus
Nostalgic charm meets pure naturalness: Victoriana, with its decorative flowers and long, graceful stems, is now available as an expressive mix, including the colours red, panda, moccha, lilac and yellow. The timeless glory of this hardy primrose is applicable for bowls, pots and flowerbeds as well, where this late-flowering series provides long-lasting blooms well into April. The new Victoriana yellow is an element of this mix. Its flowers shine in a bright happy yellow and rise over a natural looking sea of leaves. By a vigour, which fits in the series perfectly, Victoriana yellow nestles to the mix excellently and gives it a joyful spot of colour.

 

Dianthus I❤U by Selecta
I❤U has double flowers with slightly wavy edges. Its flowers celebrate an extraordinary and unique play of colours as they develop. They change their appearance and change their colours from pink to white. The variety has a compact growth and shows a round appearance. I❤U can be cultivated throughout the year, but the play of colours is most intense in spring flowering.

 

Echinacea Sombrero® by Florensis
Are you ready for the summer? Because this beauty is totally ready and cannot wait to celebrate it! As a popular insect food plant, with bright colours and many flowers, it cannot be missed in any summer garden.

 

Lavandula angustifolia Cleo-Patio® by Evanthia
Lavandula Cleo-Patio® is a strong perennial with a vigorous growth habit and firm, grey-green leaves. When it comes to compactness and uniformity, Cleo Patio can easily compete with vegetatively grown plants. With numerous bright blue flowers and a lovely scent, Cleo-Patio adorns the garden. This lavender can be used in borders or as hedges, but also in pots on the terrace or balcony. While retaining its compact shape, Cleo-Patio® shows an exceptionally long flowering period, thanks to the many flowering side branches. This Cleo-Patio® also proves its strength during transport and processing. By sowing in autumn, you will be stunned by a beautiful richly flowering product in spring.