Each growing season, the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Minnesota, conducts trials of hundreds of annual flower cultivars sourced from global plant breeding companies. These cultivars are either grown from seed or vegetatively propagated in the greenhouse.
The flowers undergo rigorous evaluation, with their performance rated on a scale of 1-5, where 5 signifies excellence and 1 indicates poor performance. The assessments consider various traits, including the uniformity of habit and flowering, flower abundance relative to other varieties, resistance to insects and diseases, as well as uniqueness. These evaluations are carried out by certified trial judges throughout the months of July, August, and September, with results published at the end of the season.
In the 2023 trials, they've identified the top ten performing annuals.