“Little soldiers in a perfect row,” or Freefall “speaks spring”; in this year’s Cool Season Trials, our Viola cornuta Penny, Viola x wittrockiana Freefall, and Delta have proven to be the best in class.
The Cool Season Trails Performance Report 2022 is the 14th annual report from the Colorado State University (CSU). The overall goal of this project is to determine which varieties of cool-season plants are best suited for marketing and growing in the Rocky Mountain Region.
The research was provided by Dr. James E. Klett (Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulture Specialist), David Staats (Horticulture Research Associate), and Sheila Prentice (Horticulture graduate student and 2021-2022 Cool Season Trial Coordinator). 32 plants of 57 varieties were tested. Seed companies that participated were American Takii (Flowering Kale varieties), Benary Plus (Viola x wittrockiana), and Syngenta Flowers (Viola cornuta and Viola x wittrockiana). The plants were planted on October 21st, 2021, and in April 2022, the trials were evaluated by industry professionals and company representatives.
Top performers from the trials and the comment of the CSU Trial Garden Committee:
Viola cornuta Penny Violet Tiger Face from Syngenta Flowers
“Overall uniformity was striking and described by one evaluator as looking like “little soldiers” in a perfect row. The rich, velvety flowers had a bright yellow center for a nice contrast, and cute whiskers made it even more attractive. Winter survival was perfect without any losses or dieback.”
Viola x wittrockiana Freefall Series from Syngenta Flowers
“The entire Freefall Series was noted to be especially nice due to the vigorous spreading plants, which looked great in the ground but also work well trailing over the side in containers. Freefall™ Golden Yellow was a standout in the series with a nice golden yellow flower and attractive green foliage. Winter hardiness was excellent.”
Viola x wittrockiana Freefall Mariana from Syngenta Flowers
“This entry was noted for strong vigor and a classic blue and white pattern. As one evaluator described it, it “speaks spring.” Flowering was prolific, and it had an excellent mounding growth habit and good uniformity.”
Viola x wittrockiana Delta Premium Violet and White from Syngenta Flowers
“Blooms had great flower power as all the flowers faced up and almost completely obscured the vegetation. The flowers were relatively large. Dark purple combined with white to provide a very crisp pattern. Plants had good vigor and excellent uniformity.”
Viola x wittrockiana Freefall Sundown from Syngenta Flowers
“Flowers had good depth of color with a nice contrast between the dark violet and yellow. Whiskers were an added bonus on the abundant flowers. Winter hardiness was excellent without any losses or dieback. Plants and flowers had a nice size as well as being very uniform.”
For more information: 
Syngenta Flowers
www.syngentaflowers.com